Do I have to resign myself to never having a pet?
October 23, 2020 6:35 AM Subscribe
I love cats and dogs and have investigated adopting either a cat or a dog on numerous occasions but there's one thing that always stops me: that my elderly family live abroad and I need to be prepared to travel back there at short notice, and for an open ended period of time, if necessary. Can people help me problem-solve this?
I recently decided to adopt a cat but pulled out at the last minute when I realised: if I needed to go back to my home country for whatever reason, I'd have to rehome it and the idea of separating from an animal which I would have grown to love by then was very painful to contemplate. (Memories of losing my childhood dog can still bring me to tears.) I have friends in the UK, but no real support network, no one who could step in and help out if I needed to leave. I would have rehome the animal to a charity and hope they find it a good owner. And being forced to say goodbye to a friend like that and not be sure it would be okay without me - the idea is very painful.
And at the same time the idea of owning a pet and being stuck here, of not being able to travel home to my family if they need me is also very anxiety-inducing. I'd worry very much about taking my pet with me to my home country which is very hot and I would not be confident that they would treat animals gently in transit. I know animals die on planes frequently and that would be terrible.
I feel like this is a bind and it makes me sad because my life would be so much better with an animal in it. Sometimes I think I should just throw in the towel, throw away my life and everything I've built after 20 years in the UK, go back to my home country and get a dog there. Then at least I would know that, whatever else happened, I would never have to leave it. But that seems like a very extreme thing to do just for the sake of having an animal companion and there are many, many reasons why living in my home country would not really work for me: enough for many separate AskMe questions.
I'd love to hear what you guys thought and if you had any suggestions for me.
I recently decided to adopt a cat but pulled out at the last minute when I realised: if I needed to go back to my home country for whatever reason, I'd have to rehome it and the idea of separating from an animal which I would have grown to love by then was very painful to contemplate. (Memories of losing my childhood dog can still bring me to tears.) I have friends in the UK, but no real support network, no one who could step in and help out if I needed to leave. I would have rehome the animal to a charity and hope they find it a good owner. And being forced to say goodbye to a friend like that and not be sure it would be okay without me - the idea is very painful.
And at the same time the idea of owning a pet and being stuck here, of not being able to travel home to my family if they need me is also very anxiety-inducing. I'd worry very much about taking my pet with me to my home country which is very hot and I would not be confident that they would treat animals gently in transit. I know animals die on planes frequently and that would be terrible.
I feel like this is a bind and it makes me sad because my life would be so much better with an animal in it. Sometimes I think I should just throw in the towel, throw away my life and everything I've built after 20 years in the UK, go back to my home country and get a dog there. Then at least I would know that, whatever else happened, I would never have to leave it. But that seems like a very extreme thing to do just for the sake of having an animal companion and there are many, many reasons why living in my home country would not really work for me: enough for many separate AskMe questions.
I'd love to hear what you guys thought and if you had any suggestions for me.
One option: come up with an agreement with a willing friend that, should something come up, they will adopt the pet and you will provide material support.
That said, if you have the money to afford transit, honestly, it's not a terrible option. I think you're being overly pessimistic about it IF you can throw money at it.
posted by wooh at 6:39 AM on October 23, 2020 [9 favorites]
That said, if you have the money to afford transit, honestly, it's not a terrible option. I think you're being overly pessimistic about it IF you can throw money at it.
posted by wooh at 6:39 AM on October 23, 2020 [9 favorites]
If you need to leave with intentions of coming back to your UK property, could you rent out your home with the stipulation that the renter be pet friendly? The renter can then be a pet sitter. Offer a slightly reduced rent to offset the costs of pet care.
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 6:49 AM on October 23, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 6:49 AM on October 23, 2020 [4 favorites]
Can't you take a cat on board the airplane in a carrier under the seat? I see this on short domestic flights all the time.
