I have always been a “cat” person (insert “miles for cats” jokes). Here is me and my pet Leeka, photo taken 15 years ago:
This is my standard “frumpy and dumpy” look
My husband’s co-worker was looking for someone to adopt her, and I just couldn’t resist. I actually had to buy a baby bottle because she wasn’t yet able to drink from a bowl. That cat was so mean, but she tolerated me, probably because I’m the one who gave her food. I only got a few scratches over the years. Leeka disappeared few months after my daughter was born. We live in the woods, so it’s a surprise that she was able to survive that long.
I’ve been so busy with kids, I haven’t really given much thought to getting a pet. But as these things usually go, my children started thinking about it! In fact, they are begging me to get a pet. It doesn’t matter which kind, though my daughter prefers dogs. This is her at a friend’s house:
Yes, the puppies are cute. No, we can’t take one home.
Even though we don’t travel as much as some people in this hobby, it’s often enough that having a pet would be a nuisance. I would hate to ask relatives to come and feed our cat (not dog!) on a regular basis. Like I said, I’m a “cat” person. I was able to strike a deal with my daughter and told her we’ll be getting a pet when she turns 10. So that gives me 2 more years.
Speaking of cats, she actually recently wrote a story called “Furry Four.” It’s like “Fantastic Four,” but superheroes are of feline origin. That kid is so creative and has such a unique take on things.
Oh, and lately she became obsessed with horses. Um, no. Just no.
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Author: Leana
Leana is the founder of Miles For Family. She enjoys beach vacations and visiting her family in Europe. Originally from Belarus, Leana resides in central Florida with her husband and two children.
Our cat doesn’t mind being home alone for a weekend as long as his automatic feeder is full.
Our in-laws let us drop the dog at their house if we’re out of town… but I don’t know what would happen if took a family vacation….defiantly makes for a complex situation. Alot of local cat and dog rescue centers are looking for foster families if you want to do a “test run” on a pet.
@Emily I’m afraid if we go “foster family” route, the kids would never want to part with the new pet! My daughter has agreed to wait two years, so I think that’s what I’ll do. I have a lot going on right now, and I think having a new pet will push me over the edge. I love cats, but they are like children and require attention.
I agree that pets and travel are difficult! We used to have 2 dogs and a cat, and one of our dogs did not take well to boarding. We used to pay $60/day to have a pet sitter come in. Now that one of our dogs and our cat have passed on, we send our remaining dog to a great boarding place for $40/day. But it still adds up!
My kids are always asking me for more pets–hamsters, lizards, frogs, etc. I cannot handle any more living things in this house to take care of, though. 🙂
@Nancy I hear you! Those were pretty much my words: “No more extra living things in the house that eat, poop, have meltdowns etc.”
Man, I didn’t realize petsitting is so expensive. I wonder if they would give a discount if you added a human kid into the mix? 🙂
Pets and travel are difficult. We have 3 dogs/2 cats. Luckily for us, our neighbor works with pets and agrees to come to our house 3x a day when we are gone for feeding/walks/fetch/etc. We pay her $50/day. The kennel for the three dogs would be at least twice that, and this way the dogs get to say in their own home.
So, for our trip next spring to the Zilara Cancun, the biggest expense will be the pet sitting. Wish I could figure a way to pay her via square and use my Arrival/Venture points for it. 🙂
@Chris Wow, 3 dogs/2 cats? It’s incredible they all get along! I’m too cheap to pay for kennel, so would just ask relatives to pitch in. In exchange, I would give them credit card advice, ha!
I’m not too familiar with Square, but I imagine you could ask your neighbor to get it and you would just reimburse her the fees. It would be a win/win.
Enjoy Zilara Cancun, it looks lovely from what I’ve seen on the photos.