Fieldwork and pets? Do they mix?

[Ceropegia00]

This fall I am applying to the MFS program at University of Colorado. Basically the program is for people who want to get involved with a career in a Natural History museum, botanical garden, zoo, etc. The classes center around Museum topics, but since it is a Master's of Science, there is a requirement for a biological research project of some kind. These theses usually seem to involve plant/animal surveys, collections, etc., meaning a decent amount of time spent in the field.

These past few months however, I have been considering getting a pet cat. I am a little hesitant to do so since I'm not sure how much time is spent in the field (I've contacted the prof whose lab I'm interested in, with no response). I don't want to be gone for weeks at a time and leave a cat alone for that long.

So my question is this: Is there any person out there who has done fieldwork and had pets at the same time? If so, how did you manage the time spent in the field and the care of your animals? Anyone who has done field work of this nature (surveys, collections, etc), did you find that the hours were long and you spent a lot of time out in the field or was it limited to several hours or a 2-3 day period? It seems that most field work is done over the summer since people are teaching during the school year, but I just can't seem to get a clear answer on this subject.

Any tips or info would be great!