Lifestyle change: What's best for Rosie & Cinder?

Next March, Jim & I will move aboard a 38-foot boat and set out to explore
the intracoastal and inland waterways that circle the eastern half of the
United States. It will take at least two years, maybe more. (The boat only
goes about 7 miles per hour.) For several reasons, we believe now, rather
than later, would be the best time.
Our quandary is what would be the best choice for Rosie, 7 yrs, and Cinder,
10 yrs.
Our original plan was to leave our house and Rosie and Cinder in the care of
a reliable cat/house sitter. As hard as it would be to leave our babies
behind, we think they might best adjust to remaining in their own home with
someone living there to care for them. Of course, we'd still worry about
them. Unfortunately, circumstances will not allow us to afford both the
house and the trip. We have decided to sell the house.
We can take them with us. Some people do take cats on boats.
But, I worry about how they will adjust to such a reduction in space. After
several years, they now tolerate each other, but we now have plenty of room
inside and a small backyard that they enjoy when we are here to keep an eye
on them. I don't know if the togetherness on the boat will be too stressful
for them.
I worry about them falling overboard and not being able to rescue them. I
worry about them jumping off the boat at a marina and being frightened and
running away to hide. I worry about them needing emergency medical care
while we are hours away from a dock. (sigh).
Last night we slept on the boat at the dock with them. They were not happy
and cried much of the night. (I forgot to spray the Feliway.) Cinder used
the litter box, and they ate and used the scratching post. They might be
able to adjust over time, but we'd still have those other worries I
mentioned.
Another alternative is to have someone take them in and foster them for us,
with us paying all their upkeep and medical expenses, of course. Right now,
the family members we'd leave them with are not in a position to take them.
Most of our friends are also planning the same trip.
Our question is:
1. Is it is better to take them along, because they know us and we will do
whatever we can to keep them safe and healthy, but there are serious safety
and stress concerns?
2. Is it better to find someone who would foster them and provide an
environment that would be more like what they are used to, but the change
would also be stressful, especially for Rosie, who is a former feral and
thinks I'm her mother? If this is the answer, how do we go about finding
such a person? And how can we monitor the care they are giving our babies?
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Annie

"Annie Wxill" wrote in message
...
Next March, Jim & I will move aboard a 38-foot boat and set out to explore
the intracoastal and inland waterways that circle the eastern half of the
United States. It will take at least two years, maybe more. (snips)

Our question is:
1. Is it is better to take them along, because they know us and we will do
whatever we can to keep them safe and healthy, but there are serious
safety
and stress concerns?
2. Is it better to find someone who would foster them and provide an
environment that would be more like what they are used to, but the change
would also be stressful, especially for Rosie, who is a former feral and
thinks I'm her mother? If this is the answer, how do we go about finding
such a person? And how can we monitor the care they are giving our
babies?
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Annie

Of all the solutions, I think finding someone to foster them is best if you
must
go on this trip. As for how you would monitor them, if you feel you must,
then
they are probably not the best foster caregivers. No matter what you do this
is going to be very hard and sad for your cats. I imagine you are very
excited
about this trip or you would not even consider leaving them for 2 years.

On Sun 18 Sep 2005 12:42:03p, Annie Wxill wrote in
rec.pets.cats.anecdotes
):

Another alternative is to have someone take them in and foster
them for us, with us paying all their upkeep and medical
expenses, of course. Right now, the family members we'd leave
them with are not in a position to take them. Most of our
friends are also planning the same trip. Our question is:
1. Is it is better to take them along, because they know us and
we will do whatever we can to keep them safe and healthy, but
there are serious safety and stress concerns?
2. Is it better to find someone who would foster them and
provide an environment that would be more like what they are
used to, but the change would also be stressful, especially for
Rosie, who is a former feral and thinks I'm her mother? If this
is the answer, how do we go about finding such a person? And
how can we monitor the care they are giving our babies? Any
ideas?

First, what a trip! Sounds like great fun. I'm with you, though,
I'd be worried about how they'd react on-board, getting off at
ports, etc. I doubt they'd jump ship, but you never know.