(I just got two cats after thinking I would never have cats again because of allergies in the family. The breed is less likely to be allergy-inducing. I highly recommend two cats :) they are so social and if you have to go on short trips and have a cat sitter check on them, at least they will have each other.)
posted by RoadScholar at 6:50 AM on October 23, 2020 [4 favorites]
(I just got two cats after thinking I would never have cats again because of allergies in the family. The breed is less likely to be allergy-inducing. I highly recommend two cats :) they are so social and if you have to go on short trips and have a cat sitter check on them, at least they will have each other.)
posted by RoadScholar at 6:50 AM on October 23, 2020 [4 favorites]
I petsit occasionally (through Trusted Housesitters, which connects homeowners with petsitters for an exchange, so you aren't paying someone to petsit, but they get a place to stay), and it seems to be very easy for people to find petsitters at the last minute for variable and sometimes open-ended amounts of time. I wouldn't worry about this at all, honestly. If you did need to move permanently it would be a little more complicated to find a new home for your pet, but also not a reason not to adopt an animal.
posted by pinochiette at 6:51 AM on October 23, 2020
posted by pinochiette at 6:51 AM on October 23, 2020
One of my best friends is in this exact situation. She and her partner live here in the US, but the partner is Italian and they are currently both in Italy caring for the partner's ailing mother. They plan to be there for some months, but the timeline is open-ended. Their dog, who is rather high strung and difficult, is living long-term with their trusted dogsitter (a professional, not a personal friend) and that arrangement seems to be working out very well for all involved. She looked into taking the dog along too but due to pandemic there was (is?) a pet embargo to Europe.
There are solutions to this kind of problem! I think you can get a pet if you just plan ahead a bit.
posted by rabbitbookworm at 6:53 AM on October 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
There are solutions to this kind of problem! I think you can get a pet if you just plan ahead a bit.
posted by rabbitbookworm at 6:53 AM on October 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
My aunt and uncle take their two cats with them back and forth from California to France (they spend 6 months in each place) so that is an option.
posted by magnetsphere at 6:54 AM on October 23, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by magnetsphere at 6:54 AM on October 23, 2020 [3 favorites]
This may or may not be true in the UK, but one way to at least slightly mitigate the chance of your pet ending up unloved in a shelter is to buy a popular (not of-the-moment trendy, but enduring popular) pure bred dog from a well-regarded breeder. It'll cost you upfront, but if you ever do run into difficulty, it offers a few advantages:
-- Breeder contracts often require that you surrender the dog back to them if you have to give it up for any reason. That gives you a default home for your dog if you can't find anyone to take care of it temporarily. They will be able to rehome it with someone they know is specifically interested in that breed.
-- Popular breeds likely have their own breed-specific rescue societies with waiting lists of people who would like to adopt dogs of that particular breed, so even if returning to the breeder doesn't work there is probably a rescue who can quickly rehome it. They may charge a rehoming fee to cover their costs.
-- In the unlikely event that you have to just leave your dog with a shelter because you can't find a rescue for it, it will likely be snapped up for adoption very, very quickly. You can probably rehome yourself by tapping your social media before that happens.
Another suggestion would be to get involved in a pet-related hobby. Get an appropriate breed and get involved in dog agility or on the committee that runs your local dog park or similar and start making friends specifically with dog people. Then if the time comes, you have a network of people who like you and have pets and are interested in the health and happiness of your pet who may be willing to foster a dog for months while you're away. They don't have to be your best friends in the world, but if you are actively involved in the organization, you dramatically increase your chances that someone will step up. Especially if you are willing to take other people's pets while they are on vacation or sick.
Another suggestion would be to get involved in a dog or cat rescue as a foster family and organizer of the rescue. You get some of the benefits of pets temporarily, but without a long term commitment that you would have to break if you need to leave suddenly. Again, this allows you to build a network of pet people who might have your back if you eventually fall too much in love with one of your fosters to give them up so you end up with a permanent pet and then later a need to travel. This might not work well with your temperament regarding giving pets up, though.
posted by jacquilynne at 6:59 AM on October 23, 2020 [9 favorites]
-- Breeder contracts often require that you surrender the dog back to them if you have to give it up for any reason. That gives you a default home for your dog if you can't find anyone to take care of it temporarily. They will be able to rehome it with someone they know is specifically interested in that breed.
-- Popular breeds likely have their own breed-specific rescue societies with waiting lists of people who would like to adopt dogs of that particular breed, so even if returning to the breeder doesn't work there is probably a rescue who can quickly rehome it. They may charge a rehoming fee to cover their costs.
-- In the unlikely event that you have to just leave your dog with a shelter because you can't find a rescue for it, it will likely be snapped up for adoption very, very quickly. You can probably rehome yourself by tapping your social media before that happens.
