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Topic: home for the holidays - minus one

swirrlygrrl
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2170

posted 14 December 2002 09:58 PM

Yay! In about 20 hours, I'll be in Edmonton, joining my much of my family for a few weeks of holidays. It's going to be very nice to see my mommy, and my partner's family, and to go back to Saskatchewan and see the extended fam.

That said, we're leaving one very important family member here in Ontario - our kitty. While we've got one of my partner's professors, who loves cats, taking her into her home while we're away, this is definately going to be stressful on her and on me (I'm an overprotective mommy to her). And I'm beginning to be wracked with guilt that she'll feel abandoned, since we adopted her from a family that was forced to let her go due to severe allergies.

Anyone else off to visit family or friends?

From: the bushes outside your house | Registered: Feb 2002 | IP: Logged

Jared
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 803

posted 15 December 2002 02:53 AM

Will be off later in the week to crash at my brother's place in Toronto. He must have been naughty this year, because I'm very much a lump of coal. A lump of coal that eats his food, takes up space, and, should I find where they're hidden, steals his cigarettes.

From: Vancouver | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

Lima Bean
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3000

posted 15 December 2002 01:48 PM

Oh, swirrlygrrl, I know exactly what you're going through. My boyfriend and I are both heading home to Alberta as well, but have to leave Harvey here with a friend. I'm dreadfully anxious about it. I know for a fact that no matter how much our friend is looking forward to hanging out with Harvey and how nice he'll be to him, it won't possibly be like being at home, and the poor little thing is gonna be so sad!

I'm a little overprotective too...but who isn't really, when it comes to their kitty?

From: s | Registered: Aug 2002 | IP: Logged

swirrlygrrl
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2170

posted 16 December 2002 03:47 PM

I wrote out a one page note with all the important information on the Princess, and had my partner read it over to ensure I didn't sound too crqazy, and when I gave it to the woman who'se watching our cat, she said (in front of her 3 kids) "you do realize I'd leave my kids for a whole summer and not give this many instructions, right?" I didn't mention her kids could probably tell people what they needed, unlike daisy. When we left, she was under one of the daughter's beds, looking really pissed at us.

but the turbulence on the flight convinced me we'd done the right thing.

AB has no snow Lima! Doesn't feel like a prairie Christmas at all (well, aside from teh dry air). Have a great holiday.

From: the bushes outside your house | Registered: Feb 2002 | IP: Logged

Lima Bean
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3000

posted 16 December 2002 03:59 PM

I have a feeling that my list of instructions will be just as long. And I'll probably give one to my boyfriend too, because I leave town before he does, and he'll need to know all the things to do for Harvey to make the trip to our friend's place and the first introduction to it as low-stress as possible. Harvey will also quite likely have a little suitcase packed full just for himself. What with the food and the litter box and all his toys and his cookies and a blankie...

Oh, I'm so worried about it!! Poor baby...

and..

I hope it snows on Friday. A lot all at once, and that it doesn't melt except for off of the highways!

Fingers crossed!

From: s | Registered: Aug 2002 | IP: Logged

vickyinottawa
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 350

posted 17 December 2002 11:51 AM

Pepper (my aging schauzer companion) is going to Club Pet for the Holidays. I decided not to bring her to Halifax as the air travel might be a bit too hard on her. Club Pet is a service in Ottawa that connects pets who need temporary boarding with families. So she gets lots of love and attention instead of being stuck in a kennel.

From: lost in the supermarket | Registered: Apr 2001 | IP: Logged

Alix
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2279

posted 17 December 2002 12:07 PM

We're only going to be away for three days, so we're hoping to have a friend check on her rather than sending her to my partner's parents.

She's such a nervous cat, I think it will be easier. We sent her to my partner's parents for a week while we went to Maine, and she only came out at night, and when we came home, they couldn't find her to bring back! They were afraid she'd gotten out (I wasn't - she'd be scared shitless of going near the door), but it ended up she'd clawed a hole in the boxspring and tucked herself up in there.
I felt so guilty!

From: Kingston | Registered: Feb 2002 | IP: Logged

skdadl
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 478

posted 17 December 2002 12:11 PM

Gee -- a thread for obsessive exiled Albertan cat-lovers (plus Jared

) -- how did I miss this?

We're headed out for Calgary on Friday, leaving five cats behind with the roomie of the wonderful student who has taken care of them three times before. The roomie will inherit from my sainted original sitter about six pages of instructions, now well thumbed and stained (and here and there, out of date -- like, one of the original six cats has gone to his reward in the interim, although he was 17 and had had a great life ... but I digress).

