Expert: Ali - 4/9/2009

Question
Hi Ali, I hope you can give me some good advice. This is kindof a long story. I have two cats - one which I rescued as a kitten from a pharmacy dumpster back in 2000 and one that my sister rescued as a kitten from a park a year or so later. They are not related, but have grown up like brothers. My cat, JoeBob, is precious to me, whereas my sister's cat Felix I have no attachment to - but I believe that JoeBob does, so in my situation I have not considered separating them. After moving out of my dad's house in an urgent situation back in 2002, both cats went to live with my mom (the condo I moved to does not allow animals), who was nearby, and I was able to visit every weekend. In February, mom moved to NC, leaving the cats behind. They've been living in a spare room in my dad's home, which is furnished and has windows, and I've been visiting almost every day to take care of them and to visit. My question is this: Soon I am going to have to transport both cats to my mom in NC so they can be taken care of and visited more regularly than I can, but it breaks my heart to think of not seeing my JoeBobby again. Worse, the transport method would be driving - a 14-hour trip - and because of my work obligations, I wouldn't be with them to keep them calm and help them adjust. Although they would have ready access to the necessities (food, water, litter) I am uncomfortable with this method and am even less comfortable with the idea of air travel as cargo. I am desperate to find a way to keep my cat nearby, because I love him so much, but know of no one who could take him and his brother in for a year or so while I'm still trying to save enough money to buy a home of my own so I can take him home for good. Do you know of any organizations in South Florida who could 'foster' him during this time, so that my beloved cat could be taken care of, but I could still visit until I can take him home with me for good? The only thing I can think of is to take both cats to a no-kill shelter, but then they would be adopted out and I would still probably never see them again.

Answer
Jessica,

This is a tough situation and ultimately I can't make these difficult choices for you. I do think that it's important for you to consider what's in the cats' best interests and if that means placing them for adoption so that they can have a stable, healthy, happy life then that's something you should consider. Cats like routine and stability, these cats have apparently moved around quite a bit in the last while which creates a significant amount of stress for most cats. It's important for you think carefully about the cats' basic needs, the available options and how you can act in the best interests of these cats that you obviously love very much. If you could find a place to live where the cats would be welcome and you wouldn't be having to relocate them after moving into a new place anytime soon that would be ideal for these cats because I'm sure that they're very attached to you. I understand that life can be unpredictable, that you've made a lifetime commitment to these rescued kitties. I know that you love these cats very dearly and you want to make sure that you make the right choices and act in their best interests. Right now a providing a permanent home for these cats is a priority in terms of fulfilling their best interests. If your mother would be willing to care for these cats permanently and love them completely then placing them with her would be a good option. These cats aren't so different from people, they need to be loved, have stability within their lives and a sense of permanence. You could try speaking with the owner of the condo that you're renting to ask for special permission to have your cats come and live with you, it's worth a try, but I suspect that you would be denied permission to have the cats in this condo.

Some airlines do offer the option of having the cats travel in the cabin under seats as passengers rather than cargo so that's an option to look into. Today most cargo holds are climate controlled and well ventilated, a 14 hour trip by car is rough for any cat and although travelling in a cargo hold wouldn't be ideal it would certainly make for a shorter trip which would minimize the amount of time that the cats were under stress. If you do decide to fly with your cats it's important that you do not have them sedated because that can cause serious medical problems in the air that could result in death. The cats should have adequate access to water at all times if possible. You could check with your vet, but it's my understanding that if the cats are completely healthy they could go without access to food or water for a short period of time on a flight.

You know in your heart what the best decision for these guys is, I can't make these difficult choices for you. It's obvious that these cats mean the world to you and that you want them to be happy, healthy, stable and loved. There are many options for the next step in the lives of these precious babies, it's a good plan to think everything out and it's important to be completely honest with yourself about what you're able to realistically do in the long term for these cats. These little guys have pretty amazing stories, they were rescued against the odds and they lived in a stable, loving environment. Circumstances sometimes change, that's life. You have to ask yourself whether or not it's realistic for you to consider moving into a rental unit that will allow you to provide a home for your cats. If you aren't able to provide the cats with a stable home then you have to consider your options - is it realistic for either of your parents to provide these cats with a lifelong home? Is it time to consider finding a loving forever family for these cats even though it's likely to break your heart? I'm not aware of any organizations that would specifically foster the cats until you were able to provide them with a permanent home again, you would have to do that kind of research on your own and talk with rescue organizations and no kill shelters in the area but I wouldn't expect any shelters to have room to foster two cats indefinitely. In the majority of cases shelters and rescue groups barely have enough space, staff, money and resources to care for the abused, injured or abandoned pets that need rescuing and difficult choices have to be made with regards to each animal's potential to be adopted and live a long, happy, healthy life.