Another suggestion would be to get involved in a pet-related hobby. Get an appropriate breed and get involved in dog agility or on the committee that runs your local dog park or similar and start making friends specifically with dog people. Then if the time comes, you have a network of people who like you and have pets and are interested in the health and happiness of your pet who may be willing to foster a dog for months while you're away. They don't have to be your best friends in the world, but if you are actively involved in the organization, you dramatically increase your chances that someone will step up. Especially if you are willing to take other people's pets while they are on vacation or sick.
Another suggestion would be to get involved in a dog or cat rescue as a foster family and organizer of the rescue. You get some of the benefits of pets temporarily, but without a long term commitment that you would have to break if you need to leave suddenly. Again, this allows you to build a network of pet people who might have your back if you eventually fall too much in love with one of your fosters to give them up so you end up with a permanent pet and then later a need to travel. This might not work well with your temperament regarding giving pets up, though.
posted by jacquilynne at 6:59 AM on October 23, 2020 [9 favorites]
I have a friend who loves my dog; she happily takes him for weekends, not sure about a year, but there are animal lovers; develop a support network.
posted by theora55 at 7:11 AM on October 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 7:11 AM on October 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
For long term pet sitting, look for people who take in military member's pets while they are deployed. Sometimes family/friends take them in, but that's not always the case and I have heard of people who specifically watch their pets for 6 months to a year.
posted by sillysally at 7:15 AM on October 23, 2020
posted by sillysally at 7:15 AM on October 23, 2020
I agree with RoadScholar, if you get a dog or cat that is small enough to travel with you in the cabin, under the seat, it's pretty straightforward to bring a pet on a plane. I know plenty of people who bring dogs and cats all over the world in this manner, often several times per year. It's only when they are too big for this and are traveling in the cargo compartment instead that it becomes at all dangerous.
Of course it's not 100% straightforward -- you would need to know that your pet can stay with you wherever you live in your home country, you sometimes need to fill in extra paperwork, get extra vet sign-offs, and pay extra fees to bring pets on planes -- but, again, its something that many people do without a problem every day. I don't think the weather in your home country is of particular concern, most dogs and cats are fairly adaptable to even very hot weather.
posted by LeeLanded at 7:29 AM on October 23, 2020 [3 favorites]
Of course it's not 100% straightforward -- you would need to know that your pet can stay with you wherever you live in your home country, you sometimes need to fill in extra paperwork, get extra vet sign-offs, and pay extra fees to bring pets on planes -- but, again, its something that many people do without a problem every day. I don't think the weather in your home country is of particular concern, most dogs and cats are fairly adaptable to even very hot weather.
posted by LeeLanded at 7:29 AM on October 23, 2020 [3 favorites]
Is there a reason you can't bring your pet with you to see your family? They general count as carry-on luggage (so no extra fee) or there is sometimes a small baggage charge if they fly in the hold. It's generally very reasonable, you wont be paying for their own seat or whatever.
I've flown with both cats and dogs. Animal gets a mild sedative and sleeps through the flight. You can also get a Pet Passport to make the process easier since you're traveling internationally.
This is a solvable problem! Get a friend and travelling companion :)
posted by ananci at 7:30 AM on October 23, 2020
I've flown with both cats and dogs. Animal gets a mild sedative and sleeps through the flight. You can also get a Pet Passport to make the process easier since you're traveling internationally.
This is a solvable problem! Get a friend and travelling companion :)
posted by ananci at 7:30 AM on October 23, 2020
As well as all the excellent ideas already suggested - there are also "borrow-a-dog" services whereby you look after someone else's dog for a while. Could possibly meet your pet requirements while not creating a permanent commitment. My neighbour does this, she has borrowed some very cute little dogs.
My other neighbour has looked after guidedogs-in-training on a short-term boarding basis - few weeks or months at a time. Could be another option if you live anywhere near a guidedog training centre.
posted by rd45 at 7:37 AM on October 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
My other neighbour has looked after guidedogs-in-training on a short-term boarding basis - few weeks or months at a time. Could be another option if you live anywhere near a guidedog training centre.
posted by rd45 at 7:37 AM on October 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
Note that the UK has specific requirements for pets entering/exiting the country, and bad things can happen to the pet if you do not sufficiently obey those rules. That page also links to the requirements for exiting the UK as well.
posted by aramaic at 7:38 AM on October 23, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by aramaic at 7:38 AM on October 23, 2020 [5 favorites]
The place that I board my cats when necessary (to be fair, it's more a kitty hotel than anything) always seems to a have one or two "long term residents" who's owners are away for months at a time. I can't imagine it's cheap, but it's definitely possible.
