And if I WERE in the military, I'd bend over backward to find someone I
trust to care for my pet(s) for the duration of the time I was away.
Including making sure that I sent funds for pet food and upkeep, etc. Or
maybe I'd sign on for the repeat-order thing that some online pet supply
sites have, where they send an order of supplies you select (food, litter,
etc) every month and your credit card is charged. Then my friend/relative
would have the correct food, litter, and so on arriving right on their
doorstep every month.


This is precisely why I didn't have a cat for my first five years when
I was serving in Borden and Trenton. I had no stable home for MYSELF,
let alone for an animal. I was being shipped around on a moment's
notice, living out of a duffel bag--my greatest "Stability" was my car
that provided me a bit of personal room to keep stuff in when I was
between barracks or rooms or tents whatever I was living in (I got
that after a year and a half of living out of the duffel bag
alone--saving up for the car).

When I adopted Nocturne, I had a year-round apartment and DP living in
it year-round to care for Noxy when I was on service. When things
came up for both of us, my parents willingly pet-sat.

If you cannot provide for a pet, you have no business adopting one.

Now Smokey's case might be something different...no one adopted him.
He just showed up at the unit. When accom. tried to kill him, getting
him somewhere, ANYWHERE, safe would buy him at least a bit more life,
if not a permanent home. In that case I could see taking him in even
if you didn't know if you could keep him, just to save his life.

Fortunately for Smokey poke, my home/his home is permanent.

I feel for those who have pets like Smokey, and no family/friends to
care for them. They really should be working on stand bys willing to
pet sit if they get deployed, and able to provide the sitter with food
etc, just as one would for a human child.

For those who can't be bothered...HISS. CLAW.

--Fil