Can I have a cat?

[spaner]

Just how much do we give up as pilots to make a little cash and position ourselves for an uncertain future?

I'm not talking about having a wife, or kids, or even a dog...but just a cat.
Can I work as a pilot, in Canada, and be a cat owner? I don't mean someone else taking care of the cat for me either, I mean ME, can I have a cat.

What if I work for a remote operation with 7in 7out? Will they let me bring the cat? Probably not a girlfriend right? Every guy in the crew house has a girlfriend? Nope, can't have a girlfriend while on duty rest. Could my kids visit? Nope. BUT, what about a cat?
I'd have to be able to be home (or duty rest facility) for MORE than just the "minimum". Can't eat into that 8hr prone/supine (he, he). I'd need an extra half hour or so. You know, feed the cat, empty the litter box, maybe even play with it a little?
I'd also need 24hr notice before any overnights. To let the Super know to drop a bowl of food down. Pretty hard to call someone at 2am, to go feed my cat.

Is this asking too much from an employer? To consider that I'm not a fully independent machine...

So, maybe you should ask for a little MORE than a $350 day rate, for turbine PIC service.
I don't get out of bed for less than 500, cu'z my cat has needs...

[Colonel Sanders]

I have a dog:



That's her in the basket of my bicycle. She
doesn't eat very much food, which is good
for a pilot. And if you can't get laid in 10
minutes on Duval St with a dog like that,
there's something seriously wrong with you.
That's good for a pilot, too.

Just be careful that the women that you pick
up on Duval aren't too tall and burly, and their
adam's apple isn't too prominent.

PS The tourists on the Conch train have started
to take pictures of me. I think it's time to head home.

[spaner]

Ha, ha, chick magnet!

The pointer, is always longer, than the ring. Figure that one out..

But yea, that's great. So, do you just show up with the cage, to the new job?
Do you enlist a few friends to help out?

I'd like to hear what you think is best. I find that too many of us just give up too many perks in life for far too little reward when it comes to our industry. Like eat, sleep, fly and screw...the tie never comes off...

[esp803]

The key is finding the right cat. My Cat is 14, he doesn't eat very much and only drinks from the toilet. I can fill his food dish and take off for 7 days without a worry.... Although once it was 8 days and he left a present for me on my pillow.

[Changes in Latitudes]

I'd be more worried about a fellow pilot going hungry and eating your cat. You can walk your dog, but they'll wok your cat.

Welcome to Aviation.

[Johnny#5]

Bison are harsh!

[Shiny Side Up]

I have a cat. Cats are awesome. Better than TV. Will save you money on cable or sattelite. You can also have your cat at the hangar to keep the mouse population down. If you really want to cheap out owning your cat, steal floor dry from work to use as cat litter.

[cramer604]

borek and air north have hangar kitties.

[xsbank]

Great life for the cat. Glad you're not thinking of getting a bison.

[I WAS Birddog]

I'd be more worried about a fellow pilot going hungry and eating your cat. You can walk your dog, but they'll wok your cat.

Welcome to Aviation.

.... ....

That is all. As you were...

[Dash-Ate]

Consider a rabbit? Lower maintainence.
Either way if you get it from a Humane Society it'll come fully checked out, shots, and sometimes with a care plan.

[Cat Driver]

I want a cat house.

[Indanao]

It's like a hassle. Got one given to me in Ft. Vermilion to chase the mice out of my supplied house trailer. Went Instructing in Penticton, got a motel room as part of the pay. Luckily, they let kitty stay. Then got on with Okanagan Helicopters. They supplied a Motel room - two guys to the room. The other Pilot cried about me having a cat...go figure.

[xsbank]

For a pilot, if you want a pet, a sheep is probably more practical... Just saying'.

[Keenflyer]

For a pilot, if you want a pet, a sheep is probably more practical... Just saying'.

A million Kiwi's can't be wrong

[I WAS Birddog]

Just how much do we give up as pilots to make a little cash and position ourselves for an uncertain future?

I'm not talking about having a wife, or kids, or even a dog...but just a cat.
Can I work as a pilot, in Canada, and be a cat owner? I don't mean someone else taking care of the cat for me either, I mean ME, can I have a cat.

What if I work for a remote operation with 7in 7out? Will they let me bring the cat? Probably not a girlfriend right? Every guy in the crew house has a girlfriend? Nope, can't have a girlfriend while on duty rest. Could my kids visit? Nope. BUT, what about a cat?
I'd have to be able to be home (or duty rest facility) for MORE than just the "minimum". Can't eat into that 8hr prone/supine (he, he). I'd need an extra half hour or so. You know, feed the cat, empty the litter box, maybe even play with it a little?
I'd also need 24hr notice before any overnights. To let the Super know to drop a bowl of food down. Pretty hard to call someone at 2am, to go feed my cat.

Is this asking too much from an employer? To consider that I'm not a fully independent machine...

So, maybe you should ask for a little MORE than a $350 day rate, for turbine PIC service.
I don't get out of bed for less than 500, cu'z my cat has needs...

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Watch this for your answer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGs4CjeJiJQ

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Now...we're even.

