Ordinarily, with one litter all adopted out, we’d either already have a new litter/pregnant cat in the house, or be about to get one or the other. However, I did mention yesterday that we are taking a break, and that is because…
We’re moving! We’re not moving for a few weeks yet (about a month, actually), but I have an entire house to pack, so that’s going to be taking up most of my time for the foreseeable future.
To answer questions you may have:
Yes, we just moved here 3 1/2 years ago. This is a wonderful house in a wonderful neighborhood, but we went from a house on 4 1/2 acres in the country to a house on much less than that in the city, and – whattaya know? – we went too far in the other direction. We need more outside space, and with the new house we’ll have it (about an acre of land.) The new house is located just about 4 1/2 miles from Crooked Acres (for newer readers, Crooked Acres is the house we lived in for a decade before we moved here. It’s not in Huntsville, but it’s in the Huntsville metro area.) The real estate market here in Huntsville has gone pretty nuts in the last year (Huntsville is about to be the biggest city in Alabama – DON’T ROLL YOUR EYES AT ME – and our realtor assures us that our house will sell very quickly; we’ll put it on the market once we’ve moved into the new house.)
Yes, we will continue fostering once we’re settled into the new house. (The new foster room – and my heart goes pitty-pat when I tell you this – has A SINK in it. A SINK. I cannot TELL you how excited I am about this!)
Yes, we are taking all of the permanent residents with us. (This was a big question when we moved here from Crooked Acres. Like we’d ever leave a cat behind!)
The new house has a nice backyard with lots of sun, grass, and trees. It’s already fenced, and the cat fence will be moving with us. It also already has a screened back porch! The cats will be fine – except for Charlie, they’ve all been through a move in the past. Hopefully they’ll adjust quickly.
We had decided earlier this year that we’d start looking at moving in 2022… and then, as is our way, we started looking immediately. We looked at some absolutely wrecked houses (one we immediately dubbed “The Nightmare House”). We made an offer on a house in a great location, but that was going to need a ton of work. Someone else made a higher offer – in cash, no less – and when that deal fell through and the house went back on the market we made another offer… and came in third that time, so that clearly wasn’t the house for us. When we saw the house we’re buying, I knew immediately it was the house for us, and as it turned out, it is!
So, there you go. We are foster-free until about mid-July, but my #1 goal once we get moved is to get the foster room set up and ready for new fosters as quickly as possible. Fingers crossed that it all goes smoothly!
I know this is kind of scattered, but I am pretty scattered right now – feel free to ask questions, I’ll post/answer them all in Friday’s entry, how about that?
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“Will there be chipmunks at the new house?” Charlie wonders.
“I like chipmunks!”
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Previously
2020: We’re serving Cuteylattes, and I hope you like yours EXTRA sweet.
2019: No entry.
2018: The mamas, keeping an eye on me.
2017: Beignet is turning into quite the little poser… Praline might need to work a little more on her smile, though.
2016: Check out that delightfully spotted belly.
2015: Guess what time it is!
2014: No entry.
2013: “He’s back there looking all BEAUTIFUL, isn’t he? ::fume::”
2012: “HALLO, YES, SECURITY? Please escort this kitten out. I bit her on the butt and now she’s following me around trying to do the same to me and I WILL NOT HAVE IT!”
2011: Seven random facts about me.
2010: No entry.
2009: Brudderly love.
2008: No entry.
2007: The kittens continue with their skittishness but last night I got Tina Louise to come over and sniff my hand.
2006: No entry.
2005: And then I see Flossie’s worried little face, and I think “She is just unbearably cute. SHE’s my favorite.”
YOU’RE LETTING ARCHIE DRIVE!!?!?!!!
LOL!! That picture is FANTASTIC! I’m going to assume it’s a European car and that maybe Newt is driving since he’s the most mature and dad-like of the bunch!
That is mite questionable. He’s the resident I most suspect of road rage.
Ooh i am so excited! I started today with a horrific migraine, i have a dentist appointment later, and i feel like this exciting update was created to make me feel better. 😀 Sounds like an amazing house, can’t wait to see it when you’re moved and settled, hoorah!
Whee packing!! But I know it will be nice not to have to worry about securing the perms when you show the house. The market is cray cray in SC – so many folks coming south – I bet you have several offers the moment you list!
Congratulations! How exciting! You have a big job ahead of you, but your new digs sound fabulous! I can’t wait to see photos when you get everything all set up….and of course, photos of the next group of fosters! Good luck!
Sounds fabulous! I wish you and the kitties the best of luck. Packing’s a chore, no doubt about it.
I feel you on the “we’ll do this next year” and starting to lay groundwork immediately and suddenly things roll much faster than you planned. I may or may not do that all the time myself!
Congrats on finding a place in this crazy market! And trust me, you are gonna LOVE having that sink in the cat room. I went years without one, and though I often said carrying jugs of water back and forth was good exercise, it didn’t compare to having an actual working sink in my huge screened catio! Keep us posted, though I know the amount of work you have now is overwhelming!
I loathe moving but in this situation I will watch with glee! I loved the “Foster room has a sink!” That would be awesome. I have noticed that property around here is moving fairly quickly as well!
I get it, this is more if a happy medium. Sounds wonderful but the new owners may want to keep the cat fence, if I’d have known about it, I would’ve gotten it. And it’s already installed, bonus.
