September 12, 2017 – Finally! The last few days before we’re together in Austria!
Wow! It’s been over a month now since I came back from Spain and since I last wrote an update. As you probably already read on my dear Ralph’s post, things have been stressful and worrying for a while, as we were looking for a removal company and as we tried to figure out a way to bring the cats to Austria. It was especially stressful for Ralph. I worried a lot myself, which is why I did not post on my blog like I had wanted to. I usually can’t do things I enjoy doing when I’m anxious or worried for some reason. My mind was all with Ralph and the cats, Murli’s new siblings, Sonic and Samantha.
Basically, from the first day of me being back in Austria, Ralph and I started to organise and arrange everything necessary for the big move… and it just never stopped. At first things were not easy, as we tried to sort out a transport for the cats and Ralph’s belongings to Austria. But either the companies we contacted did not reply at all, or they were simply outrageously expensive. One removal company we had first wanted to use, only does moves to the UK and from the UK. The same thing was true for the animal courier company we wanted to use at first. We wrote to a couple of others, and either we got no reply (despite multiple tries from both of us), or they also only served moves from and to the UK, or they were outrageously expensive as well.
So this is how things went…
The first change we decided on, was that we’ll get our new apartment together, as we want the contract to be in both our names, and we both need to be here for that. It’s going to be quick with the new apartment, once Ralph is here with the cats. I already have an apartment in mind for us that we might take. But we’ll decide about that together.
So for the time until we have our apartment, I have found us a B&B that allows guests to bring their pets. It’s not far from the city centre, and everything we need is close by. My kitty girl Murli will be staying with my Dad until we have the apartment, as Sonic and Samantha will have been through enough stress by the time they’re in Graz, and it would not be a good time to introduce Murli to them on top of everything else. The cats already know each other smells, as I sent Ralph toys I made, which I filled with Murli’s fur. And I have Samantha and Sonic’s fur for Murli. She always starts purring and rubs her head into the little toy that I filled with Sonic and Samantha’s fur.
Another change was the transport of the cats themselves. Since we had no luck with the animal courier companies, we thought about having them transported by themselves via an Airline. But, turns out it’s actually much easier, at least nowadays, to fly together with your cats. Not all airlines want to transport animals in the hold and only allow one cat and carrier per person in the cabin. The carrier would be put underneath the seat in front of you. Since Ralph flies alone and has two cats, we had to see which Airline would transport pets in the hold. Thankfully, one of the Airlines that flies from Malaga to Vienna, does what we need.
Shortly before, Ralph had finally found a removals company that will transport everything to Austria for a reasonable price. And then, once we had a date for the removals truck to arrive at Ralph’s home in Spain, he was able to book his flight and then also book the cats onto his flight! That big worry was finally over with! We finally had transport for the apartment contents and a flight for Ralph and the cats.
Meanwhile, I found us a storage place in Graz, that is really nice, flexible, and they were very kind and helpful, with the price being totally fine. So it’s no problem to have Ralph’s belongings transported to Graz and directly put into the storage place I rented.
The last important step for the cats has been done yesterday in the afternoon, as Sonic and Samantha got their health certificates and all important stamps and stickers in their cute little blue passports. So everything is set for Ralph and the kitties to fly! Yay!
After a month with emotional up and downs, during which we didn’t know when exactly we would see each other again, we finally had a countdown to a certain date:
The plane will land shortly before midnight on Friday the 15th in Vienna. Because of that, I had booked us a hotel room near the airport, where we and the cats can relax and get a good nights sleep. Then towards noon on Saturday, we’ll get on the train to Graz. If I had not booked a hotel room, we would have had to hang around the airport all night, to take the first train to Graz. Which would have been no fun at all and especially not fair on the cats.
Ralph will leave for the airport in Malaga at about the same time as I will leave here to take the bus to Vienna Friday afternoon. I’ll arrive at the airport in Vienna at 7:10pm, where I will buy a couple of things for us in the grocery store there and then check into the Hotel. I’ll be at the hotel when Ralph will still be at the airport. Then I’ll follow his flight to Austria on flightradar24.com just like he did with my flight to Spain. Then, about half an hour or so before the plane will be due to land, I’ll be at the airport.
It will be one of the most relieving and happy moments ever to see Ralph and the cats again! Finally in Austria, to start our life together. I’ll be celebrating that day every year, that’s for sure. And I’ll be taking pictures of Ralph and the cats at Vienna airport too, so I can share it with you all☺
Oh I will be so very glad when Ralph and the cats have safely arrived in Vienna. Yay! Just a few more days now…
I’ll post a short update from the hotel room in Vienna when Ralph, the cats and i are finally reunited.
Lots of love from Murli and I and thank you all so much for your love and kindness❤