I was divorced in 2007 and due to my own fault I was forced to hit the road with only a few belongings and my cat, Juneau. I drove from Michigan to Connecticut to stay with my sister and attempt to stand on my own feet. Juneau had to be converted to an outdoor/indoor cat instead of just indoor because of the living arrangements.
She did very well and stayed with me in my room each night. She did get fleas really bad, and I was unable to afford Advantage or Frontline for some time. I gave her flea baths with the cheap stuff to help alleviate it some. When I got a job I finally got her some Frontline and it was so awesome to see the fleas clear up so fast and the kitty was comfortable again. I was only there for two months when I lost my job right after taking out a loan a car. The stress on my sister was too much for me to stay any longer so I packed up as much as I could fit in my Jetta and headed for Portland, OR where I had more family. Somewhere in Indiana, I decided to return to the military. I needed security to accomplish my goals of paying people back and getting on my own two feet.
I started making phone calls for Juneau, as she whined in the passenger seat next to me. The only one in a position to take her was my sister in Bellingham, WA. So after arriving in Portland, she stayed with me at another sister's house for a few days before we all met for ANOTHER sister's birthday lunch in SW Washington. I headed north with my sister and Juneau and stayed a few days to help her get settled in before I left her alone.
She is a one owner cat. I guess because when my ex-wife and I got her I was home all day with her myself. She's bitchy with other people sometimes, but eventually she settles down if they aren't too pushy. She has settled down a lot as she got older, but is still very rambunctious. I was worried she was be too annoying for my sister and her family (including one cat) but apparently she is adjusting well.
Before I shipped out for Korea, I drove up one last time to visit in Bellingham. Juneau hadn't seen me in a month and I got in very late at night. I walked into the bedroom downstairs and she was on the bed. I startled her and her eyes got real big, looking sleepy. But immediately she stood up and came over to me wanting to give me lovin. I layed down on the bed and petted her and she purred for probably at least 45 minutes straight. She flopped against me with her head propped against my hip and looked so content.
Now I am in Korea for 1 year. I have to get promoted while I am here so that when I return to the US I will not have to live in barracks (where cats aren't allowed). I have no idea where I will be stationed, but hopefully I can take leave in Washington and bring her and my car to my new duty station. But I wonder how much she will remember me? How good is a cat's memory? I have heard they only have short-term memory in most cases, but that cannot be totally true, or you'd have to keep teaching them things like toilet training. Will she remember things we did? The long trips together? Hehe. Or will she just sense that "He=Good for me"? or "He=Dad"?
She did very well and stayed with me in my room each night. She did get fleas really bad, and I was unable to afford Advantage or Frontline for some time. I gave her flea baths with the cheap stuff to help alleviate it some. When I got a job I finally got her some Frontline and it was so awesome to see the fleas clear up so fast and the kitty was comfortable again. I was only there for two months when I lost my job right after taking out a loan a car. The stress on my sister was too much for me to stay any longer so I packed up as much as I could fit in my Jetta and headed for Portland, OR where I had more family. Somewhere in Indiana, I decided to return to the military. I needed security to accomplish my goals of paying people back and getting on my own two feet.
I started making phone calls for Juneau, as she whined in the passenger seat next to me. The only one in a position to take her was my sister in Bellingham, WA. So after arriving in Portland, she stayed with me at another sister's house for a few days before we all met for ANOTHER sister's birthday lunch in SW Washington. I headed north with my sister and Juneau and stayed a few days to help her get settled in before I left her alone.
She is a one owner cat. I guess because when my ex-wife and I got her I was home all day with her myself. She's bitchy with other people sometimes, but eventually she settles down if they aren't too pushy. She has settled down a lot as she got older, but is still very rambunctious. I was worried she was be too annoying for my sister and her family (including one cat) but apparently she is adjusting well.
Before I shipped out for Korea, I drove up one last time to visit in Bellingham. Juneau hadn't seen me in a month and I got in very late at night. I walked into the bedroom downstairs and she was on the bed. I startled her and her eyes got real big, looking sleepy. But immediately she stood up and came over to me wanting to give me lovin. I layed down on the bed and petted her and she purred for probably at least 45 minutes straight. She flopped against me with her head propped against my hip and looked so content.
Now I am in Korea for 1 year. I have to get promoted while I am here so that when I return to the US I will not have to live in barracks (where cats aren't allowed). I have no idea where I will be stationed, but hopefully I can take leave in Washington and bring her and my car to my new duty station. But I wonder how much she will remember me? How good is a cat's memory? I have heard they only have short-term memory in most cases, but that cannot be totally true, or you'd have to keep teaching them things like toilet training. Will she remember things we did? The long trips together? Hehe. Or will she just sense that "He=Good for me"? or "He=Dad"?
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South Korea
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Re: I Wonder If She'll Remember Me
Sat, February 2, 2008 - 10:52 PMI had a cat that I had to leave with my parents while I was in college. When I would come back for Summer Vacation, 9 months later, she still always remembered me. She was also a one-person cat and I was her person. She would even try to bribe me to stay by leaving live mice in my bed the morning I was leaving to go back to school (no idea how she knew I was leaving that day). After school I found my own place that I could bring her to. She lived with me until she finally passed 6 months later from cancer. -
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Re: I Wonder If She'll Remember Me
Sat, February 2, 2008 - 11:39 PMThat is a happy story with a bitter ending. Sad to hear of your loss. -
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Re: I Wonder If She'll Remember Me
Sun, February 3, 2008 - 3:51 AMI suspect they DO have a good long term memory. My previous cat stayed with me
when my ex-husband moved out of the area. During the next 7 years he only
saw her two or three times, but I remember one time (after well over a year)
that he stayed for a weekend (with his girlfriend - it was an amicable divorce!!)
and my (our) cat sat on his lap and gave him loads of fuss. She wasn't a
lap cat by nature, and only ever sat on my lap or my new partner's - so rarely we
considered it a huge treat and couldn't move til she did...so she MUST have
had good loving memory of my ex. It was such a wise move on her part
too though, as he had generously paid half her vet bills, which were pretty
large due to a run in with a car and her final illness.
So yes, if the love and affection is well established I don't see why you two
can't be happy together again. Sorry you're separated, and hope you're
soon together again. Send her loving
thoughts each day - my experience of cats is that they're pretty sensitive
in that way. -
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Re: I Wonder If She'll Remember Me
Sun, February 3, 2008 - 11:09 AMShe will definitely remember you. Cats have good memories, and, unlike people, they are pretty quick to forgive. She will make you pay for being gone, but only for a little while, because she will be too excited to see you. Good luck on the promotion.
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