I was so hoping to catch Jake or Frankie when you there him out the window the last time you moved. Heck, I would’ve loved any of the residents.
OMG – congratulations!!!! Can’t wait to see the new place!
Congrats! Can’t wait for the pictures!
Congrats! I’m sure the perms will settle in well, and guide Charlie through the process (Archie: “Yeah, kid, get used to it – these people change houses like other hoomans change shoes. But think of all those boxes!”).
I don’t envy your next several weeks though. If you are wracking your brain for a post in the interim, you might consider showing pictures of the ‘Nightmare House’ – creepy!
Congrats on the new house! Moving is one of those things that is both exciting and, well, exhausting. This house is great so I can’t wait to see the new one with the foster room that was made for you!
YAY! Moving (like sourpuss said) is both exciting and exhausting. I wish you and the perms the best. It will be great having a sink and a catio already finished. We shall await pics and tales of the chaos soon.
You better get those permanent residents to work packing their things! Cats are such good helpers! 😉
I’m so excited for you, and the sink in the foster room makes the house and land even yummier!
I know your new house will be “juuuust right” like the Three Bears say. Post some pics of the new house. I’ve been following you for a long time and sometimes miss your non-feline posts from your previous blog(s). Moving is a bear (see what I did there?) and I truly hope it goes smooth for you and Fred.
Oh my gosh! I so absolutely hope that you and all the guys have an easy move and settling in period at the new house! And, yes, there had better be chipmunks. 🙂
Your current house is beautiful. All the painting and upgrading you did should pay off nicely when you sell. I’m very excited for another new house tour, because I’m nosy like that. I know the kitties will be kind of weirded out for a while, but they will love the freedom of more room to roam around safely outside. Will there be chickens? (Just kidding.)
Wow! How exciting!!
I LOVE that picture — especially Jake peering out the back window, haha. And Alice doing the navigating from above, obviously. And Khal just being magnificent, as he is.
If you find that you need more chipmunks for Charlie, I’ve got one in my garage that’s just destroyed the seal on my garage door. I’d be happy to trap him/her and send him/her to you.
How generous of you! 🙂
Can I have your cabinets? 🙂 Seriously I’d have to think three times about giving that up. But I always kinda wondered about that back yard … you have had such an interest in veg gardening, and it seems really shady there. Can’t wait to see the new acre, and *best of luck* in the move!
Never a dull moment! 🙂
I was VERY surprised about the moving announcement, but your explanations are clear on why it is a good choice. What will you be doing with the extra land, though? More room for cats? Or?
Charlie is so young, he’ll adapt quickly.
Robyn, I love that once you guys realized that the house wasn’t working for you, you decided to move. Sure some folks might be like, 3 years! but it is SO much more important to be happy in the place you’re living in than trying to force yourselves to adapt to the space. Extra outdoor room sounds divine! I am so so happy for you and Fred and the permies…. BUT ALSO FOSTER ROOM SINK WHATTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations !! A lot of hard work ahead but in the end every thing will turn out beautifully. Your new home sounds lovely and the kitties will love the screened porch until the cat fence is installed. How did you manage to find a house that has a sink in the foster room — let us in on the back story if you want to. Wishing you much happiness in your new home !!
Oh, there’s not really a back story – although the description of the house said that one of the upstairs bedrooms had a vanity with a sink, I totally didn’t read it, and it wasn’t until Fred pointed out the sink to me that I realized it was there. We knew one of the bedrooms was going to be the foster room, and that clinched it!
Congratulations! Can’t wait to see your new digs!
Congratulations!! Wishing you all the best!
The market is crazy in Alabama too? Is there anywhere in this country where the market isn’t crazy?
Anyway, congrats on the new house! Looking forward to seeing pics, and the next set of fosters!
Oh that’s great news! Congratulations!! I for one, (being the weirdo that I am) LOVE packing and organizing. Like Monica Geller level love. (Remember when Rachel was moving out and hadn’t packed her stuff, so she made it look like she was saving the packing for Monica to do as a going away present? And Monica was so excited? Yup! That’s me!)
And score on the sink! This new home sounds pretty sweet! (Never in a million years would it ever cross my mind that you would not be taking any of the cats with you…)
It did seem pretty extreme to me when you moved from your “Crooked Acres” farmette to a city house. Sounds like this new place will indeed be the happy medium.
AND, since you’ve been there such a short time you haven’t accumulated too much extra junk to sort/toss/pack. AND, a sink in the foster room!!!!! Wow! I don’t foster, but I can see how handy that will be.
Will there be some new chickens too?
yay on a new house. You are so lucky to find and get “the” place. The market is insane everywhere. I will miss seeing your pretty house but I can understand needing more outside space. Now you can have turkeys again…BWAHAHAHA.
Congrats to you and Fred and the whole 4 legged family. Your present home is beautiful but this sounds like an emotional upgrade for all. I just went thru a move this past fall and did NOT realize how hot the market was. My house sold in 6 days. I then lost my mind packing and downsizing. So you are definitely doing it the right way. Can’t wait to see it all!
Congratulations!! Lots of work ahead of you, but a new house is always so exciting…. and I am sure the fosters will LOVE the sink in their room!! Lol
Will there be chickens again in the backyard??