The Bubba Story - Fort Lauderdale to Seattle
Guest blogging today is Kavita Varma-White, Sun-Sentinel assistant Lifestyle editor.
We are in the process of moving across the country.
I call it a process because it has become a four-month odyssey, that started with my husband Brian leaving for a new job in mid-February. My kids and I are to join him later this summer.
Today, God, the FAA and the TSA willing, our 18-year-old cat Bubba is flying in coach class from Fort Lauderdale to Seattle.
Let me correct that. It's not really "our" cat. It is Brian's cat, who predates my 15-year-long relationship with my husband. That cat has hated me since day One. His demeanor toward me has always been one of indifference on good days, outright meanness (isn't hissing mean?) on most days. When my kids came along, they were treated the same way, even though they (unlike me) always wanted to just love and pet him.
In addition to being a curmudgeon, Bubba is a survivor. He's an indoor cat that once escaped out the front door when we were packing the car to go away for a long weekend. When we returned, we couldn't find him. The pet sitter said he hadn't seen him, but this wasn't unusual because the cat hides and sleeps all day. After calling his name, we heard a faint meow coming from somewhere...below. Turns out he had gone into the crawl space under our house (a move that surely saved him from the feral cats that roam our neighborhood.) Other than being hungry, he was fine. In those days he was a plump 17 pounds. After we added an upstairs addition to our house, he trimmed down to a svelte 13 pounds, what with all the up and down activity.
When Brian left months ago, a strange thing happened. The cat, who has lost hearing in his old age but is otherwise healthy, transformed into Mr. Niceguy. He would join me on the couch at night and happily purr as I pet him. He would snuggle with the kids at our kitchen banquette at mealtimes, letting them scratch behind his ears and plant kisses on his head.
My friends who are cat lovers say Bubba has changed for obvious reasons: because Brian is gone; because I am the one feeding him and cleaning his litter box. They are probably right. Even this past weekend with Brian home visiting, the cat left me a "party favor" (in the form of poop on the bedroom floor) when I didn't get up to fill his food bowl when he meowed at 7 a.m. Saturday morning. Did I mention he is a mean cat?
This evening Brian is taking Bubba on the plane in a softpack carrier. He has all the paperwork from the Vet. He didn't feed him today to avoid any accidents on the plane and he's taking a Ziploc bag of his old litter to welcome him to a new litter box in our new home. It is unclear how the cat will make it through Security. Once he's in the carrier, he won't come out (even to Brian) without a fight. I am going to the airport with the kids to wait and make sure they get on the plane for the nine hour journey.
I'll post tomorrow to let you know how it went.
ANGIE BRENNAN, a Sun-Sentinel page designer,
lives with four dogs and one boyfriend. And has a lifetime of animal stories to share.
DIANE LADE, a reporter on the Sun-Sentinel's Help Team, has lived with cats, dogs, reptiles, fish, an iguana, and an armadillo.
CYNDI METZGER, editor of the Sun-Sentinel's Outlook section, is smitten with Bella, her poodle who regularly ignores requests to sit, stay and get off the ivory-colored sofa. 
JOHN TANASYCHUK, a Sun-Sentinel lifestyle writer, has lived with cats as long as he can remember. He and his partner currently share their home with three.
