The cat is ready to go...

We measured her (again, just to be sure), bought a new, larger cat carrier, scanned pages from her passport, and sent all the information off in an e-mail. Now I'm waiting to see what the quote will be to transport her.

I'm not one hundred percent sure that I got the measurements right. Measuring a cat's shoulder blades is tricky. Same as distance from head to floor. It's kind of subjective.

I'm ready to be told that we need a bigger carrier. Some websites say the distance between the top of the animal's head and the top of the carrier needs to be 10 centimeters, but I'm hoping for some French flexibility here. I think she'll be happy and cosy in the this one. And cats don't jump up or down like dogs do. I think.

By the way, yes, even our cat has a passport. She was born in Spain, and needed a passport when she moved here with her previous owner. Given her ability to adapt to new cultures and languages, I'm sure she'll integrate well into American life.

So, as she sleeps, I am back to work. Almost everything we are taking in the kitchen is packed, and I'm doing Anna's room next. The girl has a serious amount of stuffed animals that take up a whole large suitcase...

Travel

On July 10, we will be arriving in Chicago with twelve (!) bags and one very angry cat. From there, we'll rent some enormous vehicle to get us to Fort Wayne.

We are still waiting for news on our apartment. We've had no visits this week, but know that at least one couple is interested and seeing about paperwork.

Today we measured the cat (she's big) to see what size cat carrier she will need for the flight. She didn't like it. Anna and I checked at the pet store on the way home from school, and we spotted a carrier that may be big enough. We asked for the measurements and will compare them with the British Air pet carrier requirements and the cat's height plus length from elbow to floor, length from nose to root of tail, and width.

I've read that it's best to get the carrier at least a month ahead of travel to get her used to it. I also read that we should take her to the airport a few times so she gets used to plane noises, but that's not happening.

Cat + Cold = Laziness

I am writing this propped on our couch, with our Christmas throw, Arwen, and the computer perched on my lap. Arwen does little but sleep on laps these days. And if I'm up and around while the kids are at school, she will meow accusingly at me--not constantly, but the meaning is clear, "Please sit down until another lap comes home."

Unfortunately, with this posting, I will have run out of any possibly useful things to do on this computer, so it's time to abandon the cat and the Christmas throw and get on with life.

Got a Kitty

Here's our new cat, dubbed Arwen. Anna was voting for Maria, but Lord of the Rings literariness won out. Maria was a better choice pronunciationwise as Anna keeps calling her Marvin.



The kids are thrilled, of course. And Arwin is very sweet and sociable. The only complication has been that we are catsitting. There was a fair amount of growling and hissing directed at our kitty for a few days, but Arwin was too little to care. We kept them separated until the growling let up, and now they are best friends, chasing one another through the house in between naps.

Notice Justin's gloves, to protect from potential scratching (nothing to do with not turning the heat on yet). He's one cautious kid.