posted by cgg at 8:01 AM on October 23, 2020
posted by cgg at 8:01 AM on October 23, 2020
Contact your local cat rescue and ask them if they have any volunteers who foster cats. Get them to give your contact info to their cat fosterers if they do. This may give you some leads to cat lovers who will be willing to take on a cat on short notice for several months for not much more than the cost of upkeep. You might be able to make a deal where you cover the living expenses for some other cat as well as your own future cat, for the foster home when you need it.
posted by Jane the Brown at 9:39 AM on October 23, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by Jane the Brown at 9:39 AM on October 23, 2020 [4 favorites]
Note that the UK has specific requirements for pets entering/exiting the country, and bad things can happen to the pet if you do not sufficiently obey those rules.
Seconding this; several countries also have their own rules about quarantining pets entering the country. I suspect this is why "just bring the pet with you" is something the OP is leery of, given the complications.
Jane the Brown suggested you get a contact for pet fosters who could take in your pet if you have to leave, but I wonder if becoming a pet foster yourself may also be an idea you could look into until your life is a little more settled.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:09 AM on October 23, 2020 [5 favorites]
Seconding this; several countries also have their own rules about quarantining pets entering the country. I suspect this is why "just bring the pet with you" is something the OP is leery of, given the complications.
Jane the Brown suggested you get a contact for pet fosters who could take in your pet if you have to leave, but I wonder if becoming a pet foster yourself may also be an idea you could look into until your life is a little more settled.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:09 AM on October 23, 2020 [5 favorites]
I started fostering because in normal times my travel schedule didn't allow me to have a long-term pet. It lets me both help animals and have a pet during the times that I'm home. One caution - almost all of the animals that the shelter I work with needed to foster either have medical or behavioral issues that they needed help with. So it's not just like having a pet, it's like having a pet during the worst phase of their life. Other shelters might have more "normal" animals that need a temporary home.
posted by Candleman at 10:21 AM on October 23, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by Candleman at 10:21 AM on October 23, 2020 [5 favorites]
This is not exactly answering your question, because I don't know the various laws on bringing a pet in/out of these countries (and I assume that it's not that straightforward but I encourage you to research it more to validate your anxieties around this) but my concern is that you aren't actually living independently if you are planning your life around the idea that you'll need to throw everything aside and move away multiple times. I'm not questioning whether this is actually the reality or your perception/feeling of obligation, but wondering if there is anything that you can do to put in place a safety net there that can buy you a bit of time to make decisions as well as some peace of mind.
I do agree that the idea of moving back to a country you don't want to live in primarily to have and keep a pet seems extreme and I'm just wondering what, if any, middle ground you've explored.
posted by sm1tten at 11:22 AM on October 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
I do agree that the idea of moving back to a country you don't want to live in primarily to have and keep a pet seems extreme and I'm just wondering what, if any, middle ground you've explored.
posted by sm1tten at 11:22 AM on October 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
I think there are so many ways that you can get this work out, you don't need to know the exact answer before moving ahead. I have a friend who lives a very isolated life who got a dog. Walking the dog and taking to the local dog park gave her a chance to meet other dog people and make friends. One of those friends is now "god parent" to her dog and has agreed to take it in whenever needed. There are other people who might be very happy to foster a well-behaved dog for months, especially if the owner has agreed to pay for food and vet bills. (If you saw Candleman's post, most fosters are challenging) but there are people who might be happy to have a dog in their household for a while without taking on a decade plus commitment. I know someone else who had to leave the country for two years and rented out their house along with their dog to a couple who was ready to have their first real house without having to buy one yet. (Renter was also a friend.) House sitters get free rent in return for staying your place and taking care of both the house/apartment and the pet - they come with references. If you get desperate, you can contact the local rescue organizations and see if they know someone who would be willing to foster with intent of giving the animal back when you return.
Remember one year separated is only a small fraction of the life-time of a dog. You do need to think ahead about this to be a responsible owner but you have the blessing of this internet stranger to move forward without knowing all the answers.
That said, if you do adopt a dog, it will be really important to invest the time in making sure the dog is well socialized with other humans (big and small) and other dogs. It will also help if it is a breed that has a low prey drive and it gets to spend time hanging out with cats/chickens etc. All of this will make it easier to match it with an appropriate short term home if needed.
posted by metahawk at 12:13 PM on October 23, 2020 [2 favorites]
Remember one year separated is only a small fraction of the life-time of a dog. You do need to think ahead about this to be a responsible owner but you have the blessing of this internet stranger to move forward without knowing all the answers.
