I tried to be polite but also expressed my concerns.
For me, as a breeder, i would simply not allow it and lose the sale.
It is too much in a young kitten, to put them through that. I would not ship my kittens out on long haul flights, nor any flights where they have to go in the hold. I understand that others do that but i am not comfortable in such small and young kittens.
The OP claimed that you cannot carry pets as hand luggage on planes in Canada but Air Canada allows it as i posted a link. This was not commented on by the OP.
The
whole journey in total is VERY long. The stretch in the luggage carriage is also very long and does make me sad for the kitten. What provisions have you got for your kitten to toilet and also eat/drink on this long journey? It will be a very stressful time for such a young kitten at a time when they are at their most stressed in their young life. I commented before that stress can trigger problems this is so very true and can be a major issue. This can mean there are implications in the long term. You might be lucky though.
It is very nice for your friend to come on here to back you up. Interesting that they have a bengal and yet know so little about them. They are not fearless as kittens especially when they left the only home they have ever known less than 24hours before. They are not really 'part wild animal' unless they are an early generation kitten. Passed 4 generations and the wild animal part is teeny weeny. That said. This journey would damage an EG more, i fear, as they bond closely with their owner and so would find the whole scenario terrifying. And that is a bengal that has far more wild blood in it. I wonder what generation these bengals that your friend has met???? I breed and i would not allow any of my kittens to leave in this way. Some breeders may care more about the money than the kitten and that is a real shame. If it were me, i would try to think of ways in which i could help. I have given potential buyers other breeders names i would recommend who are closer to them in the past. I also met one halfway as they could not travel all the way to collect their boy due to family problems at the time. I realise that the distance is greater in this situation but i would like to think i could be a bit more helpful.
You are also buying 'sight unseen' all be it for photographs. This is a risk that many people take, nothing that wrong with it (although i would not do it as, after hearing and seeing horror stories, i would want to check things out for myself). You don't really know how well socialised your kitten is. Unfortunately, some breeders do not put in the required time and effort to socialise the kittens they breed, so you are starting off at a disadvantage from the beginning.
You, despite spending a few hours with your kitten before the train journey, will still be a stranger to her. She may be scared of everything including you. She made be scared of everything and is happy that a stranger gives her some attention. I doubt for 1 second that she will not be scared - she will be scared for the whole journey (all 19+hours of it). That breaks my heart - honestly.
I think 7 hours IS a large amount of time considering that the whole journey is lasting at least 19 hours. The plane journey would have been a shorter journey in total and the kitten would be in the hold for less time than in a NOISY train carriage. Trains are very very noisy. [quote=Gnexus01]That saved me almost $200. Win for me[/quote]I fear that you chose a cheaper option instead of thinking of your kitten
I really do hope your kitten copes with the journey. I would never wish any harm or upset on our furry friends. I just could never do that to a kitten. Your kitten may be fine but it will be in spite of it's first 24 hours with you.
I am sorry if this offends. I don't care so much about your feelings, i care about the cats/kittens. I feel you could have done things far better. Your first post on this thread suggested that someone had advised you to try the train option but i noticed that nobody on here had said that to you. We are all experienced cat owners as well as experienced bengal owners. There are owners and breeders here. Yet you chose to book the train option before asking advice here. The only person that has posted in your support is another person who has a similar problem (but seems to have put a lot more thought into it than you)... oh and your friend that joined in order to support you (or yourself under a different name
).