America has been the land of opportunity for immigrants from all over the world.  Why shouldn't a little Italian cat decide that she too would like to try her luck in the “New World”? 

In October of 2004, a group of adventurous American and Canadian cat lovers took off to visit some of Italy’s most interesting cat refuges and sanctuaries.  They were participating in Friends of Roman Cats “First Annual Cats and Culture Italian Tour”. 

After visiting cat colonies in a number of unique settings, the tour traveled to a cat sanctuary in the Tuscan countryside, located on a hillside amid olive groves and looking out on small villages and vineyards.  A generous Countess donated some land on her estate for this sanctuary to ensure that at least a few of the homeless cats near Florence would get care and shelter.

The beauty of the location and the generous spirit of the people who run the sanctuary stirred our group.  However, as hard-core cat people, most of our attention fixed on the many cats vying for attention.  We moved from enclosure to enclosure handing out treats and toys the tour participants had brought.  Several members of the group were stopped by the persistent attention they received from one small cat with white and tabby markings.  The little cat’s determination paid off, as two sisters on the tour asked her name.  They were told “Mugolina,” which means “little hummer” and that she had been given that name because she first made a purring noise, then escalated to a humming sound.  Eventually, we had to pull ourselves away from the cats, walk back down the hill to our bus and go on to our next stop, the town of Arezzo.

Late in the morning of the following day when we had left Arezzo and were heading south on our bus, I was surprised when Sandra, one of the sisters, approached me.  She spoke very intensely, telling me it might sound a little strange, but that neither she, nor her sister, Julianne, had been able to get Mugolina out of their minds.  She asked if there was even the slightest possibility that they could get a hold of Mugolina, adopt her, and take her back to America.  I cautioned them that it was unlikely to work out but, blessing the ubiquity of cell phones in Italy, I called Luciano, the man who was my contact for the sanctuary we had visited the day before.

He was very skeptical at first, saying he probably wouldn’t be able to reach the woman who ran the sanctuary until that evening.  Ten minutes he called back with two questions:  would she go in the cabin if she traveled by airplane, and did we think there was time to get her a certificate of good health before the tour ended? 

Having brought a wonderful little tabby named Kurt back from Rome six years earlier, I felt certain if they could get Mugolina to us by the afternoon of the next day when our tour would reach Rome, there would be enough time for Mugolina to go to the veterinarian and get her health exam.  I promised if things didn’t work out, we would contact Luciano so he could come back for her.

The next afternoon as the rest of the group went to our hotel, Sandra, Julianne and I went to the main train station in Rome and met Luciano who was carrying Mugolina in a little purple cat carrier.  Luciano told us how Mugolina had slept on his pillow the night before and how well behaved she had been on the train all the way down from Florence.  As we looked at her, she looked out boldly, as if asking what other sights we could possibly entertain her with.

We took her to Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary in Rome’s historic center where I have worked as a volunteer for the last six years whenever I am visiting.  Torre Argentina was one of the main inspirations for founding Friends of Roman Cats.  The staff at Torre Argentina welcomed her, prepared her a cage and made an instant appointment for us with a veterinarian they use.  We hurried her off for an exam.  The exam was thorough and we were told the results wouldn't be back until the afternoon of the following Monday.  Since the group was to fly back to America early Monday morning, it presented a problem.  However, I reminded Sandra and Julianne that I staying in Rome for an additional 8 days and could bring her back with me.

We were all a little worried about Mugolina as she weighed a mere 4 1/2 lbs and didn't seem in the best of health.  Her coat was coarse and one eye didn't look good.  Luciano had told us that she had been rescued from a cat hoarder a short time earlier.  Sandra and Julianne said she had so touched their hearts with her appeal to come with them, that they wanted to take her, even if she was not the healthiest cat.  However, the test results showed nothing wrong that love and a steady diet wouldn't fix.  I called Sandra, who was by then back in the Bay Area, to tell her the good news.

Mugolina divided the rest of the week between Torre Argentina and the apartment I had rented.  She was composed and ready for anything.  When I released her in the apartment, she jumped right up on a chair cushion, tucked her legs under her and began to purr.  Soon the purr gave way to a hum as though she was congratulating herself that all was going according to plan.

The following week, I reluctantly said good-bye to Rome and Mugolina and I set off on the marathon journey from Rome to Cincinnati, Cincinnati to San Francisco.  Mugolina rode in a soft carrying case; during takeoff she was under the seat, during most of the flight she was in my lap.  She fussed only once when she pooped, and was not satisfied till I took her to the restroom, cleaned out the newspapers under her, and put in fresh ones.

After almost 23 hours, we finally reached San Francisco and home.  Mugolina was still calm and very interested in everything.  Julianne, who lives close, came over to pick her up.  Mugolina saw her and hummed happily.  She has now settled in with Sandra and her other cats and has already gained over a pound.  Her coat is smooth and her eyes are bright.  Her travels are over; she has found her promised land.

As you can see, it is not so difficult to bring a cat back to the United States from Italy.  The cat needs proof of a current rabies vaccination and a certificate of good health, which is obtained after the cat has gone to a veterinarian and had a checkup.  You must also contact the airline you are traveling on to make sure they will take a cat in the cabin of the plane.  Not all airlines will do this.  Check on what it will cost and reserve a space.  Be sure to make certain you have a cat carrier that will fit under your seat; the airline will tell you the approved dimensions.