AZDramaMama: It's really all about the cats.

I've been surrounded by pets for as long as I can remember. We've had cats and dogs, rats and turtles, fish and tarantulas, and even snakes from the time I was young through the present.
Animals have always been a part of my life and my children's lives.

What I'm trying to figure out is when and how they became the primary factor in every decision I make!

I began to plan my move with the logistic discussions that I assume are normal - How much of my stuff will I take? Do I hire long-distance movers or drive a U-Haul? Rent a 'Pod'? Do I drive or fly? Where will I live when I get there? Etc, etc.

Enter: The Pets.

It was decided between Jason and I that he would keep the dog and two of the cats and I would take the other two cats with me. (One of which is 'my' baby, the other of which is my baby girl's 'baby'.) And this is where easily half of my options were eliminated.

My cats are privileged. They are spoiled, coddled, and prissy. AND... none of them travels well. They go bat-shit crazy in a car. If they're in a carrier, they protest. LOUDLY. And they are persistent. Just when you think they're going to stop or get hoarse... they just keep going. I am wholly impressed by not only the stamina, but the volume that these cats can produce. You know that cat fight you hear in the middle of the night like it's right outside your window? ...Well it's happening THREE MILES AWAY!

So, flying is out... I can't sedate them and I can't subject an entire plane full of passengers to their wailing for four hours. That's just mean. Plus, I can only fly with one cat, so someone else would have to fly with me in order to get the other cat there. No dice.
That leaves driving. Across the country. With cats. Cats who don't travel well.
That also means driving something big enough to fit the cat crate and all it's catsessories. And it ain't going to fit in the front of the U-Haul or a Ryder or any other rental truck suitable for hauling my crap.

It turns out that my cheapest route was to hire long-distance movers, since I'm not taking a ton of stuff (well, actually, it's just under a ton by weight) and to rent a car (or a small SUV or minivan, rather) for the trek from Phx to Sarasota. Conundrum solved... and now I'm just obsessing over how much wailing I'm going to have to listen to for the multi-day journey. I swear that moving these creatures is giving me ulcers.

Not to mention the fact that - when renting - cats present another set of problems. Many private owners don't want to rent to tenants with pets for fear of the damage that the animals can cause. Apartment complexes that do accept pets usually charge ridiculous 'pet deposits' and sometimes even a monthly 'pet rent'. I'm thanking the heavens and my lucky stars that my roomie and I found a 2bdr/2ba townhome that accepts pets with only a $250 additional deposit. Cue choir of angels.
So, the two biggest logistical issues have been put to bed. I know where I'm going and how I'm getting there... I'm still fundraising and saving my pennies to cover the moving costs, and I will have some big ticket items to replace when I get there. (My couch, my bed, my TV.) They're either too old or too cumbersome to bother with the expense of shipping and will cost less in the long run to replace. Hello, Craigslist!

I'm also realizing what a pain in the butt it will be to rebuild some things like my spice cabinet... but I'm trying to pare down all my crap and go as minimalist as possible here.

In the meantime, the cat crate is assembled and looming in the corner, promising quite an adventure (and giving me heart palpitations) any time I look at it.
My saving grace is the knowledge that my destination has a pool, a jacuzzi... and is 3000 yards from the beach.