Hello, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to be taught extra about me and meet my 5 hilarious cats: Clutch, Cyril, Alex, Zelda, and Zazzles.
After I got here to the UK in 2012, it was purported to be for a 12 months or two. I might choose up locum work and journey, and ultimately return to Australia as soon as the journey bug stopped biting. Nicely, as I write to you right here from Cornwall, UK, you’ll be able to most likely inform that life had different concepts. The difficulty with journey is that the extra of the world you see, the extra you need to discover, so I stored extending my departure. Alongside the best way I picked up a stray cat (Clutch), a husband (Reece), and started accumulating cats and canine. By 2016, my dad and mom began to suspect that I wasn’t going to be coming residence anytime quickly, and, as they had been seeking to transfer right into a ‘retirement resort’, they thought it was excessive time I took again my tabby cat, Sullivan (aka Sully).
Now, Sully was 14 years outdated at this level, so I wasn’t satisfied that it was the perfect plan, however as I had unintentionally deserted her for the previous 4 years, I felt that I couldn’t say no. And so started the logistical nightmare of transporting a pet abroad. Happily, she was leaving Australia, not getting into, because the land down underneath doesn’t make it simple – simply ask Johnny Depp!
A Anxious Journey (for me)
I used to be clearly fairly nervous about Sully’s transfer abroad; not solely would she be spending 24 hours on a plane (with a consolation cease midway), she could be shifting right into a home with 3 canine and three different cats, having solely ever lived with one different cat. It was going to be fairly the upheaval.
Nicely, I needn’t have nervous!
From the second we returned residence from accumulating her from the airport, she sauntered out of her service in direction of a bowl of meals and by no means regarded again.
Okay, it took her a number of weeks to get used to sharing a home with canine, a species she had by no means encountered earlier than, however with meals as a shared curiosity, Sully quickly realized that she and the Labradors had one thing in frequent!
New World, New Wildlife, New Climate
Regardless of being a predominantly indoor cat, I might often take her to discover within the backyard. One morning I used to be shocked to listen to her “I’ve caught one thing” sound, beforehand reserved for when she carried round her favourite toy, Fishy. There she was, wanting each proud and shocked, with a useless vole in her mouth. I wasn’t massively thrilled that she had simply killed a stunning little creature, however I additionally wasn’t solely satisfied that the beautiful little creature was not already useless when Sully ‘caught’ it. Nonetheless, I used to be delighted to see that my aged, world-weary cat was clearly discovering her method in her new residence.
Having grown up within the tropical local weather of Brisbane, Queensland, adjusting to the a lot cooler British climate was one other hurdle that Sully sailed over. In early 2018, we had been hit by “The Beast from The East”, with unprecedented ranges of snow protecting our world in a thick white blanket; one thing of a novelty for me in addition to Sully. However out she went, tiptoeing by means of the winter wonderland our backyard had been reworked into, as if it was some other day.
Sully’s triumphant journey confirmed me that we must always by no means underestimate our feline buddies, even when they’re getting on in years.
A Memorable Life
In July 2018, my dad and mom had been over for a go to – not wanting practically as spritely as Sully did after her aircraft journey I’d add – they usually had been delighted to see how blissful and wholesome Sully regarded, and the way effectively she had settled into her new life. I knew they’d felt anxious about sending her right here, and it was beautiful that they may see how effectively she was doing.
Two weeks after my dad or mum’s go to, Sully handed away in her sleep.
She hadn’t been unwell, and had shown no sign of being sick or in ache. She had lived a beautiful life, together with two years in a wierd new residence, and though I used to be devastated, I couldn’t assist however really feel relieved that she had been blissful proper to the tip. She had been capable of spend her ultimate years with me, and that she’d been capable of say goodbye to Mum and Dad earlier than she went.
As life journeys go, hers was fairly rattling good.
