goldengrain
01-18-2009, 08:35 PM
Hi! I am new to this forum and have a problem concerning my little fellow, Zeus, a black male Oriental Short Hair.
We have worked and saved all our lives, foregoing vacation traveling during this time. I am now retired and my husband is soon to be. We plan on selling our house and moving to an apartment in New York City for a year or so. It will be about 1500 sq ft.
During our time there we would like to travel out of the country. We are getting literature from various tour and cruise companies, and would like to take packages that would remove us from the house for a week to a month or more. The Smithsonian has some really enticing tours and there are riverboats in Europe who play live music onboard while passing by lovely scenery.
We are dreaming.
But - we don't think we'll be able to do these things. Our cat is about 11 years old. He is very clingy (which we don't mind at all) and sometimes gets upset if we both leave the house together on shopping expeditions. He sometimes (not very often)throws up on the carpeting when we are gone.
He is still playful and active and very bright and actually considerate. He rarely has to be told not to do something twice - well, until some time has passed. He is good tempered, never throws fits or sulks (except when we leave). Still likes to play.
We love him dearly and our first loyalty, after each other, is to him. He is part of our family.
We think of him more like a special needs person. I have found, as have others,that if you treat an animal as a human they often start behaving as a human, meaning more cooperative, considerate, etc.
We don't know how we could handle being away if we thought he were at home pining for us, perhaps thinking that we have gone forever.
We would get a cat sitter, but only to peek in once a day to change the litter and food and water.
We are wondering whether we can ever go on vacation until the poor darling passes. That doesn't seem right. By that time we will probably be too old to travel.
How can we go on vacations and know he is happy?
We could get a second cat, maybe.
He would hate it initially(perhaps - years back we allowed him in the backyard and he accepted other cats there), but another cat is someone to keep him company if we leave.
A female kitten would be best, we think.
We were looking at a female Singapura(sites differ on the mental characteristics of this breed, though and we want a smart and active cat), Abyssinian, Siamese, or another Oriental. Maybe a Devon or Cornish Rex(but these must be shampooed once a week sometimes). It would have to be a cat like him, that stays smart and active way into old age and in a purebred cat you have some assurance of mental characteristics.
It would be hard for us to avoid giving too much attention to a new kitten, but there ARE two of us.
Our guy would have to be shown, over and over again, that he is top cat in the house.
We don't know anyone who we could leave him with, and besides, he would probably prefer being home where he is accustomed to everything.
We are thinking that he might not like a second cat, but it would be company and stop his brooding if we were to go. The kitten would probably adapt to the situation.
Although Abyssinians are more assertive, they are not lap cats and our guy has become very cuddly with age, so there would not be competition for a warm lap, perhaps? They are not as vocal as a Siamese, either.
We were thinking a kitten would be happy to share human attention with just one cat than many, from the breeder that we got her from.
Is there any way around this problem? We will stay home if it is best for our little Zeus.
If you have any suggestions or experience in this area we would very much appreciate it. We are wondering that, if we get a kitten and Zeus objects strongly, if they will take the kitten back. We are sort of thinking we will just not be able to go anywhere except on day trips.
Thank you for reading this. I know it would sound silly to a non-cat person.
We have worked and saved all our lives, foregoing vacation traveling during this time. I am now retired and my husband is soon to be. We plan on selling our house and moving to an apartment in New York City for a year or so. It will be about 1500 sq ft.
During our time there we would like to travel out of the country. We are getting literature from various tour and cruise companies, and would like to take packages that would remove us from the house for a week to a month or more. The Smithsonian has some really enticing tours and there are riverboats in Europe who play live music onboard while passing by lovely scenery.
We are dreaming.
But - we don't think we'll be able to do these things. Our cat is about 11 years old. He is very clingy (which we don't mind at all) and sometimes gets upset if we both leave the house together on shopping expeditions. He sometimes (not very often)throws up on the carpeting when we are gone.
He is still playful and active and very bright and actually considerate. He rarely has to be told not to do something twice - well, until some time has passed. He is good tempered, never throws fits or sulks (except when we leave). Still likes to play.
We love him dearly and our first loyalty, after each other, is to him. He is part of our family.
We think of him more like a special needs person. I have found, as have others,that if you treat an animal as a human they often start behaving as a human, meaning more cooperative, considerate, etc.
We don't know how we could handle being away if we thought he were at home pining for us, perhaps thinking that we have gone forever.
We would get a cat sitter, but only to peek in once a day to change the litter and food and water.
We are wondering whether we can ever go on vacation until the poor darling passes. That doesn't seem right. By that time we will probably be too old to travel.
How can we go on vacations and know he is happy?
We could get a second cat, maybe.
He would hate it initially(perhaps - years back we allowed him in the backyard and he accepted other cats there), but another cat is someone to keep him company if we leave.
A female kitten would be best, we think.
We were looking at a female Singapura(sites differ on the mental characteristics of this breed, though and we want a smart and active cat), Abyssinian, Siamese, or another Oriental. Maybe a Devon or Cornish Rex(but these must be shampooed once a week sometimes). It would have to be a cat like him, that stays smart and active way into old age and in a purebred cat you have some assurance of mental characteristics.
It would be hard for us to avoid giving too much attention to a new kitten, but there ARE two of us.
Our guy would have to be shown, over and over again, that he is top cat in the house.
We don't know anyone who we could leave him with, and besides, he would probably prefer being home where he is accustomed to everything.
We are thinking that he might not like a second cat, but it would be company and stop his brooding if we were to go. The kitten would probably adapt to the situation.
Although Abyssinians are more assertive, they are not lap cats and our guy has become very cuddly with age, so there would not be competition for a warm lap, perhaps? They are not as vocal as a Siamese, either.
We were thinking a kitten would be happy to share human attention with just one cat than many, from the breeder that we got her from.
Is there any way around this problem? We will stay home if it is best for our little Zeus.
If you have any suggestions or experience in this area we would very much appreciate it. We are wondering that, if we get a kitten and Zeus objects strongly, if they will take the kitten back. We are sort of thinking we will just not be able to go anywhere except on day trips.
Thank you for reading this. I know it would sound silly to a non-cat person.