Relocating and our cat

When we tell people that we plan to move to Malaysia the first question always is "what about health care?" (We will write about health care issues later.) In fact we have given little thought to health care and a lot of thought to what to do with our cat, Elecktra,

In 2008 while I was in Malaysia Elecktra was Doug's housemate and constant companion. She greeted him at the door when he came home and kept him entertained throughout the night. After a few months of bonding Doug felt strongly that she should come to Malaysia with us. We both spent time Googling to identify our options. The next year on a Delta flight from Atlanta to Seoul my seatmate had her cat under the seat. Occasionally she would go back to the washroom and let the cat out to stretch. A solution, perhaps.

Eventually we recognized that our plans were unrealistic. Elecktra is not an experienced traveler; I can imagine a freaked out cat during a bathroom break. A major benefit living in Malaysia is our ability travel in Asia. If we had Elecktra we would have to find cat sitters. When we are away she has the run of the house - an apartment might be less attractive. Plus, we didn't know how possible it is to renting an apartment with a pet presented challenges.

We were fortunate that my sister, Joan, offered to provide a foster home. Joan's cat was old and diabetic, so she was ready for a younger feline. We moved Elecktra just before we left in October. With the commotion of decluttering the house and our packing she was stressed and edgy. Catching her was a major challenge - she hid in every nook and cranny she could find. We felt sorry about giving her up, but she gave all the signals that moving her any distance and subjecting her to a series of homes would have been been torture to her and us.

She is generally wary of people and still is, but she has settled in her new home. When we returned to the US we visited her. After she heard our voices she came out of hiding and allowed us to scratch her head. No more cats for us for a while. We still aren't used to coming home and not seeing her us at the door or sleeping in without being pestered to wake up.