So, many of my things are with my ex in Arizona and I am trying to get them up here. My car, some furniture, my books and other possessions are there with him and he is getting them together so that I can arrange to have them shipped up here.
My kids are coming up next week as well, but one important family member, my daughter's cat Osiris, is presenting a bit of a challenge.
The airline that my kids are flying up on does not take pets (unless we can pass Osiris off as a seeing eye cat -- somehow I don't think that they would buy that). I thought I would check out a pet transportation service to see if that option was doable.
NOT!
I called the place and this well spoken lady with a faint English accent answered the phone. The conversation went something like this:
Lady - Hello?
Me - Yes, I need to have my cat transported from Phoenix, AZ to Washington, DC.
Lady - OK, when do you want him to come up there?
Me - Around August 18
Lady - Oh, that is not possible
Me - Oh, OK, thank you
Lady - (talking to someone else) Oh, we can do it on the 18th
Me - Great! What do I need to do?
(crazy) Lady - Well, in order for me to give you a quote, you need to pay $12
Me (thinking) - You're kidding, right? I mean, what kind of company does this? Makes you pay to get a quote to give them business? (I should have caught a clue right there)
(psycho)Lady - But I can tell you that it will cost at least $1500 to have the cat transported to you (does using the word "transport" as opposed to "shipped" increase the price? Yikes!)
Me - How much? (knocked the wind out of me)
(Manson Family Level Psycho)Lady - $1500. If you need us to supply a carrier the price increases. (Just what do you suppose the carriers are made of? I was afraid to ask, scared they would charge me for that question too!)
Me - You do know that it is just a cat??
(Delusional Psycho) Lady - Yes
Me - It's not even a purebred cat!
(Nuttier than a Fruitcake) Lady - (cool as a cucumber) Yes
Me - Uh, thank you, but I am still looking around.
I could not get off the phone fast enough! I mean, it costs more to ship the cat up here than it does to ship my car! And my car is actually functional! But I can't disappoint my daughter, she would be heartbroken without her cat. So I pressed on.
I began calling airlines. One problem: the airlines will not ship live cargo if the temperature is above 85 degrees. Well, Phoenix is hitting 100 plus right now.
Great.
So after many calls, I find myself talking to an enthusiastic gentleman at Delta who tells me that if I can get a "certificate of acclimation" from a veternarian, then I can ship the cat as live cargo through the airline.
So, I call my ex and give him the joyous news that he will have to take the cat to the vet (I will pay the bill-he is always broke). He was less than thrilled, but I think that his desire to have the cat gone far surpassed his irritation at the inconvenience. He agreed.
So, now I have a vet bill and the cost just to ship the cat is greater than an airline ticket for one of the kids. If I have to get another carrier it will be more.
WOW
I keep telling myself to keep my eye on the prize - my new life, new home, new job, new friends and so much more...
Everything really is going my way, I have never been happier than I am right now. I have some very, very special people in my life and am experiencing things I have never experienced in my life - acceptance. I can't tell you how wonderful that feels.
So, I will press on, making arrangements for the cat. It is worth the hassle. Maybe the pet transport and airlines see something that I have missed. Maybe there is more to this cat than meets the eye...
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