The great cat escape

Somehow the kid's cat escaped from China before me.

When Yang, Aidan, and Lydia moved to Toronto last August they wanted to first get settled and then come back during winter break for their cat, Saisai. Who brings a cat, I thought. Well plans changed and due to a reason or two or three they did not come to Beijing for winter break. Instead, Elisa and I would visit and bring the cat.

Back in the early 2000s, Yang and I had a cat. It was called chouchou (臭丑) which means stinky, ugly. When we got ready to move to Beijing, we had to decide what to do with the cat. Give it to her brother who already had two cats - rejected. Let it live outside - rejected. Take it with us - impossible. Give it to the SPCA - done. I didn't think much about it but it bothered Yang so when she asked for my help transporting the cat, I agreed without hesitation and pushed aside future regret.

In the past 18 months we've done some pretty complex bureaucratic things in China. Sabrina's hukou, selling/buying an apartment. Both required lots of process, notarizations, translations, trips to the US embassy, and multiple trips to the approving entities. We did all without an agent which befuddled me but seems to be the way. For the cat move to Canada, for that, we got an agent.

The agent prepared the paperwork and insured the cat was prepped. Vaccines - check. Tracking chip - check. In theory all I had to do was sign my name and take the cat. And in this case, the theory held.

First stop, the checkin counter at the Beijing airport. Pay a feel, check the paperwork, make us promise we pre-paid the fee for the connecting flight. Then the security check - cat comes out of the transport bag and Elisa walks through the scanner; otherwise no check. At China entry/exit review they check our paperwork and we sign something. We board the plane for the 2.5 hour flight to Incheon. Cat placed under seat in his case.

We land Incheon with less than 90 minutes to catch our connecting flight to Toronto. There's a security check followed by an entry check. Takes a bit, but they don't really check anything and we make our way to the boarding gate. Long line of people waiting to board. We take our spot in the queue. The airline has agents checking people's passports/boarding passes while in line to make sure everything in order. We say, we have a cat. We get taken to the support desk next to the gate. No paperwork check but we need to sign a form saying we will keep Saisai in her container for the entire flight. I sign. I wonder what would happen if we "lost" Saisai in the airport.

13.5 hour flight to Toronto. Cat underseat. Elisa checking on him every couple hours. At about mid-flight she takes him to restroom to let him out of container for a bit.

Before we took off from Beijing, I had to main worries. Saisai would die enroute or the Canadian customs would not allow him to enter the county. Or is that an and/or? Well, the cat did not die. When we get to Canada we first go through immigration. We mark the "live animal/pet" checkbox (an "or" I think). Immigration doesn't ask any questions but marks our receipt for customs to check. And customs does. A little. Will the cat return to China? (no, hell no). Is the cat vaccinated (yes). No paperwork check.

And then we are out and Yang, Aidan, and Lydia are waiting for us. I should say, waiting for Saisi. And as I say this, Saisi post catnip is lounging on a chair in Yang's apartment basking in the early afternoon sunshine.