this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2024
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[โ€“] just_kitten 7 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (3 children)

For some reason I have Handel's The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba in my head this morning and I just imagine... cats. Specifically, a glossy-maned cat of regal bearing sauntering into a room on an overhead ledge and looking down on us unworthy humans. I am a bit cat-starved. I have much more freedom to adopt a cat compared to past years, but wondering if it's a good time when I might need to cut back on work for a year to finish my studies...

edit: I shall ponder about this some more while I knuckle down and start doing my taxes. Did not save a copy of all my payslips from my old job which was dumb. Zero interest in contacting them again, so I will just work backwards to figure out how many hours of work (and therefore WFH I did).

Also didn't realise I could claim airfare and accom for my work-related conference last year as a deduction as well. Score!

[โ€“] Thornburywitch 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)

There is fostering rescue cats - limited time commitment, big expenses paid for, and you get to help a cat learn that hoomans are good companions.

[โ€“] just_kitten 1 points 4 months ago

This is sort of where I'm leaning towards tbh. It also means I can plan holidays around fostering periods without needing to find someone to catsit. Last I looked a few places required written approval from the landlord. I'm fairly sure mine will be okay as this apartment is all floorboards and very low maintenance. I need to get over my partly irrational fear that they'll use it as an excuse to increase the rent, though. I'm on a good wicket at the moment relative to the insane prices out there.

[โ€“] Bottom_racer 5 points 4 months ago

Queen of Sheba

Eee that was my old abbys name.

She also enjoyed heights to the extent she'd make sure you were looking and jump off the roof (2nd floor) for sport.

[โ€“] StudChud 4 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Logistics wise, unsure. But! A cat is the best study buddy. Mickey helped me heaps when I was at UniMelb, and prolly will again when I start TAFE. They just make it that much easier, even when sleeping on the laptop, pressing keys, or swatting all your pens. Good motivators but also good to remind you to take regular breaks, even if it's a moment to pat them. Idk, it depends on your situation of course, but my mental health is so much better with a furry familiar

[โ€“] just_kitten 3 points 4 months ago

Oh, the mental health boost would be 1000000000000000000000000% there. But I know that on top of regular food I need to have an emergency fund for vet visits, etc, and just wondering if it's a wise financial decision if I'll be cutting my earnings (reducing my work hours) to study, not long after a period of already eating into my savings from unemployment and then travel and a car.

I also am not home a lot of the time and wonder if that'll be good for the cat. At least having a WFH setup means that now even if I need to do a late day at work I can come home and finish off what's needed and still feed kitty on time.

I will see what study leave options I can utilise at work to balance it all out. The truth is, on a single income, it'll just take a rent hike to throw a lot of these plans in disarray. As much as I love cats I do not want to touch my savings again in order to afford having one...