I would not use WorldCare Pet Transport again…read more
My employer paid approximately $9,000 to transport my three Maine Coon cats across the country. I expected professional animal handling, adherence to clear care instructions, monitoring, and communication. That is not what I received.
Before the trip, the transporter told me he had never seen a Maine Coon before. Because of that, I provided detailed, straightforward instructions for their care.
I sent 30 cans of wet food, a large container of dry food, ample treats, raised wide food and water bowls appropriate for Maine Coons, and a water fountain for the hotels. My instructions were simple: feed wet food morning and evening while at the hotel, provide continuous access to dry food and water both at the hotel and while traveling, and give me regular updates.
Those instructions were not followed.
When my cats arrived, only nine of the 30 cans were gone. Seven of those nine can be accounted for in photographs I received during the trip, showing opened cans placed directly inside the transport crates.
I cannot understand how a professional animal handler could possibly think that putting an opened can of wet food inside a crate during road transport constitutes appropriate feeding,
particularly when raised wide bowls appropriate for Maine Coons were provided, and there were explicit instructions about when and how to feed them. There was nothing extraordinary about the instructions provided.
My cats also vomited during the trip. I was never told. I discovered it myself when I unpacked dirty linens that had been stuffed into a bag. All three arrived stressed and had lost weight.
Then, as the transporter was leaving, he told me something I had not been told before the trip: he had never transported cats before. He added that he would "miss these guys."
Had I known that the person responsible for transporting my three cats across the country for four days had never transported cats before, I would have canceled the trip.
WorldCare's response afterward was equally troubling.
When my concerns reached the CEO, he called me--not to apologize or tell me the company would investigate, but to tell me I must have misunderstood the transporter because, according to him, the transporter had transported cats before.
I did not misunderstand.
He insisted that my cats had been fed despite the amount of food returned and the photographs showing how that food was being provided.
Then, when I questioned how little they appeared to have eaten, he told me that cats often do not eat during travel because they essentially "hibernate."
Cats do not hibernate.
Cats may eat less under stress. That makes careful monitoring of food intake more important during a four-day transport, not less. If three cats are eating poorly, vomiting, or losing weight, I expect a professional pet-transport company to notice, document it, notify the owner, and respond appropriately.
Communication throughout the trip was also inadequate. I repeatedly sought updates and assistance from my WorldCare coordinator and did not receive the level of responsiveness I expected.
This was not a case of demanding extraordinary care. I provided the food, bowls, equipment, and clear instructions. My employer paid for professional pet transport. Instead, instructions were disregarded, significant information about the transporter's experience was not disclosed to me beforehand, vomiting was not reported, and my concerns afterward were met with contradiction and excuses rather than accountability.
For approximately $9,000 to transport three cats, I expected far better care, judgment, transparency, and professionalism.
I do not recommend WorldCare Pet Transport.
