How best to leave house/pets?

[Acinonyx]

Dh is talking about us going overseas for 9 mo (dd's school year) and coming home for 3 mo in the summer.

I have two major headaches wrt this plan.

It will be very hard to rent out the house for 9 mo and I don't want it to sit empty (we are in a village so not as popular as town). Also, it means we won't just be sending all our stuff and we will need some of our stuff in the summer.

Biggest headache to me is our 2 cats. We can't take them with us and I'm not sure anyone could take them who doesn't already have cats/dogs.

Has anyone ever let their house with a discount for looking after pets? Anyone had luck with odd rental periods e.g. 9 mo? We could probably be flexible wrt the school year to match with the UK.

Anyone else had this kind of situation? Dh is very breezy about the whole thing but I will be the one sorting out the domestic bits and bobs.

[overthesea]

I think you will be able to rent your house because you just give tenants a 6 months lease (standard) and then make sure you have a notice period built in so you can give them notice at 7 months.

The cat problem is the worse bit. I'm in the same boat. We have two and the kids love them but we are going to Australia for a few years and I am not taking them that far.

So I need to find a home that will keep them for a few years but not keep them forever. It is stressing me more than anything else. However, a friend of mine did this recently and managed to get a mate to have her cat for a year. So I'd start asking around friends. Good luck.

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

Acinonxyx, it's a bit bizarre to decide to go abroad for nine months of the year only.
which part of the world will you go to? Bear in mind that different countries have different school years.

[Acinonyx]

We're thinking of going to south-central India where the school year will run Aug-Jun with 2.5 mo summer holidays. We'd like to come back for the summer.

Overthesea - I am totally stressed about the cats too! I have started asking friends - but the best option already has a cat so that might be stressful. We could take them with us, but we wouldn't be able to bring them back .

Good luck with your cats!

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

IIWY, I think I'd try to rent out the house for the whole year and get a holiday cottage (or similar) for when you come back.
what are you going to be doing in India while you are away.
I've been several times and know the education is very different to that in the UK.
there is a much greater emphasis placed on rote learning etc.
I should add, I am very jealous.

[DooinMeCleanin]

I would think most people who are willing/able to have your cats will already have a cat or two of their own. It stands to reason that if you like cats enough to care for a friends cat indefinatly/long term then you will have your own cat.

Why do you see this as a problem? I have a cat and two dogs, but still cat-sit for friends without much problem.

[Acinonyx]

My friend looked after another friend's cat and his cat was very aggressive toward the new cat. He is already quite fond of our cats though so that is great - but I'm anxious about the cats fighting. We would have to test it out. I will cry like a baby if I have to leave the cats.

It may make sense to rent for a whole year - it depends whether dh's company would cover the expense of a UK rental for us. We won't be able to cover the mortgage on our own house by renting out - so if he is expected to work 3 mo/year in the UK it might make sense to be in our own house. I'm not totally confident about renting the house at all as we are in a village so we will need some flexibility on that. I don't want to end up paying half our mortgage and rent though.

We would shop around the International schools. Better not say the job as it is quite identifying. All speculative at present and a lot to work out.

I'm quite ambivalent. If we didn't have dd (or cats) I wouldn't hesitate. If we go we might end up staying overseas for a while and I wonder, either way, if that is really the best thing for dd or not. I'm not happy with the jnr school she is due to go to so would be happy to put her into an International school instead.

We made a decision to settle in a ruralish village to give dd an idyllic, settled English childhood. Problem is it is driving us bananas and we are itching to get away. I think dd is perfectly happy though . Oh what to do, what to do. I don't want to look back and regret not going but I don't want to spoil things either.

And that's not even starting on my job situation which is a whole other novel.

[SchnoogleDyBroogle]

I think it is a fantastic to have the opportunity to offer your daughter a chance to get a different perspective on life.

I would jump at it, particularly as we also live in a very rural small community, which although it offers stability, and a small caring community, it can lead to narrow view of the world.

Hope you find a home for your cats.
xx

[DooinMeCleanin]

Ask him to bring his cat to your house for a few playdates. Cats are v territorial. His cat is less likely to be agressive if he gets to know your cats on their turf.

