Feline Directives: Get On with It!

The most common question we get from friends here in Italy and abroad is, “Does it feel like you live here?”  

At the moment, the answer is, “No.” 

It’s been a little over a month since we traveled from Saint Paul to our house in Petrognano. A month is about the time of our typical visits in the past.  Frankly, it still just feels like one of the many visits we’ve made over the past fifteen years.  

We have been doing the same old things; attending to a few, pressing administrative matters related to paying taxes or dealing with some unexplained occurrence with our utilities or banking accounts, fussing with getting tech and internet stuff working reliably, taking on a house project or two or three or ten, adjusting to the slower pace of doing things like heating the house or drying clothes, keeping up with a pressing social schedule to reconnect with friends, slipping in time to stay on top of a few work tasks in Minnesota, and making sure we give ourselves time to enjoy the special culture and natural beauty this place has to offer.  

The main thing that is different is we are now sharing the house with our three cats which provides a touch of familiarity with our home life in Saint Paul, as well as the force of a demanding trio that insist on trying to settle into some routines. 

I’ve gotten a complaint, or two, about having only shared information about our cats’ journey to Italy through social media and not much about what Bill and I have been doing.  

Sorry.  

But, getting the cats here in one piece and in good health felt like quite the accomplishment!  

There were months of wellness exams and vaccination updates at the vet’s, paperwork to get processed through the FDA on a tight timeline, and then managing things with the airline which was an issue right up to the last minute.  It wasn’t until a few days before we were to fly away that we finally got confirmation that the cats were booked to fly all the way through to Florence. 

Frankly, all of the medical prep stuff seemed to be for naught since the agent at MSP who checked us in was new and unfamiliar with the process.  She really didn’t review any of the paperwork; just tagged the cat carriers and sent us on our way.  From that point on, it was a matter of mildly re-dosing the cats (and Bill) with their anti-anxiety drugs along the way, and keeping them feeling safe and secure and cuddled in our arms each time we had to take them out of their carriers to go through airport security.

Once at the house there was none of that cowering under a bed or staying in one room for days and days to get past it all for this feline crew.  They settled in immediately by claiming sleeping spots on all four levels of the house.  They also pressed their nocturnal ways; renewing our battle from Saint Paul between their needs to play and our need to sleep.  Bringing order and routine to meet their feeding and litter box needs was a major task during our first week as we sought out the right suppliers for grain free, wet and dry food, as well as a vegetable-based litter that was match for their preferences, local organic recycling, and our pocketbook.

So, the cats were a big part of this move and the initial phase of our transition.  They have been a pain, but also a big help.  They are the ones pushing us to find routines.  Meals are meant to happen, at least twice a day and on time.  Litter boxes need to be cleaned, waste scooped into the organic recycling container, and the household's organic waste collected and delivered to the wall by the church for pick up on Tuesday and Saturday mornings.  Balls need to be tossed to get ready for long morning naps. Oh, and, we still to finish that conversation about the pros and cons of scratching leather couches. There's also the comforting familiarity of having a cat sleeping on your lap at night while streaming The Crown on Netflix.

It's been good to have Lexi, Huey, and Tomas with us to kick-start the job of creating new routines to move from having our house in Petrognano to having our home in Petrognano.

Coming Up:

First Worlders’ Brush with the Immigration System

Realizing Our Home was Your House

Petrognano’s New Park and Our First Community Meeting