I'll try to keep this brief. Inky (he's a 1+ year old Orange Tabby) and I (56 year old white-haired man) live in a small studio apartment. Inky's been with since March and is pretty well-adjusted to not going out -- the shelter I got him from didn't know much about him, except that he was turned into the Baltimore Police.
My real residence is in Massachusetts where my wife and stepson live -- I'm hoping to move my job home in the next few months. I go home about once a month for a few days, except for holiday weeks like Memorial Day, Labor Day, and of course, Thanksgiving when I spend a week at home. I have always boarded Inky at his vet and except for the fact that he gets real quiet when he figures out where we're going, he seems to be OK about it. The folks at the vet are good about playing with their boarders and they change the cats cages once a day. They report that he's noisy and growly the first day or so and then he settles into being there and seems to be fine.
So, my dilemma: I feel awful every time I have to do this to Inky. I could hire a cat sitter to look in on Inky, but I am fearful that he will escape and that I won't be there to find him. I leave the window (with screen, naturally) open for him during the day which he loves. I live in a large apartment complex and if he gets loose, I'm not sure if he would know where to come back to, assuming he came back at all. I've always felt that when he's boarding at the vet, I know where he is, that he's in good hands, getting 2 squares a day, being played with and I don't have to worry about him. Everybody at the vet always says how much love Inky.
I apologize for the length, but I would value any opinions you might have.
Jeff (and Inky)
My real residence is in Massachusetts where my wife and stepson live -- I'm hoping to move my job home in the next few months. I go home about once a month for a few days, except for holiday weeks like Memorial Day, Labor Day, and of course, Thanksgiving when I spend a week at home. I have always boarded Inky at his vet and except for the fact that he gets real quiet when he figures out where we're going, he seems to be OK about it. The folks at the vet are good about playing with their boarders and they change the cats cages once a day. They report that he's noisy and growly the first day or so and then he settles into being there and seems to be fine.
So, my dilemma: I feel awful every time I have to do this to Inky. I could hire a cat sitter to look in on Inky, but I am fearful that he will escape and that I won't be there to find him. I leave the window (with screen, naturally) open for him during the day which he loves. I live in a large apartment complex and if he gets loose, I'm not sure if he would know where to come back to, assuming he came back at all. I've always felt that when he's boarding at the vet, I know where he is, that he's in good hands, getting 2 squares a day, being played with and I don't have to worry about him. Everybody at the vet always says how much love Inky.
I apologize for the length, but I would value any opinions you might have.
Jeff (and Inky)