You gotta really love your pet
As mentioned in prior posts, when moving to Hawaii requires planning and even more planning when it comes to bringing your furry loved ones.
When we decided to make the move, it was a no-brainer that our beloved cat Scarlet aka "Doggie" make the trek with us. She is a pain when she forces us to cuddle when we are in the middle of a meeting or writing, but how can we say no, she even loves electronics!
Shots, Tests, Time & Money
Hawaii is on a mission to keep rabies out of the state. Initially, we thought it would be easy as pie since our cat had her rabies shot done long ago. She has been healthy, her vaccinations are current and everything that you would expect for a loved one had been in place for some time. Then a dose of Hawaiian reality hit like a big wave and our timeline got a lot more complicated as you can see from the department of animal control checklist. It particularly hit Mario because he's the one staying behind while I am going ahead and set up our life there.
What we didn't think would be an issue was that she wasn't microchipped. She is an indoor cat, therefore we didn't think that a microchip was going to be necessary.
It isn't that Hawaii doesn't want your pet to come and live on the island, they just have higher rigor and therefore a checklist because as Mario mentioned in his post, it's a closed ecosystem and therefore threatened by anything from the outside world.
The HI state is the only state to be rabies-free and it's been that way for 88 years. So what they are doing is working; it just isn't traveler-friendly. Although they have extended an olive branch because the waiting line used to be 90 days and now it's 30.
My little drama
After we purchased the land in Molokai, I had a long list in my head of things that I was going to do with my love. My untold plans have been derailed by the discovery of those restrictions because I have to leave alone and wait for the rest of the family to join me at a later date. This late date fluctuates in uncertainty because even if I keep asking the same question over and over, to vets, officials, and what else, I still have this feeling that I am missing something or that somebody is not telling me what I need to know. Because I am not asking the right question?!
Air travel
No pet likes to be stuck in a crate especially if that crate gets put on a plane. Dogs must go as check baggage, likely because of their average size. Cats, since they are royalty, get to ride in the cabin. Airlines have various restrictions from only one pet per flight to as many they can fit. The average pricing is between $60 - $100 per pet.
I am about to start packing, leaving in a few days. And you can tell that doggie knows because she jumped into the luggage before even I was able to pack the toothbrush. Mama will be waiting!
