When my son was deployed to Iraq in 2006 we "adopted" his cat Smokey for the year he was gone. We were living in Arizona at the time. Then a year ago we took her into our new home in Missouri while her "dad" relocated and had sea duties. She will be with us for the next year.
Smokey has traveled by plane twice, cross country by car once, and many other short trips. She is the only cat I've ever had that is so laid back and adaptive that she actually used her potty box in a small tent at the side of the road!
We love her a lot and know we will give her back to Scott, reluctantly. But we also know he misses her a lot and it seems that no matter how long it has been since she has seen him, she knows who her "dad" is. When he sent us a throw for Christmas she climbed into the box before I had it unpacked and has adopted the throw as her own, rolling on it to make sure her scent is firmly embedded!
It took a long time but she and the three little Shih Tzus are co-existing quite nicely. I think when she goes back to Scott he will need to get her a playmate. She is often sitting in her most regal pose and tolerates the camera well. So today she is my Macro Monday model.