I like the fostering idea. Since you have a bit of time, you can
start a search now and make sure the fosterer knows you're
returning because some people would want to keep them after that
much time. Be sure to have a contract and all that. I would hope
they'd let you call frequently to check up on them and all that. As
for how to find someone like that, maybe advertize but do it
discreetly - like at church, or at your or DH's work, maybe check
with the vet to see if they know someone who does that sort of
long-term fostering.

Not sure what else to suggest!

--
Cheryl

"cybercat" wrote in message
...
Of all the solutions, I think finding someone to foster them is best if
you
must
go on this trip. As for how you would monitor them, if you feel you must,
then
they are probably not the best foster caregivers. No matter what you do
this
is going to be very hard and sad for your cats. I imagine you are very
excited
about this trip or you would not even consider leaving them for 2 years.

Hi Cybercat,
Leaving them is not an easy option. But, we've wanted to do something like
this by boat for a long time. If we wait for Rosie and Cinder to finish
their lifespans, it could be 10 years or more. For health, age, and
financial reasons, we don't think we should put it off that much longer. We
have never moved and left a pet behind, even when we were both dirt poor and
renters.
When my husband got transferred here, we were treating our dog for
congestive heart failure. She was doing O.K., except when she got excited.
Because we were worried that it would be too hard on her, we did not put our
house up for sale until she died. That is how accommodating we can be for
our pets.
Our concern is to determine what is the best result for Rosie and Cinder,
given the circumstance of the trip.
Of course we would want to be able to communicate with whoever would foster
the cats, even if we feel confident that they would be as vigilant and make
the same decisions we would make regarding their wellbeing. We would need to
know of any changes in the circumstances. One of my concerns is, what if the
foster caregivers need to move, or have some other lifestyle change that
would affect the care they give to our cats. It would be hard to find a
replacement while out of the area. We'd need somebody in a stable
situation.
Yes, if we decide to leave the cats for a while, we want the best caregivers
possible. The problem is how to find that special person.
Thanks for your comments,
Annie

"Cheryl" wrote in message
...
First, what a trip! Sounds like great fun. ...
As for how to find someone like that, maybe advertize but do it
discreetly - like at church, or at your or DH's work, maybe check
with the vet to see if they know someone who does that sort of
long-term fostering ....
Cheryl

Thanks, Cheryl.

Maybe the trip would provide some good RPCA "we met" opportunities.

Jim retired in June, but I'm still employed. I could ask around at work.

I like the ask-the-vet idea, and maybe our cat-sitter will have some
suggestions, too.

One major concern of mine is that we live in a hurricane area. I would have
to be sure that we could count on whoever had our cats to take them along in
the case of an evacuation. When we evacuated for Bret, we had three cats,
and we took cats and photographs, and that's about all. I guess I better
specify someone who has a minivan (grin).
Annie

Annie Wxill wrote:

Any ideas?

Yeah. Having cats should be for life (as long as the cats live). Now
you've decided to do something where it would be inconvenient to have
cats. Your response - oh well just dump the cats it's no big deal. What
a selfish decision! So here's my suggestion keep the cats and forget the
trip. The trip COULD be taken later - you don't know - and if not, oh
well. There are disappointments in life - live with it. Sometimes there
are things in life that can't be done for various reasons.


John

"John" wrote in message
news:XKjXe.42793$ct5.40382@fed1read04...
Yeah. Having cats should be for life (as long as the cats live). Now
you've decided to do something where it would be inconvenient to have
cats. Your response - oh well just dump the cats it's no big deal. What a
selfish decision! So here's my suggestion keep the cats and forget the
trip. The trip COULD be taken later - you don't know - and if not, oh
well. There are disappointments in life - live with it. Sometimes there
are things in life that can't be done for various reasons.
John

