Driving to Quebec for Mid-Life Crisis Kitten - Help Me Plan, Please!

[louse76]

Hi guys, I posted this over at catforum yesterday, but apparently I had it confused with this forum. I didn't get any responses. Any info you have regarding the below will be great. I'll be doing research tonight. I plan on leaving Sunday early AM.

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Hi all, haven't been around in quite a while. I hope all has been well!

My kitty, Zero, has been doing great. But he's an only child and he and I have been wanting a new friend for quite some time, but "mom" hasn't allowed it.

Anyway, I'm 28 and have been doing rather well until lately. To make a very long story short, I was diagnosed with OCD and ADHD recently and was making really great progress. But I went from employee of the month to losing 30 lbs and getting suspended from work, now missing a retreat to Mexico.

So I decided to go the other way and drive to Canada to clear my head, and make use of the free time. I'm a hypermiling champ and will be able to make it to Canada and back to Florida in only about $100 of gas.

I've convinced my lady to let me come home with a French kitty and name him Herbert (pronounced "Herr-bear" in French). That's about all I have planned, and that's where I hope the community can help me!

So, first, I need to find a place to go in Montreal, Quebec, or the surrounding area. Any help, or can anyone point me in the right direction? Zero is a white domestic shorthair, and I'm not sure exactly what to go for. I'd be interested if there were any awesome breeds that are not too expensive, or I'm totally ok with a domestic. I'm thinking another white one, a black for contrast, or maybe a tuxedo.

Is there a craigslist or something similar for canada where I could easily find this? How hard is it really to find free kittens, right?

I really want a kitten, as young as possible, but not too young to be away from his mommy. It would be great to get one from a person, then bring him home and get him fixed when he's old enough.

So I'm pretty open in that area, but then there's logistics. Will I have any problems smuggling my kitty across the border? There's also the issue of a cat in the car for 1400 miles. I have a little space in the rear where he can hang out and hopefully feel safe. I was thinking that I'd get him a little litter pan, but also take him outside on stops. I'll have a carrier and also make sure he has plenty of water and the right food.

But most cats don't like car rides. Will he be ok? Will he adjust? Or should he stay in the carrier except for stops?

Any ideas, insight, or most especially help finding a kitty would be wonderful. I'm hoping for a baby, as I want to really bond with him as he os small, but a nice youngster will be ok.

Zero loves everyone, even dogs, so he should be ok once I get home, but I'll make sure that he has his own space to adjust.

Am I forgetting anything? Should there be anything I should worry about?

Thanks so much in advance for your help! If all goes well, I'll post a ton of info here about Herbert and the trip.

I'm super excited, thanks!

 

[carolina]

Sorry you are going through this...
The only advice is do not do it (kitty wise). It is extremely stressful on the kitty to change household and ownership on the first place; and to put a LONG road trip on the top of it, you are getting near torture IMHO.
Let alone the legalities involved crossing the borders and states.

Do your trip as you wish, then adopt an already fixed cat from your hometown shelter when you are back and ready to take care of him properly. There are plenty of kitties waiting for an angel to have their lives saved.

I am sorry if I am raining on your parade, but you have to think about the kitty too... And for him this is really NOT a good idea. On the contrary - it is an extremely bad idea....

 

[natalie_ca]

It isn't that easy to bring an animal across the border.

They need to be vet checked. They need to have all of their vaccinations. And in some cases, they need to be quarantined in a kennel for a few weeks.

Then there is the huge stress on the kitty. That's a very long ride and cats don't travel that well.

There are lots of homeless kitties right in your own area that would love a furever home!

Instead of driving to Canada to get a kitty, drive to your local shelter and save a life there.

And so far as gas is concerned. I don't know how much gas is where you live, but up here it isn't cheap. I'm pretty sure that you won't be able to drive all the way from Florida to Montreal Canada and back to Florida on only $100.00 in gasoline.

