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- Mar 20, 2015
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So to put this whole question into context;
I'm currently moving out of my parent's house, and am living with my boyfriend and his family. Their house and where I work is only a fifteen minute drive from where my parents live. My boyfriend and I are planning to be moving about 6 hours away, however. This won't happen for months at least, but it is an eventuality.
My cat is 8 years old, and she'll be 9 on May 5th. Her name is Jinx, and she's a tabby/bengal mix and I've had her since she was less than a year. While she's also bonded to my parents, she's the closest to me, and my parents have always reported behavioral differences whenever I'm away. She meows incessantly at them, regardless of whether she'd fed, watered, been played with, been cuddled, been let outside, and had the litter box cleaned. She'll also sleep on my bed when I'm away, and doesn't do that so often when I'm home. So basically we've come to the conclusion that she just misses me a lot, and so bugs them.
She even runs up onto the front deck almost every time I drive up the driveway and park, and she'll either sit and wait for me, or run out to my car and jump in when I open the door.
There are two dogs at my parent's house, both small terrier mixes (one is 7, the other is 3, both female). All three get along and are allies (most of the time). There have never been any other cats in the house since Jinx arrived.
My parent's house is on 3/4 acre of land, and Jinx is both an indoor and outdoor cat. She's allowed to come & go as she pleases (bathroom window is left open nearly every day), and spends a good portion of her time outdoors so long as it's weather permitting, although she also spends a lot of time inside napping. This is well outside of city limits and as I stated before, a fifteen minute drive to the nearest town. She's used to vehicles and avoids them, but she's never been in a city environment before.
So, to my question... Take her with me, or leave her?
With my plans to move 6 hours away, that will put me in a city. A very, very big city. I'll end up working all day like I do now, but it will just be me and my boyfriend in the apartment.
Jinx is used to a routine where she's allowed to roam free through the neighborhood, and go in & out of the house all day, and she's accustomed to my parents being home before me most days, as well as being around the little dogs.
If I were to leave her at my parent's house, like she is now, I would get to see her MAYBE every few months, and only for maybe a few hours. Right now, and for the past week, I've be able to visit with her every few days, and will continue to do so while my boyfriend and I still live close.
On the flip side, if I were to take her with me, I'd get to see her every day, but she'd be cooped up in an apartment (I don't know that I'd feel comfortable with her going outside, even living in the suburbs). Plus, I'd be at work all day and she'd be completely alone. No dogs, likely no neighborhood to roam and other cats to harass, no parents coming home before me or popping in on their lunch breaks, nothing that is comfortable and normal to her.
My parents think it would be best to leave her at their place. And I am leaning towards that... But I really, really need some outside opinions. I don't want to be selfish and take her with me and have her be miserable. I dote on her so much and she's pretty much my child. But I also worry that if I leave her she'll become depressed. (I'll also become depressed... WAHH)
I also apologize for the novel.
I'm currently moving out of my parent's house, and am living with my boyfriend and his family. Their house and where I work is only a fifteen minute drive from where my parents live. My boyfriend and I are planning to be moving about 6 hours away, however. This won't happen for months at least, but it is an eventuality.
My cat is 8 years old, and she'll be 9 on May 5th. Her name is Jinx, and she's a tabby/bengal mix and I've had her since she was less than a year. While she's also bonded to my parents, she's the closest to me, and my parents have always reported behavioral differences whenever I'm away. She meows incessantly at them, regardless of whether she'd fed, watered, been played with, been cuddled, been let outside, and had the litter box cleaned. She'll also sleep on my bed when I'm away, and doesn't do that so often when I'm home. So basically we've come to the conclusion that she just misses me a lot, and so bugs them.
She even runs up onto the front deck almost every time I drive up the driveway and park, and she'll either sit and wait for me, or run out to my car and jump in when I open the door.
There are two dogs at my parent's house, both small terrier mixes (one is 7, the other is 3, both female). All three get along and are allies (most of the time). There have never been any other cats in the house since Jinx arrived.
My parent's house is on 3/4 acre of land, and Jinx is both an indoor and outdoor cat. She's allowed to come & go as she pleases (bathroom window is left open nearly every day), and spends a good portion of her time outdoors so long as it's weather permitting, although she also spends a lot of time inside napping. This is well outside of city limits and as I stated before, a fifteen minute drive to the nearest town. She's used to vehicles and avoids them, but she's never been in a city environment before.
So, to my question... Take her with me, or leave her?
With my plans to move 6 hours away, that will put me in a city. A very, very big city. I'll end up working all day like I do now, but it will just be me and my boyfriend in the apartment.
Jinx is used to a routine where she's allowed to roam free through the neighborhood, and go in & out of the house all day, and she's accustomed to my parents being home before me most days, as well as being around the little dogs.
If I were to leave her at my parent's house, like she is now, I would get to see her MAYBE every few months, and only for maybe a few hours. Right now, and for the past week, I've be able to visit with her every few days, and will continue to do so while my boyfriend and I still live close.
On the flip side, if I were to take her with me, I'd get to see her every day, but she'd be cooped up in an apartment (I don't know that I'd feel comfortable with her going outside, even living in the suburbs). Plus, I'd be at work all day and she'd be completely alone. No dogs, likely no neighborhood to roam and other cats to harass, no parents coming home before me or popping in on their lunch breaks, nothing that is comfortable and normal to her.
My parents think it would be best to leave her at their place. And I am leaning towards that... But I really, really need some outside opinions. I don't want to be selfish and take her with me and have her be miserable. I dote on her so much and she's pretty much my child. But I also worry that if I leave her she'll become depressed. (I'll also become depressed... WAHH)
I also apologize for the novel.