Hi all,
My pet story first: I've lived in HK for 3 years now, and it's pretty much the first 3 years of my life without either a dog or a cat in my home. When I was very young, I had cats, then Rex, a Golden Retriever took over as my best friend for 13 years back in Norway. But we lost him a few years back... I then got a cat, a tabby when I lived in Australia. An amazing cat, but when I moved to HK, I left it in good care of my brother and his fiancee until I got settled. But, as probably many others here felt when they moved here, I just didn't have the heart to bring him to an apartment here as he was used to a big garden and fresh air in Melbourne. What's best for the cat is what's important. They love and take care of him, so I have left him in great hands. I don't think they would give him back now anyway! If they couldn't take care of him, I would of course bring him over, as I would never give him up to people I didn't know.
But, now I'm really considering getting a kitten for our home in HK. I would love a big dog again, but with the amount of hours at work, I don't feel I have enough time take care of a dog.
As I strongly believe a pet is for life, I would want to bring him/her with me if/when I should go back home to Europe or wherever time will take me. Does anyone have any experiences bringing pets FROM HK to other countries? I wouldn't want to put my pet in a little quarantine box for 6 months.
Also, when I go overseas, I would want to leave the cat in safe hands in a good caring environment. I wouldn't want people to come to my home while I'm not here, so it would have to be a kennel. Back in Australia, there are some really nice kennels where the cats have lots of space etc, and not locked up in a tiny cage. If that's the only option, I could never go overseas. Any good experiences?
Lastly, I don't know if I should adopt or go to a breeder. I would prefer a good breeder to find a type that I like the most (ragdoll, tabby, bengal), but my conscience is saying adopt an abandoned kitten. It's difficult.
Ok, I realize I don't have many questions. I guess I just have to share a little to get some input as I am yet to decide if I should do it or not.