How to cope with leaving my beloved cat behind? :(

[shamsia]

Hi friends! I know I should probably be posting this on some counseling forum, but thought I might find people in similar situations over here and can share our grief together.

I love love love my cat! She was a stray kitten on the verge of dying when I rescued her a few years ago. So we have this special bond between us, but still there's no way I can take her from India to Canada. I would be going to a typical Indian joint family where I will be living with my parents-in-law, my husband and two sisters-in-law, and they all hate cats/animals. There's no way I could go there and insist that I have my cat with me. Besides, nobody understands, to them it's only an animal

Also, my cat is an indoor/outdoor one and she hates traveling too. Gets very stressed when I take her to the vet. Even if by a miracle I can take her to Canada, I do not think she can stay indoors for long since she loves going out whenever she wants.

Now I have made arrangements for her stay here, and I'm hoping & wishing that she manages. But it breaks my heart to leave her behind, to not see her everyday, to not play with her and enjoy all her eccentricities.

I can't stop crying since I got my visa, God please please keep her safe & happy!! Anyone in the same situation?

 

[Canooknic]

I was. I rescued my cat when he was 5 weeks old, and his mother died from feline aids. He slept on my bed every night and followed me around like a shadow every day.
We found a friend of a friend to take him, it was horrific when we dropped him off. I cried for hours, and was so upset when I went to bed for about 2 weeks.
However, he would have hated the flight and he was very jumpy so wouldn't have been very happy here at all.

So sorry you're struggling, keep smiling xx

 

[steaky]

I was in this situation and did some planning about it a year ago.

I love my dog but for a number of reasons I cannot take him with me when I first moved to Vancouver. However, I did arranged alternate boarding and accommodation for my dog back in China and visited him whenever I had time. After a while, when all preparations and requirements had been met, I was ecstatic to had my dog to join me in Vancouver. This is my tips:

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/bringing-a-pet-dog-to-canada-tips-t92191.0.html

If in the end, my family still doesn't want my dog to stay with them, I will probably had arranged separate accommodation for my dog to stay with me in Vancouver. Fortunately, that was not my case and the dog is part of the family. I think my dog hated the flight, but he wouldn't be happy living without me.

Canada is quite abundant with wildlife. I am quite curious how my dog would react when he encounters coyotes and bears while exploring his new surroundings.

 

[TracyS]

Hi Shamsia, I did have the same situation as yours many years ago when I left Holland to go back to Australia. It broke my heart to leave three beloved cats behind. They went to loving families. I felt at that time the flight would be too stressful and back then the quarantine in Australia was very long. I had contact with somebody who knew the families they went to and the cats were thriving and were happy in their new homes. Your cat might be a little confused at first but cats are very hardy and adaptable and as she is young she will learn to be happy in her new home very quickly. Try to keep in contact with her new owners so they can give you updates on her. If you have found a good home for her (which I believe you would as you love her so much) then she will be content.

That was 17 years ago and I still have photos of those three cats in picture frames

 

[Leon]

I have moved with my cats and so have a lot of other people. Although they don't like traveling, they put up with it and afterwards they get over it quickly. In your shoes, I'd find a friend to look after the cats while you look into a way to bring them over.

Who says you and your husband absolutely must live with his parents? If they are unhappy about the cats living with them, see if you can convince your husband to move out. If you can afford to rent a house, you can let the cats be outdoor. Otherwise if you rent an apartment that is a basement or ground floor, you could also do it. Otherwise, you could try and see if the cats adjust to being indoor. Sometimes it works.

 

[steaky]

Who says you and your husband absolutely must live with his parents? If they are unhappy about the cats living with them, see if you can convince your husband to move out. If you can afford to rent a house, you can let the cats be outdoor. Otherwise if you rent an apartment that is a basement or ground floor, you could also do it. Otherwise, you could try and see if the cats adjust to being indoor. Sometimes it works.

I thought the OP said her husband also unhappy about cats living with him.

 

[Leon]

I thought the OP said her husband also unhappy about cats living with him.

Unhappy wife or unhappy husband, which is better? IMO, if the wife is unhappy, the husband ends up unhappy too

 

[TKaur81]

Hi friends! I know I should probably be posting this on some counseling forum, but thought I might find people in similar situations over here and can share our grief together.

I love love love my cat! She was a stray kitten on the verge of dying when I rescued her a few years ago. So we have this special bond between us, but still there's no way I can take her from India to Canada. I would be going to a typical Indian joint family where I will be living with my parents-in-law, my husband and two sisters-in-law, and they all hate cats/animals. There's no way I could go there and insist that I have my cat with me. Besides, nobody understands, to them it's only an animal

Also, my cat is an indoor/outdoor one and she hates traveling too. Gets very stressed when I take her to the vet. Even if by a miracle I can take her to Canada, I do not think she can stay indoors for long since she loves going out whenever she wants.

Now I have made arrangements for her stay here, and I'm hoping & wishing that she manages. But it breaks my heart to leave her behind, to not see her everyday, to not play with her and enjoy all her eccentricities.

I can't stop crying since I got my visa, God please please keep her safe & happy!! Anyone in the same situation?

Hi there I know how you feel...

I adore my little cat, have had her for quite a few years now and she is very attached to me, but I'm afraid I won't be able to take her with me when I move to BC...she's kinda old, 9 years old now and I'm going to have to live with my uncle for a bit when I move to BC next year and his wife HATES cats, Im really worried about finding a good home for bella..I really wish I could take her with me, as I don't know how she is going to be with me not around and Im gonna feel a bit lost without her too...its quite sad so I do understand what you must be feeling

 

[LH84]

I can't think about leaving my dog...

But Staying Away from one's Family is Harded