Stray Cats As A Factor In Major Life Decisions...

[LifeWithOliver]

The welfare of my indoor cat and the ferals in my garden and my other pets always come first. I don't take vacations and any visiting takes in consideration how fast I can go back home. They are my life.

 

[Azazel]

Just curious why people don’t take vacations? Is it that you don’t have anyone to watch your cats?

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

Just curious why people don’t take vacations? Is it that you don’t have anyone to watch your cats?

A Azazel - How many people would you trust to care for your kitties in the same way you would?
.

 

[Azazel]

A Azazel - How many people would you trust to care for your kitties in the same way you would?
.

Well, if I go on vacation I get someone I trust to come by twice a day. They don’t have to care for them the same way I do because it’s just temporary. As long as they are fed and played with a little they are fine until I get back.

 

[tarasgirl06]

L LifeWithOliver , same here. And A Azazel , right -- a lot of people don't have anyone trustworthy to care for their beloved cats. I'm one of those.

 

[Brooklyn33]

Hello everybody,

I have 5 cats, plus I am feeding another 6 (3 tame strays, 2 semi-ferals, 1 completely feral).

I am in the process of deciding whether to keep my current job, which will force me to relocate to another city, or to stay where I'm at and look for another job.

It dawned on me that I'm thinking about my strays (and, to a lesser extent, my pet cats), as I'm leaning more and more towards staying where I'm at. I'm thinking "who will feed them? who will take care of them? how can I leave them when they depend on me?" I also think about one of my pet cats, who likes to spend time outdoors, and would probably be forced to become a 100% indoor cat if I moved. (She's the mother of my other four, and doesn't like to be around them very much, so going outside gives her a bit of a break from them. She's lived her whole life in this apartment complex, so I think leaving it would be pretty rough on her. It's her territory. The other four get to go outside occasionally under my close supervision, and they are very familiar with the lay of the land here, so they would be negatively affected by a move as well.)

Then, I feel like this is kind of crazy. Like, who makes major life decisions based on pets and stray cats?

I'm not saying it's the only factor in my decision...I hate moving in general, I just turned 56 and have no desire at this point in my life to start over in a new city where I don't know anybody, and the job is very demanding as it is, and doesn't leave me with a lot of free time to actually live my life...so there's all that.

But if I'm being honest with myself, the cats are really a big deciding factor in my mind.

So my question to members of this site is...

Have you ever based a major life decision on your cats or strays, or other pets? If you have, tell me, so I don't feel so alone and crazy in thinking this way.

You are not crazy , I base all my decisions off my cats .. I have a few I feed that are both strays , I think one has a home but I must have better food . I would hate to move , I feed everything, possums , raccoons , I def would worry if I left , so no , it’s def a deciding factor ( for me anyway )

 

[Annimation]

You're not crazy, just concerned. But know that there are a lot of cat-loving people out there that would take very good care of your cats if you so chose to move. Cat people understand when you say, "this one needs to be outside a lot" or "this one is a loner". I don't think you need to worry so much.

 

[Jcatbird]

Wow! Love all the great cat people ( and horse/dog) weighing in on your thread. I am deep into a second cat colony rescue. My family wants me to move. They relocated and worry about having “left me behind without anyone.” I have someone. A bunch of them. I did visit family but because I could not find a cat person to tend the kitties I had to rely on a dear friend who was brave enough to fill in. I was only gone for about 24 hours. I worried the whole time. I did look at places to move but unless it fits the needs of all the cats, i’m not moving. My cats are my family too. They are loving, kind, faithful and I want them to be happy. I have spent every waking moment trying to save the lives of cats that were dumped, abandoned or abused for a solid year. In fact, I have often stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to get to a feral. The cats that have been with me the last ten plus years are all rescues from a previous colony. I grew up with all kinds of animals around me. Everything from a Welsh pony to a Screech Owl. All were rescues. I respect life and I know that animals are not given the credit they deserve. I have made many important decisions based on the cats that chose me. I feel very lucky to have them in my life and I intend to provide them with the best care possible. They are my fur babies. I do what my heart tells me is right. I suggest you follow your instincts as well. I think you are great!