When we first received the e-mail from Michelle Drakes for the purchasing of two kittens, I was immediately against it. Then Lallie said why don’t we try our hand at exporting just for the experience. So we decided to go for it.
Michelle was very pleased and sent us as article about requirements for Dubai imports. Because we are not a Rabies free country the kittens had to have blood tests done 31 days after receiving their rabies inoculations. The latter could only be given when the kittens were 12 weeks old. When the results were available Michelle could apply for the permit to import into Dubai. So the main obstacle was the age of the kittens – they were going to be teenagers when they arrive at their destination!!!
Tinkie, our red female had three kittens at the time – a cream boy and two lilac tortie girls. Michele adores the tortie type and chose the two girls. The whole family came to South Africa in December to visit their family and also paid us two visits. We were satisfied that our baby girls were going to a very nice home.
Everything went without a hiccup. The litter had their first inoculation and deworming when they were nine weeks old. Chili, the cream male kitten, left shortly afterwards and we were pleased to have Sabrina and Kimeer for a while longer. The twins went for the rabies as planned and the blood was drawn 31 days later. The micro chipping was also done the same day. So far so good.
But not for long. I phoned Onderstepoort five days later to enquire about the results and to my horror discovered that they did not receive the blood!! Somewhere along the line the blood was delayed for a whole week and it was supposed to have been couriered overnight!! We were under the impression that the tests only take three days, but after speaking to the pathologist at Onderstepoort discovered that it takes eleven working days!!! Michelle was dismayed and totally frustrated. So were we because in the meantime Sabrina and Kimeer became “ streetwise” – they discovered ways to get outside and getting up to all kinds of mischief!
Well, finally on Wednesday 11 March 2009, twenty days after the blood were drawn, we received the results and took the kits for their health certificates to the vet. They were dewormed again and also received some frontline for protection against fleas. Michelle immediately organized the permit and Christelle from Animal Travel the exporting. Then three days later, on the day the kittens were 20 weeks old, they departed for Dubai. After an overnight flight Sabrina and Kimeer arrived safely at their destination much to the relief of everybody involved!