staycation offer . When I appealed to her love of cats , she agreed to do the evening shift and would check in on Chico after work . Now , I just needed to find someone to cover the morning shift . So I approached my neighbor , who will be known as “ The Dog Guy ” for his collection of Dachshund puppies . He agreed to do the morning shift since he walks his pups by my house every morning and Chico had gotten used to their presence .
With a plan in place finally , I left Chico for five days in the hands of “ The Cat Lady ” and “ The Dog Guy ”. Worried about his “ bad ” reputation , I was pleased to receive several texts from both of my helpers that Chico was behaving well , was home in time for dinner and even sat with “ The Cat Lady ” to watch Netflix .
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Photo by roaming all day , he would return around noon and chill around the house , eat more , nap more , and even walk across the laptop during my regular Zoom meetings . This became our routine for nearly a year and a half .
As the New York trip got closer , which would be my first trip in almost two years , I was overwhelmed with what to do with Chico . I approached several friends , dangling staycation offers like , “ You can stay at my house , have wine , make margaritas , watch Netflix , and chill with Chico .” I checked on boarding options and , somehow , I could not trust that his bullying would not get him into trouble . Imagine getting thrown out of kitty daycare ! Without any takers , I approached a friend who we will call “ The Cat Lady ,” in honor of her ten cats that she feeds in her Uptown neighborhood . After “ The Cat Lady ” said that Chico did not like her , she declined the
While in New York , I thought there must be a better solution . I cannot continue to depend on the kindness of my friends . Upon my return , I learned about Kathy Slimp and Michael Liebaert who take their two cats , Jaguar and Fluffy Tail , sailing through the Caribbean . Avid sailors , Kathy and Michael were planning a year-long sailing trip , explaining that they “ could not bear leaving their fur babies at home for so long .” So , Jaguar and Fluffy Tail , both rescues from the streets of New Orleans , became traveling cats . They fly from New Orleans to Key West , Florida , then sail from Ft Lauderdale to multiple ports in the Bahama Islands ; from there , onto the Turks and Caicos ; and to multiple ports in the Dominican Republic , Puerto Rico , St Croix , St Martin and Antigua . And to think that I have only been to Puerto Rico . What a lucky pair of felines !
Imagining the distance between these exotic locations , I asked Kathy if her furry companions had good sea legs . Kathy stated that both Jaguar and Fluffy Tail are “ fair weather sailors and that rough weather with high winds and seas are not their thing . Unfortunately , both cats can get seasick .” On the upside , Kathy added that “ Jaguar and Fluffy Tail are great company , especially when you are sailing at night by yourself in the cockpit .”
I wondered if Jaguar and Fluffy Tail needed passports . “ Just like humans ,” Kathy shared , “ every country or island nation has their own set of requirements for entry , even if the pets never leave the vessel . Most need an application , proof of vaccination , flea and
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