Today I received an email at work saying that there is going to be a BBQ in a couple weeks at a local park. We have the opportunity to take the afternoon off, enjoy their lunch, and participate in sports if we are so inclined (we're a bunch of scientists so we'll see how that goes, but I appreciate the offer and potential for entertainment).
At the end they said "Bring your spouse, partner, and family". So... I'm tempted to bring cats. They are part of my family, right? I don't know if I will have Luke kitten as he should have a new home by then, but I should have the other 3. Still, they might be too young for the adventure and I'd be worried about losing track of them. Maybe I'll bring only 1 of them. Or, I could bring Hillary! He really is part of my family. I'm not sure how much he would hate me though, as he is an overall social cat but is not a big fan of his harness and the great outdoors. Still, he'd get used to it and I could bribe him with fish.
Technically I can get away with it, as the park is open and I won't have to worry about allergies. The coworkers that I like already know that I foster and have a cat, so no worries about a 'crazy cat lady' reputation.
So, any thoughts on what should I do? With the kittens the biggest decision factor will be how they feel at the time (are they healthy?) but even if they are healthy I still have the choice to bring them.
I voted "bring Hillary" but not because he's the only "true" family; more because it will be easier on you. I always bring a dog or two to these things if it's legal and safe. If it isn't, I probably wouldn't bother going at all.
Your cats must be different than mine - mine would definitely not enjoy an outing like that. It would be stressful on them - riding in the car and then being in a strange place. I'd leave mine home just to avoid the stress. I understand your sentiment, though.
CNK,
That's one of the reasons that I am tempted to only bring a kitten or two. They would love the attention and wouldn't be stressed at all. Hillary would be a bit stressed out by the walk (he normally only goes on walks when we go to the vet), but not enough that I would rule out the possibility of bringing him. He'd ultimately enjoy the attention. So for Hillary it's probably about even - he'd enjoy it as much as he'd dislike certain parts - whereas the kittens would LOVE it.
I have always tortured my cats by doing un-cat-like things with them when they were small (while the world was still one big fun adventure and they didn't know any better), and as a result they are generally stress-free and maleable. That's the advantage of fostering kittens from a really young age (only a few weeks old) and then adopting the best ones
I voted let everyone enjoy pie at home. In as much as I know your a great cat mom Ziggy. And I know you would keep a close eye on them. But in a public setting with strangers & their kids, who would take one look at them and try to torture them, by holding them upside down, or pulling tails, or anything else rugrats do to torture cats. I say the cats are better off at home eating pie with mom
I'm going with leave the kitties at home. Kitties don't like travel and you never know how people will react to them, especially if they are children who don't understand how to treat an animal. You'll also be stressed out keeping an eye on it.
I voted for keeping the cats at home. If they are anything like my cats, it would be more of a stressful situation for them than anything.
An interesting development... I brought a couple of the kittens in to work today for a few minutes, as I was taking them for a quick trip to the vet (to get weighed... the little girl is 50% heavier today than she was on Thursday!). My coworkers were delighted, and I had a couple of them say that they would 'cat-sit' for me if I brought them to the picnic. I will likely bring a carrier and give them some quiet time if they need it, but kittens at that age are so fearless that they won't mind the trip and they will love the attention. They definitely loved it today! And my coworkers were making comments like "I wasn't planning on attending the BBQ because it was going to be all spouses and babies, but I'll come hang out with you!"
Ziggy, you're the best judge of how the kitties will behave. I would go for it if I were you.
I voted to bring all of the kittens, but only if you have a big enough cage/crate to keep them safe; otherwise, just one kitten. I think it is a great opportunity to socialize the kittens. They might even find a potential adopter by going with you. I am sure you won't let anything happen to them.
Opilies,
I have occasionally had to bring them in to the shelter for a vet check, and the only way that I can do that is to drop them off for the day (go before work, pick them up afterwards). This is routine for the shelter, so they know what to do. Their response is to provide me with a carrier that can fit a little litter box - one of those cardboard boxes that holds 24 cans of cat food, filled with litter instead - so the kittens will be fine that way.
I'm still not sure about bringing my cat because I will likely be biking and that becomes a logistical nightmare, so it may just be a big pile of cuteness