[Sparkfarmer]

All jokes aside, do the cat a favour and don't get one. Cats are much too social to be left for days on end alone. Yes, they are a lot lower maintenance than dogs, and you could leave one for a bit if you absolutely had to, but they still need the attention. You need the flexibility anyways if your starting out your career, and a cat would definitely cramp your style. Speaking from experience here: wait.

[mbav8r]

It's like a hassle. Got one given to me in Ft. Vermilion to chase the mice out of my supplied house trailer. Went Instructing in Penticton, got a motel room as part of the pay. Luckily, they let kitty stay. Then got on with Okanagan Helicopters. They supplied a Motel room - two guys to the room. The other Pilot cried about me having a cat...go figure.

That is completely pathetic, are we attending university and staying in the dorms or professionals doing a job.
I had a job, where they promised housing, I had my own room in a shared accomodation and I found this unacceptable. So, I had them rent me an apartment, I gave them a choice, acceptable accomodations or I'm outta here.

[Indanao]

Yuh, depends on the job. As an Instructor, I fealt lucky to have it as part of my pay - cost about half in the end. Helicopter part was like a mountain course, and only lasted a few weeks to completion. I think most low time guys would agree, your lucky to get a job and don't bite the hand that feeds you. For a long term permanent position, I agree with you - tell them to stick it up their ass.

[Indanao]

Having said that, cats don't travel well. It's hard on the animal, ( I felt sorry for my cat ). If a cat died and went to Hell - it may come back as a Pilot's cat.

[spaner]

...


Ya, many problems for the kitty,

What I was getting at, was the idea, that the cat comes first.
I am married, or, have a girlfriend, or, children, a dog....a cat; the basic of the five.

Will an operator consider the fact that I have one of these five?
OR, design a job description around an individual that is "independent" of all of these attributes.

"We are looking for an individual that is devoid of responsibility."
BUT, more aptly , devoid of the responsibility to others; more than ourselves.

As some have said...
"WAIT, wait for WHAT?
I have 10+ years in the industry; 7thou + experience. What is it that I'm waiting for?
I now have a CAT.

So, can I get a job?

Can I work for your company, owning a CAT?

Will dispatch consider this fact, while diverting for overnight/and/or enRoute scheduling...after 12 hours...

I ether have to get home, OR, Kitty has to be fed...

Is this possible, OR just way too out there.

Then maybe, just maybe, you should be getting 375+/day, on the contract...
They, don't want to hear about the rest of it. LIFE, I mean, what ever that is for you...
No problem, I says...$500/day...fly or NO, it's you're concern...I'll take care of the kitty...

...

[trey kule]

Well, I like cats.. Never been able to finish a whole one though,.


What is more important than how much money you should be making is how much time you get off.
To many employers in aviation think they own you body and soul. You are a drone.. Work. Minimum rest, and work some more.. Want a day off to tend to your cat....well dont expect to be paid for that day then. At their beck and call 24/7, and if there is any spare time you should not expect to be able to play with your cat until all the "non flying " chores are done.. If ithe weather does not allow you to fly...well that is a day off..TC even says so. And a good time to do all the paperwork, clean and repair things...

The total disregard for labor laws by some operators is disgusting..And some of them are not all tht small.

I can only speak from personal experience, but when I worked in the north I had a dog, and I never had anyone not let me bring my dog along. I had thought that the days of double bunking seasonal pilots in mouse infested dumps were over, but I guess not. Pilots seem to accept accomodation that the dirtiest, smelliest , rig pig would never live in. All so operators can try to undercut each other in price.

But having said that, if you are moving around from job to job or place to place you have to ask yourself you fair you are being to any pet. Learn to love a plant during this period of your life...and I dont mean the kind that you smoke.

[Expat]

I would recommend having a cat, as a struggling new aviator, for a few reasons.
First, they are the most economical pet to own.
Second, they will help you get rid of the pest you'll encounter while living in your de-luxe provided accommodations.
Third, people will not get sick seeing all those cat food empty cans, outside your cabin, not knowing that it is you, who is feeding on them.
And finally, a cat will not make a fuss if you come home late, drunk, see another cat...

[esp803]

And finally, a cat will not make a fuss if you come home late, drunk, see another cat...

And that's why I have a cat!

All jokes aside, do the cat a favour and don't get one.

I think that depends... I was away a fair bit from my cat, most of the time my room mate was around to give it love and affection, when he was not I would arrange to have someone check up on the little guy. That being said when I am around he lives the life of a king. Nothing short of luxury, as to whether he is better off, I would say yes. When I got him, his owner was about to throw him to the pound, he was 13 when I got him, he has failed kidneys, I highly doubt most people would adopt him, I don't think he would last in the pound/spca. I'm out traveling at the moment and have fortunately found the greatest cat sitter imaginable, if you read this, thanks PC.

[Slappy the Squirrel]

Spaner,
I hate to be critical, but did you not consider this difficulty before becoming a pilot? Sure, companies take advantage of pilots all the time, but there are reasons you may not make it home as scheduled for the night that nobody has any control over (weather, maintenance, etc.). Unfortunately (and it is unfortunate) it is part of being a pilot. If you can't make alternate arrangements for your cat, then you have to make a choice between a cat and being a pilot, simply put.

I too wish our profession wasn't this way, but what's a company to do? Hire cat sitters for you in case you have to overnight for reasons outside anyone's control?