Caring for the elderly...

People who know me well would probably describe me as a "dog person." Since childhood I've enjoyed the company of dogs and have had fun walking them and training them. So it was quite a surprise to some people when I moved to Spain in 2008 and suddenly became a cat owner.

Decades of missionary lifestyle had meant that it was seldom possible for me to have a pet of my own... but when I was adopted by a (pregnant) stray cat in my neighbourhood, I discovered that it was easier to leave a cat at home during ministry travels than to leave a dog that had to be taken out for walks. And so began the "cat years" of my life.

I'd had a cat a couple of times in the past, but never had much luck with them. My cats had only lived for a year or two. But my Spanish feline family brought a change to that. I had the mother cat, Tamba, for 7 years, Tobi lived for 12 years, and now my old boy, Teddi, will have his 14th birthday next month.

I've made some fun memories with Teddi over the years - not least the short season in 2015 when he went viral, appearing in newspapers, websites and TV programmes all over the world because of the fact that he had his own YouTube channel and did tricks like a dog would.  You can read one of those old newspaper stories by clicking here.

And so, although it may seem unimportant to some people (it's "only a cat," after all), I feel a responsibility to look after Teddi well and not simply "get rid of him" in his old age.

Teddi has lived most of his life in the house where I currently live. In recent weeks, I've needed to look for new housing - a place where Teddi can go with me, as well as Maiki, the dog who now shares Teddi's YouTube channel. As it began to seem possible that no flats or houses were available within my current budget, one or two people have suggested that perhaps I just need to rent a "room" instead. At least one person has even offered that I can move into the spare room in her flat.

The problem with renting a room instead of a home is that you are usually not allowed to take a cat with you. This kind of rules it out as an option for me, even though one person commented, "But he's an elderly cat; you could just put him to sleep." And the person who has already offered me a room has a dog that growls at cats; I hate to think of Teddi spending his last years locked up in a tiny room with no access to even a balcony and with the stress of being pursued if he happens to set foot out of the bedroom.

And so, despite the fact that renting just a room might seem an obvious option right now, I'm choosing to "care for the elderly" and keep waiting and searching for an option where Teddi and Maiki can be comfortable too. They're the only "family" I have here in Spain and I feel like I owe it to them.

This morning I was remembering some of the times in the past - at least three times came to mind - where I moved to a different country, and so I had to give away all my furniture before I left, or leave it behind for the people who stayed in my housing. This time I'm moving within the same country, and so I have a sense that I should hold on to the furniture God has provided over the years, and not simply give it away so that I can downsize to a single room or a small furnished studio.  

My elderly boy will be grateful for that. 😀