Like humans going to the doctor, pets also feel a bit overwhelmed when faced with a routine part of life in a foreign country. TheCats had avoided this fate so far, having not been since they were busy fulfilling their duties to move abroad. In fact, TheCats had forgotten about the existence of cat bags and doctors until the bags made an appearance in the living room one night, and the next evening, instead of being treated to an early dinner when the human came home early, they were stuffed into them and loaded into the car.
It should also be noted this was the first time they had even left the apartment, other than a quick escape from TobyCat down three flights of stairs two years ago, AND his roof escapade, and so everything was new and hellish on this day.
TEAR ARSE?
The Tierarzt (Cat Doctor) I chose was extremely nice. He had also come highly recommended. We waited in the room outside the examining room yowling at the cats in bags across from us. This ended quickly once a massive dog came in and we settled right down, in case he had friendly intentions.
On this day, we needed 1) shots 2) pet passports and 3) delicate grooming for MallieCat. Though I have no plans to let them outside at this time, someday I’d like for them to be able to return to the wild and fend for themselves, until approximately 6:00pm each night when they come home for dinner and curl up on the furniture they shouldn’t be curling up on. Thus we received a full litany of shots. I had also brought their American records with us, including visa paperwork, so the vet (and his wife, who is also a vet) could make sure they received every booster needed.
This was also an excellent opportunity to practice my Tier Wortschatz. Here is some vocab for you:
- Die Katze – cat
- Das Tier – animal
- Das Haustier – pet
- Krank – sick
- Die Spritze – injection
- Der Schwanz – tail (but also: penis, of course)
Pet passports
To leave the EU, TheCats require their own citizenship papers. I find it hilarious that they have German passports before me, the human who forced them over here.
To be honest, I didn’t even need to ask for this service. When I made the appointment, I only asked for a check up and a grooming consult. I assumed other services would require a separate appointment. But when we showed up, the vets just knew we needed the passports since they hadn’t yet been to an EU vet. They had plenty of these documents on hand and it probably only added 10 minutes on to the appointment.
As for the shots: again I hadn’t expected to have these done right at the first visit, but it was not an issue at all and they were more than happy to make the Schatzi up to date with their care.
The delicate grooming…MallieCat was still wearing her winter pants and this can be a bit, messy, at times. The vet kindly shaved away a little square around an area I will not be posting a picture of. But I can say she is happy with her results.
costs?
Two sets of shots, two passports, overall exam and two sets of anti-worm preventatives for 205 €. Like human doctors, vets are also limited to what they may charge per service, with scalable surcharges as necessary.
So everyone is happy and healthy, no reactions from the shots which is good for Tobes, as he normally reacts poorly to the rabies vaccine. But the vet told me he only uses the dead virus, good for one year, and this does not cause reactions. I would probably go this route again in the future.
There were no overall differences between vet trips in the US and this one, other than the language but if you would like to speak English, I am confident the vet will be able to assist, especially if you make this clear up front when making your appointment. The cost was also astronomically lower, as I have been finding each time I have any medical experience.
Should you ever need the vet, I hope your trip goes as smoothly as mine! And if you need help finding a vet, check this link and enter your PLZ to find the nearest one.
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