No Herc in Korea (warning: crazy cat lady)

** this post should be after pre-travel woes....**

 

 

This whole time I have been comforted by the fact that I could bring Hercules with me. After all, he is my fur baby and he deserves an adventure too. So months ago I looked on the Korean governments website for importing animals. At that time all he needed was an international health check and a rabies vaccination administered at least 1 month prior to arrival.

I went and got him his 3 year vaccination and decided to take him the week before we were going to travel. Then the tickets came, 5 days before I was to leave the country. Then I was able to read the policies and it took me to a different site. The legit site, the actual site that matters. This one stated that the regulations have now changed. You know, just a few months ago, that to bring in a cat you also need him to be mirco-chipped (which he is) and he needs an anti-body rabies titer test.

What the hell is that?!

After much googling, I learned it is a blood test to see if the cat has enough anti-bodies to rabies from the vaccinations. There were different quotes online and so I took him to the Vet, first appointment in Monday morning (3 days before departure day)

This test takes at best 7 days, at worst 4 weeks.

My mind just started racing. What do I do? Do I leave him home? Should I bring him with? What if he gets quarantined? And where, would it be in Seoul or Pusan? I don’t even want him quarantined. He’s not going to come with me. I’m going to have to leave him. He’ll have to live with my parents.

I wish I could share the mental photograph I have of the very nice, very empathetic veterinarian tech when he told me the news. He even looked like he was going to cry for me. So, with tears streaming down my face all I could muster up was “I just wish I could speak cat and explain it to him. He’s going to think I abandoned him.” Then I swiftly grabbed Herc’s cage and ran out the door.

For real, what else could go wrong? So I sat in my car, crying, with him meowing up a storm in his cat carrier while I was singing “All by myself, I don’t wanna be, all by myself.” Which just made me cry harder. (See, flair for dramatics.)

So, my fur-baby, Mr. Hercules has taken residence with my mom and dad. I know he is safe, well taken care of and loved. But it doesn’t make it any easier.

Song of the post: All by myself by Eric Carmen