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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by baseball55 on June 5, 2014, at 20:23:44
My husband and I have had a brother and sister since they were 8 weeks old. They have never been apart and have never been outside. Their whole world was the condo I just moved out of, which was large and had stairs. They chased one another up and down the stairs and all around the condo a few times a day. They followed the sun around and laid down together in sunny spots.
I didn't want to take them from the only home they have known. Also, my condo is much smaller and it would be impossible to keep them indoors because of the way the doors are set up. Also, I'm on a busy street, so if they did get out, there aren't a lot of quiet back yards where they could hunt.
So my husband kept them. I didn't think it would be a big deal. They're gorgeous animals and fun to watch, but they didn't occupy much of my mind or time. But now that I've moved, I realized that I spoke to them and looked at them a lot. One was a real lap cat. I had a glass of milk this morning and was expecting the male to jump up on the table and start lapping the milk, as he has always done. I had eggs last night and expected the female to jump up on the table and start licking the yolk, as she has always done.
My friends think I should get new cats. But I think it would be a disservice to cats to put them in a place where they can easily go outdoors, yet there is no safe place for them to wander about.
I miss them more than i thought I would. I guess it's going to take a while to adjust to being in a new place. I wake up at night confused about where I am.
Posted by alexandra_k on June 6, 2014, at 2:05:09
In reply to I miss my cats!, posted by baseball55 on June 5, 2014, at 20:23:44
i used to think it was cruel to keep indoor cats... but then i met a couple of indoor cats that had come from long lines of indoor cats. when their owner opened the door to air the place they would look at her like 'omfg are you CRAZY!!! leaving the door open so stuff might come and EAT US!!!' and they didn't even know that there are in fact cat eating foxes in north carolina...
so... i have actually come around.
if you are a home body... how about a small dog? i have known a house rabbit... you can teach them to poo on paper (sort of, almost).
houses can feel very empty if you are used to pets and pets aren't there... for sure.
you said something somewhere about sort of supposed to be doing research but hard to motivate... i hear you on that one. have you thought about visiting someplace? institutions (research schools, even) can be happy to take visitors. maybe providing office space. then you can spend some time there... do some work... give a seminar / write a paper. australia is popular for that... you go from your summer to their winter... they are busy working during term time... you can write in a bustly environment. maybe go someplace that is renowned for collegiality and social life? or people who are working on something you find interesting...?
?
just a thought... something to do... an excuse to travel a bit.. an opportunity if you have less ties... maybe figure some kind of a house swap even...
Posted by gadchik on June 6, 2014, at 6:25:06
In reply to I miss my cats!, posted by baseball55 on June 5, 2014, at 20:23:44
Oh, Baseball, I feel ya, that's exactly how I would feel about the cats. U don't realize how an animal becomes part of ur daily routine. Also, waking up and being confused about where u r. That would be a tough one. U def will go thru some fierce feelings...but I think just time passing and each day you will get more comfortable. And as Oprah said, "Turn your wounds into wisdom."
Posted by Phillipa on June 6, 2014, at 9:54:24
In reply to Re: I miss my cats! » baseball55, posted by gadchik on June 6, 2014, at 6:25:06
I feel you did the right thing with your cats. But I guess I missed something as to why you can't get another other than there is no yard. My cat is fat and indoor. I do wish and then don't wish he could have been an indoor outdoor cat as they don't seem to gain weight. Since we now have a glassed in lanai. He has a perch and sliding open a window allows him to feel the air and feel like he's outside. Wouldn't a young one adapt to being indoors? You are a brave woman and I don't feel I could do what you did. Kudos to you. Phillipa
Posted by gadchik on June 6, 2014, at 10:55:33
In reply to Re: I miss my cats!, posted by Phillipa on June 6, 2014, at 9:54:24
I'd like to 2nd what Phillipa said, Baseball is a brave woman and kudos to her for having the courage to walk away, even though it's the toughest thing in the world.
Posted by Beckett on June 6, 2014, at 14:46:36
In reply to Re: I miss my cats!, posted by gadchik on June 6, 2014, at 10:55:33
Any way to work with the existing doors, such as screen doors to make escape through an open door less likely? I might not understand what the condo's issues are. Are the windows screened? Cats are wonderful. Maybe there is a way with a little invention. Letting go of the old life might temporarily obscure a satisfying future that is arriving as we speak. I know you know this. I have always admired your adept self honesty and your elegant expression of this honesty :-)
Posted by baseball55 on June 6, 2014, at 21:08:56
In reply to Re: I miss my cats!, posted by Beckett on June 6, 2014, at 14:46:36
Thanks all. This is a hard transition. Today, I got the rest of my furniture delivered, got the rest of my stuff put away, hung pictures. After that, I felt more at home. My husband came over to take me out to dinner for my birthday. He opened a storm window for me that was stuck and was kind. We had a nice time. So we will stay friends and I will figure out how to live by myself.
Posted by alexandra_k on June 7, 2014, at 2:44:14
In reply to Re: I miss my cats!, posted by baseball55 on June 6, 2014, at 21:08:56
good. that is good. happy birthday! i'm glad that you are here... little homely things... make a huge difference, i think.
This is the end of the thread.
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