Meow Mix: Gertie the Cat & Qatar Don't Mix

Gertie is looking for a new home.

I emailed a kennel and a vet in Qatar that I had found on one of the online message boards about Gertie's two needs that need to be met in order to go to Qatar with us:

1. her prescription for BuSpar (buspirone, an anti-anxiety drug) needs to be filled there as our vet will only give us a few months' supply
2. her urinary-tract-health cat food because she had crystals in her urine

The vet was able to assure me about the food but seemed stumped on the medicine. We thought we might need to talk to a regular pharmacist about it since it is something we get filled at the pharmacy for Gertie as it is usually prescribed to people, not pets.

Craig got in touch with the company doctor while in Qatar last week and the basic answer is that mood-altering drugs are illegal in Qatar (you can get them but it is a difficult process—and that's for humans, probably not even possible for my cat). That means that I can't bring the drugs with me even if my vet would give me a three-year's supply.

So, Gertie needs a new home. I'm going to ask our pet sitter if he knows of anyone, send out a mass email to anyone I ever met to see if they or anyone they know is interested, and then, last options are the no-kill shelter if there is room and then the regular shelter.

I am really upset about it as she is a perfectly good and loving cat (still a scaredy-cat though) when she is on her medicine (when she is off she has been known to not use the litter box). I've had Gertie since May 1998 (she is about 9 years old now) and she's good at hunting mice & roaches (things I wish I didn't know she was good at, believe me!). She would probably do best in a home with no other pets and either no kids or older kids who wouldn't try to attack her. I know she has a lot of needs and requirements but I'm hopeful that she can find a place—even if it's just for the time we are overseas (2-3 years).