Just as an FYI for the original poster, they shouldn’t assume that like the other poster here, that their cat too will be subject to quarantine. I think I heard that, so long as you fulfill the necessary requirements with enough lead-in time (I think there’s a 6 month lead in time req’d for Japan), that your cat won’t need to be quarantined. I think you need to have proof of rabies etc shots, health records, etc., and I know that there is a series of shots required over the few months BEFORE your cat enters Japan. I think generally the only time the pet needs to be quarantined (besides it's having an obviously contagious disease) is if the owner didn’t have sufficient lead-in time, or didn’t get all the paperwork submitted far enough in advance. At least that’s how I understand it.
Which brings me to a question I’m hoping to get answered….
I’m considering going to Japan for 6-12 months and bringing my two cats. My two concerns are 1) don’t most/all apartments in Japan have rooms with tatami mats? Can cats (with claws) and tatami peacefully co-exist? I refuse to declaw my cats but I also fear that they’d enjoy using the tatami as a scratching board! How hard would it be to find an apartment with NO tatami? Secondly, for health reasons more than anything, my cats are on a raw food (meat) diet. Is ground meat, liver etc readily available in Japan and if so, is it very expensive? Here at home I’m used to paying anywhere from $4-6/pound for meat, or around 400-500 yen/pound of meat. Will I have a hard time finding affordable meat for my cats?
Tx!