EDIT: I notice you said you want a young cat. A kitten should be with it's mother until it is 12 weeks old. They have lots to learn from their mom about being a cat. It isn't a good idea to take a kitten away from it's mother any earlier than that.

 

[louse76]

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

It isn't that easy to bring an animal across the border.

They need to be vet checked. They need to have all of their vaccinations. And in some cases, they need to be quarantined in a kennel for a few weeks.

Then there is the huge stress on the kitty. That's a very long ride and cats don't travel that well.

There are lots of homeless kitties right in your own area that would love a furever home!

Instead of driving to Canada to get a kitty, drive to your local shelter and save a life there.

And so far as gas is concerned. I don't know how much gas is where you live, but up here it isn't cheap. I'm pretty sure that you won't be able to drive all the way from Florida to Montreal Canada and back to Florida on only $100.00 in gasoline.

EDIT: I notice you said you want a young cat. A kitten should be with it's mother until it is 12 weeks old. They have lots to learn from their mom about being a cat. It isn't a good idea to take a kitten away from it's mother any earlier than that.

Thanks for the advice. On the $100 to Canada part, I actually get 100+MPG daily, and even on a long trip, less than 80MPG would be out of the question for me. I did the math and at 80MPG, it's $95.

Thanks for the advice about taking a kitten across the border. Could anyone help me link to where I can find more info about it? I won't do it if it will be a huge problem, but this was the stipulation for me to be able to get a kitten.

Thanks, and please add any extra perspectives - welcomed either way!

 

[catsallaround]

What are you driving exactley? I understand the basics behind hming tho

 

[carolina]

Originally Posted by Louse76

I won't do it if it will be a huge problem, but this was the stipulation for me to be able to get a kitten.

What do you mean by this? It needs to be a Canadian kitten and go through a 1440 mile drive to be allowed home?

Do your trip, before you set foot home stop at the shelter and get a kitten.

What difference does it make to be canadian or American Kitten?
The only difference IMHO is that the american/local kitten will not have been submitted to a HUGE amount of stress.

Think about every time you take a cat to a short trip to the vet. I have 3 cats. It is HELL to take either one of them for a few minutes ride. I can not even begin to think the stress of a long trip.

Sure, if absolutely necessary (like being relocated across country with MY ALREADY OWNED CATS)... Will do it... But just to adopt a shelter cat, when there are millions of local cats being euthanized right here for not having a home... IMHO it is just... well... no other way to put it... wrong.

 

[natalie_ca]

Originally Posted by Louse76

Thanks for the advice about taking a kitten across the border. ..... but this was the stipulation for me to be able to get a kitten.

Surely you can't be serious!?

I agree with Carolina and everything she said.

If you are set on going to Canada on a trip, go. But forget the idea of going there to get a cat/kitten/animal of any kind. Go because you want to see the country.

Then when you get home, stop at the animal shelter in your own city and look for a kitten there.

Put the poor cat/kitten's needs before your own fantasy about having a French cat born in Canada. Cats have no concept of nationality, that's a human trait. Get a kitty from your own shelter and give it a French name.

 

[margecat]

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Surely you can't be serious!?

I agree with Carolina and everything she said.

If you are set on going to Canada on a trip, go. But forget the idea of going there to get a cat/kitten/animal of any kind. Go because you want to see the country.

Then when you get home, stop at the animal shelter in your own city and look for a kitten there.

Put the poor cat/kitten's needs before your own fantasy about having a French cat born in Canada. Cats have no concept of nationality, that's a human trait. Get a kitty from your own shelter and give it a French name.

I wholeheartedly agree with Carolina and Linda. Taking a cat from its home, and then on a looong trip is going to be stressful for both of you (have you thought about how kitty is going to use the litter box on the trip????), but especially for the cat. Find a needy little sweetheart near where you live--surely, there must be shelters nearby. Why must the cat be Canadian???

