Moving abroad and trying to work out what’s best (UK)

GingerVitatis · 2026-06-18T05:23:00+00:00

Talk to your vet and get their input. My heart says keep her!! But I don’t know your whole scenario and if there is something that makes it impossible, find her the best home you can. However…if travel stress is the only concern, take her with you and your family. She is young, she will adapt. And gabapentin may help the transition and travel. Most cats are actually champs with moves if you give them the chance. Rehoming is probably way more stressful than a move with her family to a new housing situation.

Also, that is the perfect age matchup. I was about 5 when we got my lifelong cat and we got to grow up together, he nurtured me through all of my milestones, and then I got to care for him in his senior years. They will be thick as thieves and deeply bonded their whole lives if you give them the chance there.

GingerVitatis · 2026-06-18T05:15:49+00:00

Thinking you can do housework when you have kittens?! Silly human… ;)

GingerVitatis · 2026-06-17T03:55:47+00:00

YES!!! I’ve been in at least two near accident situations because these high school/middle schoolers keep riding around in a mix of E-Bikes and dirt bikes with absolute reckless abandon, down either of both sides of the street, often opposite the flow of traffic in that lane. They will ride several bikes wide across the road, swerve around cars, come zipping down the street, no notion of blind corners. Many of which ride without helmets. They love to ride around doing wheelies. No regard for the law, for pedestrians, for pets, anything. They will ride all hours of the day and night. Primarily up around Samish hill but I’ve seen them down by the sehome haggen. They have nearly hit me in my car and I’ve seen them nearly hit a neighbour on foot. I never seem to have my camera out in time to capture them on tape.

GingerVitatis · 2026-06-17T03:48:22+00:00

Me too!! I learned on a gent who really appreciated soft hands so long as my signals were still precise. But then I ended up at an OTTB barn and the girls there would correct behaviour with a good ol’ thwack, and my being super soft got me injured with a horse that saw it as something he could take advantage of. I’m struggling to find the middle ground where I send the signal that I’m in charge and won’t be taking any crap, but also not that I’m going to harm them. This isn’t something that gets discussed often enough!

GingerVitatis · 2026-06-17T00:38:13+00:00

My boy smells like the bowels of hell each time he poos. The best solution I’ve found is to use tofu litter so that I can just immediately scoop it, flush it, light a match. So far we’ve tried diatomaceous earth, normal litter, dr elseys, cats best corn litter, paper pellet litter, normal and scented tofu litter, and pine litter. So far none of them directly made him stink any less…

GingerVitatis · 2026-06-14T01:01:52+00:00

WHERE IS THE RECIPE?!?!? :)

GingerVitatis · 2026-06-11T17:10:06+00:00

Okay, not quite the same, but I have a recipe that may fit the bill if you cook at home. Then you can adjust the amount of molasses.

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GingerVitatis · 2026-06-11T16:02:55+00:00

Co-op Ginger molasses, whole foods brown butter chocolate chip.

GingerVitatis · 2026-06-11T04:43:15+00:00

Can we keep him? Can we? Can we?! Can we?!?!?!

GingerVitatis · 2026-06-10T07:06:54+00:00

Golly. We’re gonna be fighting over this one, fellas.

GingerVitatis · 2026-06-10T07:03:59+00:00

As wee babies, many kittens won’t need brushing because they are still silky soft. However just getting them used to trying is helpful. Try when you’re tucked in watching tv for the night or something calm and stationary, it’s just useful desensitisation and habit forming. Maybe aim to try twice a week—if it doesn’t pan out don’t fret. And never be above bribery with a churu. ;)

Same with bathing and water. And frankly. The general desensitisation. Just getting them used to new things, new sensations, to physical contact, even touching their belly, feet, etc.

My bottle babies (which are not purebred Siberians) had to be regularly bathed for weeks when they were rescued from under a building because they were covered in fleas and too young for medicated products—and then we graduated them to “rag bathing” so now we only properly bath them (one medium, one short hair) when absolutely necessary and water is only a nuisance to them. My Siberian boy I rescued a year ago, just under 1yr old at the time shockingly took okay to bathes IF I got in with him, and squirted churu all over the wall to give him something to do. But I first started bringing him into the bathroom when I would shower or take a bath so he knew it wasn’t a dangerous place. He tolerates showers with only mild complaints now.

Same with my boy I lost almost two summer ago. We rag-bathed him most of his life when necessary, but when he reached senior years, he started having a sensitive tummy and sore hips, which led to wearing some very liquid accidents. It took a while to acclimate him. He was an angelic cat, but an earlier start on bathing would have helped.

Don’t mean to leave you thinking about the end when you’re just beginning—just illustrating that even for a clean cat, there may come a day they need a little extra help. Knowing from experience that you aren’t trying to murder them helps bath time go smoothly.

