ENGLAND OR BUST!

Boy, would I love to be in England about now. Can't get there soon enough. I think I should have bought a house there instead of here in Arizona. Too bad. There's got to be a way. 

I wonder how troublesome it would be to take three cats to England? Of course I'd be most worried about the trip's effect on my babies.

One thing about being a writer and a publisher, I can do it from anywhere in the world. As long as there are computer connections and the internet ... that's all I need.

Just looked it up on the Internet … the rules changed a few years ago and animals entering the UK no longer have to go into quarantine. Instead, you prove the animal doesn't have rabies by vaccinating them, having a blood sample sent to a lab to show that the animal was vaccinated, waiting six months, and then taking the animal to the UK. You are doing the "quarantine" yourself that way. So I'd have to do that six months before going.

Also have to get the pets micro-chipped.

THEN … 48 - 24 hours before the pet leaves for the UK, he must be treated by a vet for ticks and tapeworms. The vet fills out the corresponding section on the pet's veterinary certificate.

The USDA - APHIS recommends you have the vet do a general check on the pet and issue an international health certificate because you may need to show this to the airline before they will accept your pet.

British Airways Unaccompanied Pets service is a cargo terminal to cargo terminal product. Pets must be checked in at the cargo facility by you, and collected from the cargo facility by you or a nominated person. Pets are carried in the cargo hold, which is located underneath the passenger cabin. This hold is temperature controlled and provides a comfortable environment during flight. The hold is not lit, because experience shows that pets quickly settle down and travel better in the dark.

Okay, that answers it pretty much for me. I'm glad to hear that the cargo hold is temperature controlled. I was worried about that. Great! Okay. I can do it. No more worry about it. So they aren't going to hold me back anymore. I don’t have to sit here for the rest of my life, which is damn depressing. Now all I have to do is plan it and do it. I'm an expert at that, for sure. We all know that.

Oh yes, I can go on the same plane as the cats, by the way. Perfect!

Now all I have to do is figure out how I can do financially.  I'd close up this house, but would have to leave the water for garden on and electric for A/C on - at a reasonable temperature since it gets up to 117 in the summer.   Everything else can be turned off temporarily to save money.  Would have to have someone take care of the front and back garden, maybe once a month.  Okay, just thinking out loud here. 

Then ... I'll have to figure where I'd stay in the UK.   I've sent an email to a friend that might have room ... we'll see.  If not I'll shift gears.  Working on it!