Hi John,
I agree that we are responsible for Rosie and Cinder for the full extent of
their respective lifetimes. I also agree that "dumping" a pet because it is
inconvenient is terrible thing to do.
We have lived with pets for nearly 40 years of marriage, and we have never,
ever, left one behind when we have moved. This is even when we were poor
enough to be on food stamps and when we were renters and at the mercy of
landlords. They always had a good home and the best medical care possible.
When our dog was on medication for congestive heart failure, my husband was
transferred by his employer. We did not put our house up for sale until
after the dog died because we thought having strangers go through the house
and then the move would be too stressful for her. And we did not put her
down because we do not believe in killing for convenience. As long as she
was happy, we kept her going.
When it was her time to go, she died before we could get her to the vet.
Yes, sometimes there are things in life that can't be done for various
reasons.
Also, there are things that must be done for various reasons.
I don't think you are in a position to judge which applies to our
particular situation.
As I explained in another post, we would not be able to postpone the trip
for the 10 years or so that we hope Rosie and Cinder have left. People do
travel on boats with cats. We are not opposed to taking them with us, but,
as much as we'd love to have them with us, and as painful it would be to
leave them behind, we wonder if it might be better for them to stay on land
with someone who we can count on to care for them.
This is hardly dumping them and thinking it is not a big deal.
Annie

John wrote:
Annie Wxill wrote:

Any ideas?

Yeah. Having cats should be for life (as long as the cats live). Now
you've decided to do something where it would be inconvenient to have
cats. Your response - oh well just dump the cats it's no big deal.
What a selfish decision! So here's my suggestion keep the cats and
forget the trip. The trip COULD be taken later - you don't know - and
if not, oh well. There are disappointments in life - live with it.
Sometimes there are things in life that can't be done for various
reasons.


John

For a first post to *any* group yours was a moronic reply. I suspect you
may be a troll.
--
Adrian (Owned by Snoopy & Bagheera)
A house is not a home, without a cat.
http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk

"Annie Wxill" wrote in message
...
Our question is:
1. Is it is better to take them along, because they know us and we will do
whatever we can to keep them safe and healthy, but there are serious
safety and stress concerns?
2. Is it better to find someone who would foster them and provide an
environment that would be more like what they are used to, but the change
would also be stressful, especially for Rosie, who is a former feral and
thinks I'm her mother? If this is the answer, how do we go about finding
such a person? And how can we monitor the care they are giving our
babies?
Any ideas?

Annie:
I don't know your cats but my instictive reaction is that taking them along
might be more stressful for both them and you in the end. You would always
be worrying about them and they would find themselves in constantly
unfamiliar circumstances. I imagine that cats like routine and floors that
don't move back and forth ... but I'm not a cat so I don't really know.

As for fostering, I kind of hate to say this but I have to tell you our
experience when we took care of my friend's cat for what was supposed to be
a two year period. If Cairo had not begun spraying everything in the house,
including the stove fume hood, we would have practically gone to court to
gain custody after the two year period - and we are calm understanding
people who value the ownership of Cairo's slave immensely. We got so close
to that cat! Now when he sees us, he actually doesn't appear to know us,
which hurts my feelings a lot. Cairo had the transition to our household
then the transition back to his real slave's household, both of which were
stressful for him. I really *really* hate to say that based on this limited
experience, it almost makes sense to prepare yourself that whatever
situation you find for the kitties, it could even turn into a permanent home
for them. Fewer transitions for the cats and the foster parents. I've
thought a lot about that prospect with my own cats due to my son's
allergies. I've worked it through that, if I knew that they boys were with
someone who loved cats as much as I did, it would still hurt like crazy but
it would be "clean" pain. I would know that it would be the right place for
the cats and they would be happy there and that is what matters the most.
But then again, its very possible that you could find foster parents more
reasonable than we were :-) We have the dispositions to be crazy cat
collectors.

Susan M
Otis and Chester

"Susan M" wrote in message
news:PflXe.220523$Hk.55424@pd7tw1no...

YIKES! The following sentence is incorrect.

and we are calm understanding people who value the ownership of Cairo's
slave immensely.

It should say "... who value the friendship..." Sorry - don't know how
that one got by.

Susan M
Otis and chester