Saying goodbye to our beloved furry friends….

With only 14 days to go and a lot of things to finalize we are drawing closer to the day where we will say goodbye to our beloved animals. Sabrina our beautiful black cat went to her new home on 21 July. Her new owners were moving into a new house and wanted to get her as soon as possible so that she can get used to them. On the way to her new home she was really scared and cried almost the whole trip there as she hardly was in the car, let alone a picnic basket. Within 30 minutes arriving at her new home she was already playing with her new owners, Derek’s friend Richard and his girlfriend Leonie were so good with her, which actually brought so much ease and peace of mind in our hearts. They have been keeping touch and letting us know how she is doing and she has settled in well and absolutely loves it there. She was always a bit of a strange cat that did her own thing but she was affectionate at certain times and she is definitely in good hands.

Now our little baby Sheba is next, which I am absolutely dreading. A friend of a friend of ours has agreed to adopt her and we are so grateful for that because finding homes for older animals can prove to be difficult task. So, on the 20th of August we will be taking her to her new home and that will be the worst day of my life, I think. We got Sheba when she was a little kitten in 2012 and we had been dating for a few months. She has made me love cats in a way I never imagined I would – she is literally my baby.The one thing I am starting to realize more and more about what we doing is that we are actually sacrificing so much and losing so much in order for us to gain this dream and new life of ours. As exciting and adventurous as it is, it is also very bittersweet.

Phoebe our big baby girl who is now almost 15 years old will be retiring at her granny and grandpa’s home. Derek got Phoebe when she was just a puppy, she was adopted from DARG in Hout Bay. At her age she is still just like a young dog, very full of life and happy. After 5 years of knowing her we have developed a strong bond and she is just my darling baby girl. This one will be the worst for us especially for Derek, who I have caught crying his eyes out over Phoebe. We are very realistic about the situation…she is an old dog and her hearing, legs and eyesight are starting to deteriorate. The sad but true reality is that when we come back she may be no more and that is an eventuality we will have to face but only when the time comes.

We have had the pleasure and honor of raising beautiful animals that have added so much love and joy in our hearts and lifelong memories that we will carry with us as we venture into the unknown. Leaving Phoebe, Sabrina and Sheba behind is one of many difficult things that we will have to endure in order for us follow our new nomadic life. It is not easy at all, but what will give us great peace of mind is knowing that they are in good homes and will get the love and care they deserve. We don’t doubt that at all, and to our friends and family that have agreed to take our animals as their own, we will forever be thankful for making this experience a little less painful that it already is.