Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Hunnie705]

I am going home next year but recently bought two hamsters. I will hopefully only fly home with one but I am concerned about taking a hamster on an airplane due to the pressure, stress...

Has anybody done this?

[I-am-me]

Are you for real?

[Hunnie705]

Yes, I am for real. I am not going to have a pet in Korea and not consider taking it home. I don't want to just dump him in some pet shelter if I don't have to. An animal doesn't have to be a cat or dog to be important.

[runthegauntlet]

[scotty12347]

I have nothing to contribute, but when i first read the thread title i thought you meant riding a hamster to Korea!

[Fishead soup]

I think Richard Gear has a good way to conceal it.

[I-am-me]

This thread is actually getting pretty funny. Hamster shelters....lol

[Moldy Rutabaga]

I'm trusting that you're serious and this isn't the setup for a dirty joke.

If the hamster is kept in a dark cage under your seat in the airplane, it will likely sleep and not even notice the trip. My cats found the vibration of the airplane lulling.

Your problem is not the hamster's comfort, but the airlines. You are going to need to find out whether your airline will let you take a small cage with a live animal as carry-on, and if there is a fee for this. I would not try to sneak it on. People travel with birds and even fish, so there must be policies.

[mmstyle]

I have traveled domestically (US) with a bird. Contact the airline and find out what their policies are. From my experience, airlines will only allow you to carry animals which are classified as pets, and they will tell you which animals that includes. In my case, I discovered that some birds are considered "pets" and others are not. Go figure.

My friend moved home from Korea with a dog that she adopted here. She had to go through a lot of hoops. You will likely need to see a vet and fill out paperwork to prove that your hamster is healthy, pay a fee to the airline, and have very specific travel restrictions on the carrier size (it's a hamster, I don't think that's a problem). Find out what the process is in your home country for bringing an animal through quarantine. Some countries are a lot tougher than others.

If it weren't for all of this difficulty (and the fact that I will likely immigrate to Aus eventually, which has a very strict animal quarantine) my husband and I would probably have pets here.

[rowdie3]

What are the odds that the hamster will even be alive at this time next year?

Also, how would you certify a hamster to be healthy? "Well, it's not dead, so, uh, I guess it's alright".

Insanity.