Comments | davefreer: So where to from here?

davefreer

So where to from here?

Aug 01, 2009 12:07

I find myself stuck in a depressing conundrum that I see no easy answers to. We have our visas - as yet we have no buyer for the house... And the hard part. The currency has strengthened some more and the cost of moving my animals - with the six month quarantine has ballooned to R150 000 - about 4 times our fare! I had budgetted R50K for them but I ( Read more... )

Comments 30

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davefreer August 2 2009, 15:31:14 UTC

The kind they're better off without.

unixronin August 2 2009, 15:55:05 UTC

The kind we're all better off without, honestly. That's at minimum sociopathic behavior.

hawkwing_lb August 2 2009, 11:50:38 UTC

You have my utmost sympathy.

davefreer August 2 2009, 15:30:41 UTC

Not easy.

eneit August 2 2009, 14:16:16 UTC

Damn. I really wish I could think of something practical to help. I can, and do, empathise though.

davefreer August 2 2009, 15:29:54 UTC

It's the big question. Is 6 months quarantine (a short time for me, a long time for them) the right thing to do even if we scrape that money together somehow? Should I take the dogs and not the cats? Should I try for the two very dependent cats?... sigh.

reverancepavane August 2 2009, 17:28:50 UTC

I think it all hinges on whether you have a suitable new pack/family for them to join that you will also be happy with. I can imagine both the quarantine and relocation putting considerable stress on them even in the best of circumstances, so I would tend to err in that direction, but then again, there are good reasons why I don't have pets.
If you can be hard-hearted enough to disentangle your own feelings of wanting all of your family with you in your new home it may help you make a more considered decision.
But in the end, it's not a thing of rationality, but rather, emotion.
And, of course, practicality. But practicality should force your hand, not inform your decision. If that makes sense.

davefreer August 2 2009, 17:57:59 UTC

I THINK 2 of the cats would probably be happier with Chantelle (the illustrator friend) Legolas (who is a very large african wildcat and about as unwillowy elf as imaginable) and Duchess (a tortie who knows her own mind). They're very independent and very outdoor. The trouble is one of the others (Batman) is very much Legolas's bosom companion IN the house. He seldom goes more than 20 yards from the house. And Robin, Bat's sister, is the origin brave brave Sir Robin. She's a total woos, and very attached to B. She had a bad childhood experience and won't go to strangers and barely ventures outdoors. The dogs... well Pugs and Wednesday are typical labbie easy natured and friendly and affectionate. Roly... Old English are friendly enough, but they're pretty much one person dogs.

Thread 8

paulcory August 2 2009, 14:39:28 UTC

I can't offer hep, or even bad advice, but I sympathize with your plight. I hope things manage to work out for you and your beloved pets.

paulcory August 2 2009, 14:40:25 UTC

I also can't type, apparently. That's supposed to be "help" not "hep".

davefreer August 2 2009, 15:25:13 UTC

:-) S'Okay I'm not asking for hep or even help (unless you happen to be a hollywood director in need of a great sf movie, which would help both of us). I'm just not even sure of what I should be doing. I had talked about start a programme to sell the e-version of a book to fill the gap. But I think this is just too big a gap.

unixronin August 2 2009, 15:57:47 UTC

I think almost all Hollywood directors (particularly Michael Bay) are in need of a great SF movie. Unfortunately, vanishingly few of them are non-narcissistic enough to realize they haven't got one.

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unixronin August 2 2009, 16:02:24 UTC

It can be a very tough decision, I know. We had to foster out our cats for a year or so when we left California, more or less as refugees from the dotbomb crash. We eventually got them back, and they've been with us ever since.

davefreer August 2 2009, 17:47:18 UTC

I hadn't actually even thought of that option. How did they take to the experience -- because its their welfare and happiness that has to come first for me.

unixronin August 2 2009, 18:33:36 UTC

Well, we left them with trusted friends in Davis (koyote and therealocelot) until we got the OK to bring them "home" (for some values of home) about a year later. I don't know how they felt about being fostered, but Koyote and Ocelot never mentioned there being any problems with them, and they've never given any sign of having been unduly disturbed by the experience nor had any medical issues, so it doesn't appear it did them any harm.