I've never understood why everyone smiles indulgently at the pages of instructions. I mean, if I don't draw a diagram of who eats where and in what order the plates should be put down, the cats are definitely not gonna settle down and eat, yes?
And of course the sitters need to know how to get in touch with our lawyer: he's got the will, for pity's sake. No adopt kitties, no get goodies, yes?

The first time I did this, I wondered whether I was going to be tempted to phone home to check midway through. But I wasn't, and I think that's good -- necessary, really. One just closes one's mind, and all is well at both ends.

Calgary is muffled. The sun shines like crazy. The woods near my sister's house take me back to high school parties and another time altogether. Now let's hope I remember to stay focused on all this positive-thinking mush while sitting through a few of the inevitables of family reunions ...

From: gone | Registered: May 2001 | IP: Logged

Lima Bean
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3000

posted 17 December 2002 12:38 PM

I've been buying Harvey a lot of toys lately. I'm racked with guilt and worry. Found this cool thing yesterday--a plastic wand with a fleece ribbon trailing from it, about three feet long. It's tons of fun to play with! Kinda like a gymnastics ribbon, and the cat LOVES it.

Oh, and he's gonna grow so much while I'm gone...He'll be so big when I get back!!

Oi.

From: s | Registered: Aug 2002 | IP: Logged

skdadl
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 478

posted 17 December 2002 12:42 PM

Now, Lima ... You are going to be gone how long? Hee hee. Serious motherhood here.

From: gone | Registered: May 2001 | IP: Logged

Lima Bean
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3000

posted 17 December 2002 12:45 PM

I know, I know. That's what the 'oi' is all about. I'm ridiculous.

But he's still just a kitten, and he grows really fast! I'll miss two whole weeks of his development!!!

(I know, I know...)

From: s | Registered: Aug 2002 | IP: Logged

swirrlygrrl
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2170

posted 17 December 2002 05:29 PM

Maybe leave a camera and film with the note???

From: the bushes outside your house | Registered: Feb 2002 | IP: Logged

Debra
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 117

posted 18 December 2002 08:00 AM

For the cat to take pictures of himself?

From: The only difference between graffiti & philosophy is the word fuck... | Registered: Apr 2001 | IP: Logged

lagatta
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2534

posted 18 December 2002 10:32 AM

It is my turn to catsit. Friends catsat Renzo while I was in Amsterdam, now I'm sitting Mic and Mac. Sadly, Mac has cancer of the cartilege of his nose, and now his little face is all swollen, he has trouble eating and snorts when he breathes. He hasn't got long to live. Mic and Mac are (or were) identical twin grey tabby cats. I hope their human returns in time so I don't have to be the one to take him on that sad trip to the vet's.

After Mic and Mac, I'll be sitting a little girlcat named Décibel because she was extremely loud as a kitten. She is one of those tiny cats who weighs in at maybe 5lb.

My catsitting obligations are an excellent excuse not to visit any relatives for the holidays, and just organise a little non-Christmas here with a couple of friends. Probably fish-seafood soup or paella, both of which will please all the cats.

From: Se non ora, quando? | Registered: Apr 2002 | IP: Logged

Vee
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 3477

posted 19 December 2002 05:20 PM

Fortunately, I have a brother who lives 5 minutes away so the critters usually live with him when I wander. When I had non-family members house sit for five weeks this past Feb., they were quite impressed with the binder I left them that had everything from my pets names to my house insurance policy in it. I did not feel guilty about leaving the critters behind until I came home and they ignored me for 3 days.

From: East Coast | Registered: Dec 2002 | IP: Logged

Michelle
Moderator
Babbler # 560

posted 06 January 2003 04:44 PM

How did it go, swirrlygrrl? Did you and your kitty survive?

From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001 | IP: Logged

swirrlygrrl
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2170

posted 06 January 2003 08:58 PM

I'm not acutally hoe yet - I fly in tommorow.

But, (really, no surprise here - she's that lovable), they asked if they could keep daisy for a few extra days. My partner fielded the request, so I didn't get the whole story, but something about one of the girls dad was coming up, so what this has to do with my cat, i don't know. Anyways, I'm considering letting them, if its a good reason, but I have insisted on a visit tommorow night, so she knows I still love her oh so much! We'll see if after that I can let her go again.

And how was everyone else's separation?

From: the bushes outside your house | Registered: Feb 2002 | IP: Logged

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