November 05, 2004

• My husband is in the Air Force. He has one more tour to do before he gets out for good. We would love to go to Yokota AB, which is just outside of Tokyo, and we just found out that there is a job opening there for him. We really, really want to go to Tokyo. The problem is this: three cats. I've investigated the quarantine procedures, which really aren't that bad. My enormous fear is the housing situation. Most of the housing on base is in high-rise apartments that don't allow pets. The housing that does allow pets only allows two, with the possibility of a waiver. Now asking me to leave one cat is pretty close to asking me to cut off my arm. All three? When my husband could be deployed? Incredibly depressing. So my questions are these: If it comes down to leaving my kitties behind for three years, is it worth it? I’m really torn. I feel like I could be giving up the chance of a lifetime if don't go because I can't be separated from my cats. I’m sure some people would think it was just silly, but these are wonderful animals. We get compliments from people that don't even like cats. What would you do? Leave them with the in-laws for the whole tour and if we get lucky enough to find a place that accepts them, ask said in-laws to ship them to us (at great expense)? Board them when we arrive until we get housing? Just commit to Yokota without knowing what will happen? I’m trying to get in touch with the appropriate Air Force personnel over there, but getting military personnel many time zones away to call you back when you don’t have orders is difficult, to say the least.
• Well, having been in the Air Force during the 1990s I can say that you are always taking a risk when you acquire pets as a military family member. So in a way this was an inevitable situation. My advice, if you're willing to skirt the regs, would be to ignore the housing rule and bring all 3 cats over. Nobody is going to notice an extra cat and I've never heard of family quarters being inspected. Just stick to all import requirements (I doubt housing people will be getting any of this paperwork but I would check first) and you should be ok. Once you're settled you'll be able to find a friend who can take the cat in as a surrogate mom in the [unlikely] event it needs to be hidden, say for house repairs where CE might be nearby, or is given walking papers. And if that ever happens just ship it home. And even then you can send it back home. Ignorance will likely work on your side here. Otherwise I think you'll have to look into BAQ for off-base living or part with one of the cats. I'm not an attorney, and YMMV.
• We actually aquired them before he joined. I knew it was a possibility, but I've always just said that I would make any necessary sacrifices to bring them with us. But after three years of living on an E-4's budget, I know that fiscally it might not be possible. The worst case scenario is that the in-laws take very good care of them and they live outside for a while, I suppose. But I do like the beg forgiveness rather than ask permission idea. We can ship them stateside to my family if nothing works out, I suppose. I've always hated the pets in government housing rule. The exact wording is that all excess animals "must be disposed of." That just makes me cringe.
• I think their main concern is property destruction, health, and safety issues, so I think their policy is more to solve a problem than to nitpick. I think the key concept to keep in mind is that the cat can easily be kept with someone else on Yokota, or listed with them, who is agreeable and well under the pet quota, and you can take it from there. However you might want to run the idea by someone who has actually brought pets overseas. I believe though pet expenses are out-of-pocket, and thus with no reimbursement they wouldn't appear on any PCS orders that housing might get.
• I require picture of said cats. It depends on how cute and cuddly they are.
• Well, since you ask so nicely, here are the cats in question
• Bring animals into Japan
• fantastic cats!
• any chance of living off base or is that too ridiculously expensive over there? my sweetie lived off base for nine years, brought two cats with him. when his wife left she took one (is that heartless or what???) but Asta returned here to the states with him. i'm sure you know all about all the necessary shots, paperwork, blabbity blah. i hope you find a way! they're family members!
• My experience as civil service attached to the Air Force and traveling with two cats back from Turkey is this: We picked up two wild-as-March-hare kedis while overseas--one a tiger striped Van, and one an Ankara kedi. The requirements for bringing them home were that they be current on all shots and worming and have a vet health certificate done within 30 days of entering the States. We were required to purchase the tickets and fly them in airline-approved travel crates. We traveled commercial air. I believe we could have had them in the type of carrier that you can take on board with you, but there's no way I would have tried to do that with them. There would have been a passenger uprising for sure. It really blew my mind that there was no quarantine. Military is exempt, apparently. My understanding is that people traveling to Turkey with their animals underwent the same process without having to quarantine. A friend of mine traveled with the AF and took her Schnauzer pup to and back from Japan under the same guidelines several years ago. YMMV. Don't know the current regs. Is it possible to take just two and leave the most independent and self-sufficent cat with loving family? We didn't take our animals with us as we weren't sure what the situation would be there, but we missed our fur-kids. Never underestimate what comfort pets can be! One of the things that surprised me was that the airbase was prepared to airlift all military family, civilian workers, and PETS if they were put on a high Threatcom level. The only animals they wouldn't ship were the horses at the base stables as they were still considered as being on Turkish property.
• Wow! I didn't know that they would evacuate pets, too! Being in Alaska, we were told that if the unthinkable happened, they would evacuate family members if necessary. We've even been told to be ready to get on the plane in more elaborate exercises (for an ORI). But they didn't tell us that we could show up with our pets. Living in the market is possible, but difficult with key money, deposit and first and last coming out to about $12,000. That's the estimate from Yokota, at any rate. The dislocation allowance (DLA) and Basic Housing Allowance (BAH) just won't cover it. And it's really hard for military to save money in Japan. But! My mom is awesome, and she said she would not only watch them and keep them indoors, she will ship them to us when we have the appropriate housing. She even offered to take them to the vet and do all that is necessary to avoid the long quarantine. At that point, I think I'll just ask permission for two, and like rolypolyman said, they'll never notice an extra cat.
• In Seoul back in 1995 our people were authorized off-base quarters, and the payment for 1-year rent, key money, etc, came to somewhere around $15-20,000. All done in cash. Many of our newcomers enjoyed the ritual of walking into the It'aewon district with a bag filled with $20,000 to give to the landlord.