Also Feliway plug ins would help ease the tranistion for all cats and it would be helpful if you scented his house with your cats scent prior to their arrival. Rub your cats with a damp tea towel and then rub the towel on skirting boards/doors etc around his house. It will help your cats feel more at home and help his cat get used to the scent of your cats.

[Acinonyx]

Schnoogle - I have a love-hate relationship with the village. Dh and I are used to being overseas - it does just seem so..... small - as though we re living in a cupboard behind the world. Then other times it seems very safe and cosy [becoming an old woman alert].

Dooin - that's great advice thanks. Maybe I can skype them.....

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

Sorry, Acinonyx, I thought you were just going travelling in an attempt to regain your lost youth. If it is a stable time for your DD, I say go for it.
Ours was born in ME, we moved to Bangkok, then Switzerland and now Belgium. she and I are going to go back to the UK in July.
It has made her a remarkably tolerant girl, she is resilient and caring too.

[Acinonyx]

That is interesting kreecher as I see we both have only dds. How often have you moved, i.e. what was the minimum stay anywhere? How has she dealt with moving schools and losing/making friends?

I want to be back in the UK for secondary school, in 5 years.

Aaaah - my long, long lost youth . I would love to take a year out, homeschool and just swan around the world. Alas, I doubt anyone would pay us to do that. It sucks being grown-up sometimes.

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

Same for us. DD is now 9.8 and has never lived in the UK. the longest we've stayed anywhere was four years in Bangkok.
Both me and DH think she'll do well to be back in England for her secondary education which is why she and I will be going back so she can start her last year of primary.
She has dealt with the moving really well, the only time she was really sad was leaving Thailand. She'd made some really good friends there and it was the only country she could remember living in. She was 2.2 when we left Oman.
Go for it.

[ihearthuckabees]

OP - i think you need to just rehome the cats. Hard as it will be, it's also hard to own a pet part-time. We rehomed our cat when we went abroad, and I was quite sad about it. And although it was a family member who had him - and so I thought I could get him back when we returned - he died, and so we never saw him again.

It was sad, but we'd got used to not having him by then, so it wasn't devastating, if you know what I mean.

Harsh as it sounds, the cats will adapt to a new home and probably won't miss you.

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

Iheart, you put it some much better than me. I was going to suggest euthanasia

[Acinonyx]

I know, I know - it will just take time for me to come to terms with it

kreecher - how do you feel yourself about moving back to the UK? Will your dh join you at some point?

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

In haste, just going to collect DD. I am thrilled to bits about the plan. DH will stay here for a year and visit us at the weekend.
Sleazyjet is very affordable.
I can't wait to tell DD. She views England as a holiday destination.

[ExpatAgain]

well, we were in exactly yr position a year ago and now have decided to stay overseas longer, house rented out and got the cats flown out 2 months ago. they were long-term in a cattery - ask, some will give you a good deal for a longer-time ..not ideal but is so nice to have them back, a 1-way ticket though :(
it's scary and weird but exciting too, never had so much to sort/pack up in my life but think it's been worht it, good luck!

[Acinonyx]

Where are you expatagain? We could fly them out but it would be one way - I doubt we will be in India indefinitely so I think they are better of here than there.

Did you leave much stuff in your house?

[ExpatAgain]

hi, we're similarly far afield and yes, tons left in our house (rented semi-furnished and large loft, fortunately). we couldn't rehouse the cats although we tried, couldn't face keeping them in capativity in a cattery so decided to get them a one-way ticket. they're quite old also. flight seemed fine for them, amazingly, though not cheap!

[hermitcrab]

Hi. We're just coming up to the end of our first year abroad, have another year to go if we stick to the original plan. We have three cats, all aged around 12, so felt they were too old to travel. We have a cat sitter in our house looking after the cats. He pays no rent, but does cover all his utility charges. It works for us as he moves out for two months in the summer, so we get our house back. It works for him as he was previously living with his parents whilst saving up for a deposit. This way he gets his space, but pays pretty much the same that he was paying to parents in rent. Worth considering if you can think of a likely person. hth x

[Acinonyx]

I would look into that hermit - but I'm not confident about finding the right person. Our cats are also about that age.

[hermitcrab]

We were very lucky. Hope you sort something out that suits you all.