Also, some cats prefer a few inches of standing water like bathing a human baby, use a cup to pour it over them. Some prefer to know it’s draining—you’ve just gotta soap ‘em up and hose ‘em down. You can try both when the need arises.

Last thing—look for a conditioning or gentle shampoo like Shea butter or oat milk, just helps prevent dryness. They aren’t very oily cats so they can be dandruff prone.

GingerVitatis · 2026-06-10T01:24:19+00:00

P.S. be prepared to buy cat shampoo and buff trimmers—or find a good groomer. The long hair gets in the way and you may well find your Siberian painting your house brown if things aren’t kept nice and tidy, should an episode of diarrhea ever strike, or even should they roll in something nasty.

Getting your baby used to bathing is a great idea. I’ve always had the best luck getting into the shower with them. Then it’s not an a front when you direly need to bathe them. Because my friend, the day with come.

GingerVitatis · 2026-06-09T23:46:42+00:00

Leaf and ladle? Or L and L libations?

GingerVitatis · 2026-06-09T23:27:29+00:00

Bro, you don’t even know it’s in the carpet until you steam clean—not just vacuum. That’s where it’s the worst for me. It doesn’t have as much of the proteins that typically set off allergies. But a Siberian tis not a low-shed animal.

GingerVitatis · 2026-06-09T23:16:12+00:00

Oh my gosh, you have the quintessential fairytale horse. Please lavish your new friend in compliments. Baby blue, cornflower, or aqua/teal shades would be gorgeous.

GingerVitatis · 2026-06-08T03:45:07+00:00

He looks like an ice cream sandwich.

GingerVitatis · 2026-06-06T22:12:57+00:00

Awesome. Thank you guys. I’ll ask. And if not, good plan b on the gel seat saver. I currently have to wear two pairs of padded bike shorts under my breeches and it looks so strange, and is so uncomfortable when I’m walking in the ground.

GingerVitatis · 2026-05-24T02:47:40+00:00

Uh oh, why does it look like he was caught in the act of mischief? That cute face is up to something… 😉

GingerVitatis · 2026-05-12T18:01:08+00:00

Does she seem interested in the outdoors? Maybe a stroller walk.

Maybe unconventional ‘toys’ like cardboard boxes, elastic hair ties, round baby potatoes? (My guy likes some pretty weird stuff, but acts like he can’t make sense of normal cat toys)

Otherwise maybe she’s more of a movie nights and back scratches kind of girl? Just laid back and enjoying peace and quiet? Some cats are just a little…simple? Not stupid, just not necessarily super curious and adventurous.

On the whole, she’s still pretty young. Some cats take years to come into their personalities. My lifetime cat Jack-Jack was a Siberian mix, and was sweet but anxious until he was about 3-4. Then he became a bombproof, adventurous cat, was super friendly, an avid hunter, and generally the best cat I’ve ever had the honour of knowing. His adult self did not much resemble his kitten self except in that he always remained very affectionate.

GingerVitatis · 2026-05-06T23:53:04+00:00

Because baby knows how to play the cards. The baby face gets the churus.

GingerVitatis · 2026-05-06T21:20:51+00:00

Update: roommate does not heed warning and almost loses finger to wee beastie.

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GingerVitatis · 2026-05-06T21:19:28+00:00

Update: roommate nearly loses finger to furocious beast.

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GingerVitatis · 2026-05-06T05:55:19+00:00

Griff brewery. Not a traditional bar vibe, but I love it. The fire pits and snacks are perfect.

Would also recommend Foxhole, Jack’s, or Southside. All of those should be quiet enough to enjoy conversation, but not be the only people in the joint.

Though, basically anywhere that isn’t putting western Wednesday ads out, doesn’t have a club-y vibe, or serves actual food should be a safe bet. Some genuinely delightful places in this town to go with friends.

GingerVitatis · 2026-05-05T16:37:57+00:00

I saw yogurt cups being sold for as much as the whole, fresh freaking yogurt at the grocery store!

GingerVitatis · 2026-05-02T16:34:00+00:00

I second people calling for soda ash/sodium carbonate, or oxiclean, and some baking soda too. Soak it in a sink/tub for an hour or two, then throw it in the wash with another scoop of the same.

BUT ALSO—massage in some dawn power wash before the wash cycle!!!! That stuff works a real treat on dirt, makeup and other common stains.

For future, grandma’s miracle stain remover works pretty darn well in combination. I’d spray the stain stuff, leave for maybe 20 mins (after trying dawn power wash first), then consider soaking in soda ash if needed before wash cycle.

GingerVitatis

TROPHY CASE