potentially depressing: cats and hurricanes (they're fine!)
OK, this starts really depressing but ends on a brighter note, especially if you're not from New Orleans and have the same skewed perspective about what hurricane country is *really* like that I used to have.
The cats are still a big thing. The prospect of losing them in a storm is absolutely terrifying, and I feel really helpless. Especially after looking at all the advice out there, which basically says "Well, either scoop 'em all up into carriers and drive them several hours away to the pet-friendly hotel you've somehow secured in advance along with a cargo van" or "Pray to Bast for their souls." One site used the phrase "not uncommon" in reference to cats surviving hurricanes, which did NOT reassure. ;__;
And we just can't. Especially 'cause Ceejay doesn't even trust us enough to enter the apartment. He would be TRAUMATIZED FOR LIFE by a car trip followed by days in a pet-friendly hotel or, Bast help us, an animal shelter. I've had horrible Sophie's Choice visions of what happens if we can only save one or two...
But honestly, if I look at this a little more soberly... There's a pretty good chance we'll never even have to worry about it at all, let alone this year. Evacs in New Orleans actually turn out to be pretty uncommon. We had a streak of them around Katrina, every 1-3 years for a while, but we haven't had another one since '08. It averages out to one evacuation every seven years since 1965. Ten years is a good life for a porch cat. So we'll probably have to do it ONCE, if ever.
(The reason evacs are the line is, of course, that otherwise we just let the little buggers inside to shelter with us and hope Ceejay is willing. He did come in for Hurricane Laura, though he was NOT a happy guy!)
I... just don't like rolling dice with my friends' lives. So I guess next step is to contact some local cat charities and (ugh) Facebook circles and see what the other cat-friendly locals do with their buddies. I mean, there ARE STILL CATS in New Orleans period so they _must_ be able to deal with hurricanes somewhat...
