Alice Howard Koesterich was kind of enough to send me a copy of her book Opus and the Red Chair, which I had the pleasure of reading yesterday.

This is Opus. He likes pizza.

And this is the real life Opus. He loved his red chair.

Koesterich’s book is about the move that Opus and his family made from Boston to San Francisco. Having just moved with a pet, I know how weird of an experience it can be. This book softens the experience, making it manageable for both pets and the children who love them. Opus and the Red Chair is beautifully illustrated by Sara Kahn.

Sadly, Opus survived the move across the country, but died in 2006 after a bout with cancer.

100% of the net profits of Opus and the Red Chair will go to the Animal Cancer Foundation.

Read more about the book and see more great illustrations here. Or buy the book here.

Whew. That was one long day. If you are unable to view the video in your feed reader, you may watch it here.

Thanks to those of you who have been offering your support and good wishes to Tailer and me. Knowing that there were people and cats out there pawing for us made the trip much more manageable. We both hope that this little glimpse into the transport of a cat from one far away land to another has been helpful and/or entertaining. We’re glad to have had you along for the ride.

If you want to have a look back at the entire series, or share this cat’s voyage from San Francisco to Sweden with a furiend, all of the juicy bits are here.

We will keep you in the loop as the days go on and Tailer gets more and more adjusted. And if we decide to get back in that carrier and hit the road again, we’ll be sure to let you know.

thanks very much–anders

Link: [Cat ster Video]

(If you don’t see the video in your reader, you can watch it here.)

Here’s a sneak peak into what you’ll see in part 6, assuming that I can get a little shuteye and edit some of the in-air footage (yes, IT’S OVER!) tomorrow…

Link: [Cat ster Video]

Any time you move with an animal across a border, state or international, it’s important that you get a check up before you start the journey, and obtain all of the necessary documents and vaccinations. Generally, you want to get this done about a week before the trip begins.

Tailer went to the vet last week to get his check-up, and getting there involved spending a little travel time in his cat carrier. He’s had the past two months to get used to it, something that Dr. Barchas recommended in my interview with him. This is him on the way there:

And when he got to the vet, his doctor gave him the once-over and checked him out:

And then she signed his papers and stamped them, giving him a clean bill of health. Right on, Tailer!

She then gave us a calming spray to use on and in his carrier, something that will hopefully help him to relax in his cozy little world for the duration of the trip. I totally like the idea of that and am thinking of dousing my body in the spray as well.

And that was that and he got to go home. When the car made it to the last stretch of the dirt road that leads to the house, Tailer got to get out and check things out:

He’s a pretty good co-pilot, but I wouldn’t trust him behind the wheel.

We spent this afternoon out in the forest, picking mushrooms. Tailer usually likes to come along for these excursions, and today he was along for the stroll. Seeing him out there, though, reminded me of the fact that one of the things that I am still worried about is that he’ll be leaving a forest life and entering a city one, and, as Dr. Barchas suggested, he’ll basically be becoming an indoor cat. It will obviously be a tough adjustment for him, even if for the past year and a half or so he has been sleeping most of his days away on the sofa or in bed… in the house.

Nonetheless, I have wrestled with this over and over again, feeling guilty for the fact that he’ll be making a life adjustment for my sake. And as much as I try to tap dance around it, I can’t–that’s pretty much the deal. The truth of the matter is that my life has changed–I am no longer living in the middle of the Swedish forest–and I am back in the states, back in San Francisco. And as any pet lover will tell you, walking away from a furry little friend is often a nearly impossible thing to do. Call me crazy or call me a jerk–heck, call me a crazy jerk–walking away from Tailer is just not in the plans for me right now. So, San Francisco, here we come.

Plus, if he gets through this trip without too much trouble, he’ll be coming back here with me in June to celebrate midsummer.

Sure, why not?

So tomorrow we’ll head to Stockholm, a car ride that accounts for about four hours of the (door-to-door) 20-22 hour trip. Thankfully, he and I are staying in Stockholm tomorrow night before we get up at the crack of dawn and head to the airport on Tuesday. From that point, it’s just a hop, skip and a (6,500 mile) jump home.

Seriously.

Leaving you with a few pix from today’s last mushroom-picking excursion–

Check back tomorrow for more!

Here is that video, an interview with Dr. Eric Barchas, our resident veterinarian dog blogger/cat blogger. Please feel free to leave comments about what Dr. Barchas has to say, or other tips for that matter, either on this post, or over where this little cat video lives.

If you are not able to watch it in your feed reader, watch the video here. Just FYI, I am in Sweden now, packing some gear, enjoying what’s left of the fall colors, and heading back to SF with Tailer, via Stockholm and Paris, tomorrow. A quick trip, but traveling with a cat is often like that. More updates to follow!

Kidding aside, I have decided to film and document the trip, starting with the pre-trip preparations and an interview with our dog and cat vet Eric Barchas, and following up with some in-transit coverage. This kind of lengthy trip is nothing I have ever done with a pet and I know that there are more than likely other pet owners out there who might benefit from a little behind the scenes look at the process.

That said, here is the first video of my little cat’s trip, which consists of just a few thoughts of mine, a couple days before leaving. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment.

Updates from the road–and air–to follow.

Thanks–
anders

If the cat video is not embedded in your reader, you can watch it here.

We will be covering Tailer’s move on Catster, so stay tuned for updates!

If you’re planning on getting out and about this summer and are going to take the pooches with you, make sure you read through this quick overview of suggestions for car travel with canines. It’s all about making sure that you and your best friend enjoy the trip and get to your petstination without problem!

Or to the firehouse? Or what is going on below? Is that Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?

For more pawesomely snuzzy shots of dogs on the move, buckle up and get on over to See Spot Ride!