 

[hissy]

You can't smuggle a kitten across the border- for pity's sake, it's a living, breathing being, not a piece of fruit you can stuff in a duffle bag. You need a health certificate and this has to be done at least two weeks in advance-so you would need to find a kitten, contact the person who has it and have them take the kitten to the vet for travel papers. I am sure your area shelters are filled with kittens- I know mine are. They have even bumped up their surrender fees on cats and kittens to stop people from dumping them off at their door because the cages are full.

Some oldsters will remember Massey a kitten I had years ago, adopted by a Canadian member here. Before Massey could even leave here, I had to secure the health certificates, make sure he had all his shots and get a travel letter from my vet. Then the member traveled to my home to pick up this kitten and take him home- where he still lives. But it was a real pain to get everything ready and I worried about him as it was such a long trip. I live in Oregon.

You want a kitten- you can find a kitten anywhere. You want to watch those "free kittens" though, they are generally owned by people who don't give a tinker's damn about the mom, so there are no vaccinations, no vet care and the kittens are often ill. I don't think anyone who has a free kitten is going to fork over the monies needed for travel papers and health certificates.

 

[louse76]

Thanks for all of the insight, I appreciate it. However note that a Canadian kitten saved or a Floridian kitten saved is still a kitten saved.

I won't pick one up there due to the technicalities that you have mentioned. I shall be going kitten browsing tomorrow!

Are there any sites that list all shelters in a specific area? I'm curious what's around me that I don't know about.

 

[capt_jordi]

Originally Posted by Louse76

Thanks for all of the insight, I appreciate it. However note that a Canadian kitten saved or a Floridian kitten saved is still a kitten saved.

I won't pick one up there due to the technicalities that you have mentioned. I shall be going kitten browsing tomorrow!

Are there any sites that list all shelters in a specific area? I'm curious what's around me that I don't know about.

Try the website www.petfinder.com you can search within so many miles of you.

 

[cococat]

If your job is in question now might not be the right time to adopt a kitten

You are 28, what is this bit about a mid life crisis

Yes, I agree about taking a trip to clear your mind.

Originally Posted by Louse76

I have a little space in the rear where he can hang out and hopefully feel safe. I was thinking...take him outside on stops.

Due to diseases and the high chance for kitten to be spooked and run I would not be doing this part with a young kitten.

Originally Posted by Louse76

I have a little space in the rear where he can hang out and hopefully feel safe.

And due to kittens and them getting places they shouldn't be, I would invest in a secure large dog crate for any road trips (which is what I did with my kitty the times we moved to another state)

 

[carolina]

Originally Posted by Louse76

Thanks for all of the insight, I appreciate it. However note that a Canadian kitten saved or a Floridian kitten saved is still a kitten saved.

Not if you care for the cat's well being, it is not, IMHO. As many of us already stated, a long trip like that is EXTREMELY stressful for the cat. It should not only be about the "technicalities". You might not be getting the picture here... Stress in cats can bring up diseases, such as herpes/URIs (if you are on the road this can be quite complicated), IBS, and others, let alone trauma. You are not only traveling with a cat, but he is also getting a new home, which in itself is already VERY stressful.

So please, put your needs behind a bit and think about the needs of the cat.

This kind of comment makes me wonder if you are ready to take appropriate care and give appropriate value to this - as Hissy said, Living, breathing being in the first place.

If you are, your local shelter and petfinder.com are good places to start.

 

[cruiser]

You can also go to Kijji and type in your city,they always have lots of free kittens too.
We have a local netsite for here in Kelowna and unfortunatly there are SO MANY right now,perhaps you have a local website right where you live.Let us know what you did and how you made out.

 

[strange_wings]

Actually, and I'm surprised to learn this, the CDC doesn't require health certificates or proof of rabies vac on cats. States have their own regulations, though. Some may further require that you revaccinate for rabies by a veterinarian of their choosing.

