First of all, I don't have a cat. But I know some people who do. As a veterinary student, Hills Co. provides all pet food for "free." By "free," I mean that if you were in a U.S. vet school it would actually be free. Grenada charges customs charges which up the cost to 1 ECD/pound (very cheap, $1 USD=2.67 ECD). Also, Hills adds on an extra 1 ECD if you are not a member of the Student Affiliate of the American Veterinary Medical Assn. (aka SAAVMA). To answer your question, food is almost free (Hill's only) for dogs and cats if you are a vet student or faculty.

From what I hear, no one I know with a cat has problems getting litter. I wouldn't wait till the last second though. Stock up when you can. I would bring a little food and maybe litter down with you and then talk to other vet students to see when the next food distribution is (usually EO Monday) and get to the store to get some litter.

By the way, other than fresh milk(i.e. not boxed or powdered), I rarely find the store is out of anything I desperately need.

I hope I made the Hill's stuff clear...let me know if you have questions

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Know your food supply

Thanks, that helps lessen some of my fears. I would definitely bring some food, and probably a disposable litter box until I could get the actual stuff from the store. Thanks. I plan on visiting the island before I make any decisions anyway so I will make sure to check out the stores and everything. The last time I was there, I only had a chance to visit the school and the beach (I was on a cruise).

I have a very high energy dog. Are there good places to go for LONG walks/hikes in the area. Thanks for the info.

I don't know how to answer this question exactly...do you mean off leash? There are lots of places to walk, the beach being a very popular location. As far as hikes, there aren't really that many places in the St. George's parish. St. George's is kind of flat and is the most populated of the 5 + 2 (the other 2 are the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique) parishes. Therefore, other than a beach, you'll be walking along a road. I live near a small park where I take my dogs quite a bit...off leash too. But often there are persons playing futbol or sometimes cricket there.

There are some really good hikes in the rainforest area and many other locations. I found a really nice one in the Fort Jeudy area which is almost always totally to myself and with stunning views. However, the rainforest is maybe 45 minute drive and my secret Fort Jeudy area is maybe 30 minutes or so. Quarantine point has a little park-like area and is right near Grand Anse.

I guess what i'm saying is, unless you have a car and have a lot of time to spend in it, you're going to be at the beach or along the road.

By the way, watch out for feral and "guard" dogs. Some people literally carry sticks with them for beating aggressive dogs while jogging or walking dogs. People and their pets have been attacked or at the very least exposed to pathogenic organisms (lots and lots and lots and lots of Demodex...and worse stuff too).

Hope this helps.

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Know your food supply

Oh...I almost forgot. Hashing is the ultimate of dog walks. And good company too!

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Know your food supply

Hashing looks very exciting!. Thanks for the link. I may certainly have to engage in that practice if I do come to the island.

Checking out the rain forest sounds like a great idea but how else would you get there besides car? Do many students buy transportation (cars, mopeds, etc) when they get on the island?

The vet school has a lot of hashers, both students and faculty. Usually EO Saturday and then get drunk if you wanna. You don't need a car to hash. A bus picks students up on campus for every one. You won't be able to bring your dog on the bus though (I think), it is usually pretty full. You'll get to see parts of the island that many students don't or won't.

If you wanna hash with your dog (which you should), I'll give you a ride when I can. Just start asking around to some upper-termers or your 'footsteps' buddy and you'll find something.

A taxi or frequent busses (non-school) go there. Also, during orientation week, a school bus will tour Grand Etang (the rainforest) as well as other spots. Again, no dogs allowed.

Getting a car is a personal and financial preference. I have a car but didn't buy one right away. As opposed to the med school, we're here for about 3 years (excluding summer and winter breaks unless you stay down here like me). If I were a med student I probably wouldn't buy a car, but as a vet student it is awfully nice to have one, especially with a dog. Therefore, I would recommend getting one, but don't jump into one right away. I forgot...quite a few students rent vehicles for an entire term which can be quite expensive (~ $300 - 500 USD/month). By renting, though, you don't have to worry about the cost of many repairs, insurance, vehicle security while off-island, and the like.

Let me know if you have any other questions...this is much better than studying for finals...you can pm me also if you like.

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Know your food supply

I was wondering whether anyone would be interested in sharing a car for dog walks to the rain forest or elsewhere. I know a really nice taxi driver locally who will accept dogs and charges a good rate for the day, but he has also offered to rent me a new vehicle for $125 a month. My budget is too tight to hire it by myself and I also don't like driving very much (I know, I need to overcome that one!!), but I would be happy to chip in on cost and also to organise it with him. I live in Lance Aux epines area and have a driveway where it could be kept.

I would really love to go hashing and to the rainforest at weekends, maybe even go camping?

PM me if you are interested.

My dear Canman,
We are vets.... I doubt as a med student you will ever understand the peope we are. We love animals (humans tend to tick us off because they know better then to bite). You are lucky to have accomidating parents, most vets take the "special" pets and they are like out children. We don't ask you why you take certian things do we?