That said, if you do adopt a dog, it will be really important to invest the time in making sure the dog is well socialized with other humans (big and small) and other dogs. It will also help if it is a breed that has a low prey drive and it gets to spend time hanging out with cats/chickens etc. All of this will make it easier to match it with an appropriate short term home if needed.
posted by metahawk at 12:13 PM on October 23, 2020 [2 favorites]
I have friends in the UK, but no real support network, no one who could step in and help out if I needed to leave.
You don't have to have someone who is such a great friend that they would come to your house (or that you would want this), you just need a friend who loves cats or dogs.
At one point I needed to be away for about a month, I left some small pets (not cats or dogs) with a friend who loves animals but could not afford any more pets. I dropped off plenty of food and supplies with the pets, and some cash to cover additional supplies. My friend was truly delighted to have the opportunity to have some temporary pets, and actually spent several hours a day playing with and socializing with them.
If you are able to throw some money at this you might have even more options. A professional cat sitter might be expensive for a few months, but you can keep out feelers in your friend network for people who might be interested in taking care of your cat or dog and keep a current list of a few different people. Make sure you have arrangements in case they need to take the animal to the vet.
In some ways cats can be easier, but if you are going to be gone for months, you really need to have your cat somewhere it can have company. I used to cat sit with visits every couple of days for a friend who would go on trips up to 6 weeks, her cat got extremely EXTREMELY lonely when she was away, even though I'd sometimes hang out for a while and do laundry or watch a movie there. (The cat also learned what it looked like when she was packing to leave and got a habit of peeing on important items she was bringing) A rare cat might be ok with it, but I think in general it is cruel to leave a cat in an apartment with nothing but short visits for food.
Another option is fostering. I don't know how it is in the UK, but in the US foster animals don't necessarily have behavior issues. I have two different friends who foster groups of kittens. Well they do behave like kittens, which I suppose depending on how you see things might be a behavior issue in itself. It looks like great fun but also like there is a bit of sadness with sending the kittens away to live in their forever homes, but maybe knowing that they are going to a good home that has been screened by the pet agency will help with that feeling -- and then you get to help more kittens!
posted by yohko at 12:43 PM on October 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
You don't have to have someone who is such a great friend that they would come to your house (or that you would want this), you just need a friend who loves cats or dogs.
At one point I needed to be away for about a month, I left some small pets (not cats or dogs) with a friend who loves animals but could not afford any more pets. I dropped off plenty of food and supplies with the pets, and some cash to cover additional supplies. My friend was truly delighted to have the opportunity to have some temporary pets, and actually spent several hours a day playing with and socializing with them.
If you are able to throw some money at this you might have even more options. A professional cat sitter might be expensive for a few months, but you can keep out feelers in your friend network for people who might be interested in taking care of your cat or dog and keep a current list of a few different people. Make sure you have arrangements in case they need to take the animal to the vet.
In some ways cats can be easier, but if you are going to be gone for months, you really need to have your cat somewhere it can have company. I used to cat sit with visits every couple of days for a friend who would go on trips up to 6 weeks, her cat got extremely EXTREMELY lonely when she was away, even though I'd sometimes hang out for a while and do laundry or watch a movie there. (The cat also learned what it looked like when she was packing to leave and got a habit of peeing on important items she was bringing) A rare cat might be ok with it, but I think in general it is cruel to leave a cat in an apartment with nothing but short visits for food.
Another option is fostering. I don't know how it is in the UK, but in the US foster animals don't necessarily have behavior issues. I have two different friends who foster groups of kittens. Well they do behave like kittens, which I suppose depending on how you see things might be a behavior issue in itself. It looks like great fun but also like there is a bit of sadness with sending the kittens away to live in their forever homes, but maybe knowing that they are going to a good home that has been screened by the pet agency will help with that feeling -- and then you get to help more kittens!
posted by yohko at 12:43 PM on October 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
Have you investigated borrowmydoggy.com? My kids and I have developed a nice regular relationship with a friendly dog and his human through that site
posted by melisande at 1:54 PM on October 23, 2020
posted by melisande at 1:54 PM on October 23, 2020
Regarding pet transit - the UK is definitely bit more of a challenge but not impossible. I have a few colleagues who have done so from the US, in most cases they hired a professional pet shipper (expensive), although one person flew their pet in-cabin to Amsterdam then drove across - supposedly entering via land from the EU was much less of a hassle (only required a pet passport). Maybe something like that might be an option?