You shouldn't vaccinate a kitten for rabies until around 16 weeks old. That's four months. You'd have to get the health certificate and permit issued, which can take a while if relying on an understaffed overworked government office. You could end up stranded in Canada waiting. What will you do for funds if you find yourself being stuck there for over a month?

As everyone else has pointed out, get a local kitty later. A Canadian kitten won't be any more special. It won't be healthier or look different.
If you want a specific breed, no decent breeder if going to sell to you with a plan like this.

I suggest if you're seeing a therapist or psychiatrist/psychologist that you tell your current plan to them. That you think you can get to Canada on $100 from Florida, etc. Suddenly going off like this could be very harmful to you.

 

[cococat]

Originally Posted by strange_wings

I suggest if you're seeing a therapist or psychiatrist/psychologist that you tell your current plan to them. That you think you can get to Canada on $100 from Florida, etc. Suddenly going off like this could be very harmful to you.

Totally agree. Louse76, have you already done this?

 

[elayman]

Originally Posted by Louse76

Anyway, I'm 28 and have been doing rather well until lately. To make a very long story short, I was diagnosed with OCD and ADHD recently and was making really great progress. But I went from employee of the month to losing 30 lbs and getting suspended from work, now missing a retreat to Mexico.

I'm not a psychologist but this sounds more like mania to me which can be described by words like "frantic", "hyperactive" or "over-excited" and characterized by sustained levels of of euphoria; increased energy levels; unusual, even bizarre, behavior with significant risk-taking.... Have you ever been tested for something like that ?

 

[margecat]

Originally Posted by elayman

I'm not a psychologist but this sounds more like mania to me which can be described by words like "frantic", "hyperactive" or "over-excited" and characterized by sustained levels of of euphoria; increased energy levels; unusual, even bizarre, behavior with significant risk-taking.... Have you ever been tested for something like that ?

That's what I thought when I replied last night, but didn't want to say it here. I know people who are bi-polar (and experience mania), and this idea reminds me of mania.

 

[kittyl0ve4]

I won't pick one up there due to the technicalities that you have mentioned. I shall be going kitten browsing tomorrow!
Are there any sites that list all shelters in a specific area? I'm curious what's around me that I don't know about.

I see here that he said he won't be getting a kitten when he goes to Canada..

 

[louse76]

Originally Posted by Carolina

This kind of comment makes me wonder if you are ready to take appropriate care and give appropriate value to this - as Hissy said, Living, breathing being in the first place.

If you are, your local shelter and petfinder.com are good places to start.

You are taking things waaaaayy out of proportion and judging a little too much here, geez.

I hope you're only like this on the Internet.

I get the point. I actually did adopt my kitten locally. Apparently, the SPCA thinks that I am ready to take care of the kitten, as I do with Zero, my seven year old.

I've had her for a little over a week now. She's a little sneezy, so she's quarantined to our master bathroom, as to make sure Zero doesn't get sick. She wears a "satellite dish" most of the time to make sure she doesn't bite at her sutures, and I'm giving her medicine every morning via a suspension that the SPCA gave me. She's going for her two week checkup later this week, and once she's given a clean bill of health, she will meet Zero!

So overall, I guess this questionably-responsible pet owner is doing pretty well.

At least I get plenty of time to attend to her, as I was let go from my job on Thursday and cleared out my things yesterday. I'm sure you're happy to hear that.

Anyway, please stop jumping to conclusions and enjoy these new pictures of Harvey Dent (female - but named after the Batman Villan due to her markings).


IMG_0569 by Artric, on Flickr


IMG_0564 by Artric, on Flickr


IMG_0561 by Artric, on Flickr


IMG_0556 by Artric, on Flickr


IMG_0542 by Artric, on Flickr


IMG_0528 by Artric, on Flickr

And big bro playing with a Cheetos bag...

8 out of 10 Cats Prefer Cheetos by Artric, on Flickr