The cats are here!!!

My two cats, Nia and Paku, have arrived!!!

After several days of flying and a slew of e-mails back and forth, they are here safe and sound. They seem a bit out of it and are very whiny, but have figured out where the litter box is (though this crystal litter I got sounds awful and I'm not sure they like it) and don't seem too mad at me for flying them all over the place.

When we first talked about Beijing, I told Scott the cats had to come or it was a deal breaker for me. Since he's a wonderful husband, he negotiated with work (I'm guessing it cost between $5,000 and $7,000 to orchestrate this cat move) and the next thing we know we're not only figuring out paperwork for ourselves, but for the cats, too.

We worked with WorldCare Pet Transport, which was absolutely phenomenal. They sent us postcards (above and below) and e-mailed us when Nia and Paku were en route to the airport, in the air and had arrived safely at the multiple pet hotels they stayed in. Here's an example:

Good evening Alyssa & Scott,

I wanted to confirm that both Nia and Paku have safely landed in Hong Kong and have cleared customs without any issue! They are both perfect and checking out their surroundings. 

They have been in great spirits and have finished eating a yummy dinner and now resting in the Hong Kong Cattery. They are half way done with their journey and in the morning they will be en route to Beijing to be reunited with mom and dad!

So here was their itinerary: NYC to Amsterdam for an overnight rest (water, bathroom break, food) then the next day Amsterdam to Hong Kong (if you pay more, you can avoid quarantine to mainland China by flying pets through HK) and finally Hong Kong to Beijing.

I was so nervous that something would happen to them -- that they'd get lost, get sick (they did soil the carriers, but the great people at WorldCare cleaned it all up) or some other crazy incident. But they seem in good spirits and I am so thankful to have these comforts of home here with me.

When the pet company called this morning to say they were on their way, the litter box I had ordered online with the help of one of Scott's co-workers (who knows what the heck these Chinese websites say) hadn't come yet. I had the litter, no food, and no box. So in a panic, I went to the kitchen area downstairs and in a charade-esque way asked for a cardboard box. Behold, the makeshift litter box.

The makeshift litter box.

Literally two minutes after Nia and Paku arrived, the litter box came. I guess this country can bring good fortune! Now, just one minor issue: like us, the cats have to be registered with the local police. And their paperwork wasn't delivered. So I've got to figure that one out ASAP.