What is the best thing for my baby?

[mnvo11]

hi everyone,
This is the first time I've posted anything in the forum. I've read many discussions before to help guide me in taking care of my baby, but now I need some opinions on what I should do that will be best for me and my cat.
I have a 1 year old female Siamese mix, spayed, vaccinated, very healthy and active. I've had her since she was a baby. Now my husband and I have to go to Asia for business for 3 months. At first I thought we only had to go for 1-1.5 month, that's why I've found people who will "foster" my baby for 1 month and then I'd pay them a sitter fee. Now we just found out we will be gone for 3-3.5 months, what should I do? That will be too long to ask someone to foster her for me, I doubt when I get back she'll even remember me at all. And our relatives/friends are not that cat-friendly so I won't be able to ask them.
There is the option of taking her with us to Asia.. But it's 20hrs of being in a cage, or in the cargo, loud, dark, and alone, I really don't want her to go through that. But I know we'd be so much happier having her with us while we're in Asia. I know we have to do a lot of paperwork to bring her out and back into the U.S. and the fees as well.. But that is not a problem. I just dont know what is the best thing I can do? Should I pay for someone to foster her for 3 months, or should I bring her with me? My husband is pretty cold-blooded and he even mentioned giving her away.. But that is the last thing I'd wanna do.
Any opinion or suggestion would be much appreciated. Thank you!

 

[stephenq]

hi everyone,
This is the first time I've posted anything in the forum. I've read many discussions before to help guide me in taking care of my baby, but now I need some opinions on what I should do that will be best for me and my cat.
I have a 1 year old female Siamese mix, spayed, vaccinated, very healthy and active. I've had her since she was a baby. Now my husband and I have to go to Asia for business for 3 months. At first I thought we only had to go for 1-1.5 month, that's why I've found people who will "foster" my baby for 1 month and then I'd pay them a sitter fee. Now we just found out we will be gone for 3-3.5 months, what should I do? That will be too long to ask someone to foster her for me, I doubt when I get back she'll even remember me at all. And our relatives/friends are not that cat-friendly so I won't be able to ask them.
There is the option of taking her with us to Asia.. But it's 20hrs of being in a cage, or in the cargo, loud, dark, and alone, I really don't want her to go through that. But I know we'd be so much happier having her with us while we're in Asia. I know we have to do a lot of paperwork to bring her out and back into the U.S. and the fees as well.. But that is not a problem. I just dont know what is the best thing I can do? Should I pay for someone to foster her for 3 months, or should I bring her with me? My husband is pretty cold-blooded and he even mentioned giving her away.. But that is the last thing I'd wanna do.
Any opinion or suggestion would be much appreciated. Thank you!

Do you have a very close friend, or better yet a relative who could take her?

 

[shellyk]

I would ask the people who were willing to look after her for 1 month.  If you are paying them a pet sitting fee, maybe they would do 3 months.  I follow a Newfoundland Dog site where a woman took care of someone's Newfoundland for 3 years.  I think that if your pet sitter takes good care of your cat she will be less traumatized by missing you and transitioning back to your home than she would be if she travelled with you.  If that Pet sitter can't there will be others that can.  Some semi-retired people make ends meet doing this kind of work.

 

[Willowy]

Honestly, 3 months isn't that long and she WILL remember you. If you can get the foster family to keep her for that long, I think that would be preferable to flying her overseas. But if you have to take her, that would be fine too, as long as you have pet-friendly accommodations there.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

 
I would ask the people who were willing to look after her for 1 month.  If you are paying them a pet sitting fee, maybe they would do 3 months.  I follow a Newfoundland Dog site where a woman took care of someone's Newfoundland for 3 years.  I think that if your pet sitter takes good care of your cat she will be less traumatized by missing you and transitioning back to your home than she would be if she travelled with you.  If that Pet sitter can't there will be others that can.  Some semi-retired people make ends meet doing this kind of work.

  I would try to find someone to foster her for while you are gone.  I don't know that I would want to put her through the long flight for only a few months time; unless absolutely necessary.  

 

[starbuk]

Some planes let you take cat in main cabin, just in a cage. 20 hrs is long but I think that'd be best given it's 3 months.

 

[Margret]

Something else you need to consider before trying to take her along is possible quarantine laws. I don't know whether Japan has such things, but many places (including Hawaii, I believe) do. If your cat would have to be quarantined for several months upon arrival, there's not much point in taking her.

Margret