posted by photo guy at 2:14 PM on October 23, 2020
posted by photo guy at 2:14 PM on October 23, 2020
N'thing to find someone in your personal or professional network who is an animal lover and understands your situation. I have a friend/colleague who was in a very similar situation to yours, and somewhat frequently had to take longish trips to her birth country to visit family. She adopted an older dog, and worked out an arrangement with some friends who also owned a dog who got along with hers, such that they would just take her dog for a while when she needed to leave the country.
I have another friend/colleague who adopted a couple of cats born in the feral colony I help manage, who is concerned he may have to leave the country quickly if political events over the next couple months go badly (we are in the US), and I've been very clear to him that I'll take his cats back at short notice if the worst should happen, so he doesn't have that additional thing to worry about. As an animal lover myself, it's more important to me that he gets the joy of having his cats and they get the security and affection of being in a good home right now, and I don't mind helping out by taking care of them for a while and/or finding them a new home should that become necessary.
So I think there's probably a fair number of people who wouldn't necessarily want to adopt another animal outright, but are perfectly happy to help out in this way and give one a home for months at a time. As someone else said upthread, you don't necessarily need someone who's especially close with you, just someone who loves animals and is willing to be sort of a "godparent" to them for whenever you might need to be out of the country. Plus, this can also be a way to become better friends!
posted by biogeo at 3:50 PM on October 23, 2020
I have another friend/colleague who adopted a couple of cats born in the feral colony I help manage, who is concerned he may have to leave the country quickly if political events over the next couple months go badly (we are in the US), and I've been very clear to him that I'll take his cats back at short notice if the worst should happen, so he doesn't have that additional thing to worry about. As an animal lover myself, it's more important to me that he gets the joy of having his cats and they get the security and affection of being in a good home right now, and I don't mind helping out by taking care of them for a while and/or finding them a new home should that become necessary.
So I think there's probably a fair number of people who wouldn't necessarily want to adopt another animal outright, but are perfectly happy to help out in this way and give one a home for months at a time. As someone else said upthread, you don't necessarily need someone who's especially close with you, just someone who loves animals and is willing to be sort of a "godparent" to them for whenever you might need to be out of the country. Plus, this can also be a way to become better friends!
posted by biogeo at 3:50 PM on October 23, 2020
I regularly foster cats for my local shelter. Sometimes I have foster cats for quite a while if they’re difficult to place (mostly older cats with health issues) or if they are not well acclimated to humans yet. I have an absurdly cute kitten right now.
Two really nice things about fostering that might work with your situation are that 1) typically you are part of a whole foster network if you need to go out of town suddenly there’s someone to take the cat 2) the shelter handles vet care and bills.
I have definitely gotten attached to cats that get adopted but while I am sad for a few days I know the cat is with a good home and there is a huge need for fostering in my area so I usually get another foster within a week or a few days.
I’ve never fostered a dog before but I know that’s also an option!
posted by forkisbetter at 5:38 PM on October 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
Two really nice things about fostering that might work with your situation are that 1) typically you are part of a whole foster network if you need to go out of town suddenly there’s someone to take the cat 2) the shelter handles vet care and bills.
I have definitely gotten attached to cats that get adopted but while I am sad for a few days I know the cat is with a good home and there is a huge need for fostering in my area so I usually get another foster within a week or a few days.
I’ve never fostered a dog before but I know that’s also an option!
posted by forkisbetter at 5:38 PM on October 23, 2020 [1 favorite]
I think fostering might be a better bet for you. My experience with getting longer term sitting for my cat has not been as easy as some people in this thread make it sound. However, I live in NYC where people don't have a lot of space and everything is expensive. It's probably easier where people have entire houses. I suggest exploring the options available where you are. If boarding or long-term sitting are available and affordable, go for it.
posted by Mavri at 8:19 PM on October 23, 2020
posted by Mavri at 8:19 PM on October 23, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
Seeing to a cat every few days is not a big ask. Taking care of someone else's dog is a huge pain.
Get a cat. You deserve to be happy and love a pet, and if you need to leave it for a few weeks or even months it will be ok.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:38 AM on October 23, 2020 [3 favorites]