Moving Question

[susan denning]

I am going to be moving to an apartment due to family reasons (my Dad recently had a stroke, and my parents decided they want to sell their house and move closer to family). I am trying to decide between taking my seven year old cat, Felix, vs giving him to the humane society to rehome.

My concerns are that he has been an indoor/outdoor cat for most of his seven years, and am concerned that he wouldn't adapt well to being an indoor cat (my family doesn't think so either). He's a shy cat (although I believe he is comfortable with me), is on urinary food, and has blocked once in his life. From what I've read, being indoor can be a risk factor for blockages.

I'm also concerned about moving day. I would have to put him in his carrier early to make sure he didn't hide due to the commotion. And not let him out, until people finished unloading stuff in my apartment. So he could easily be in his carrier for five or six hours which seems like a long time for a cat.

Also, I've already figured out I would need a cat tree, an indoor litter box, and some toys he can play chase with. It's a bit overwhelming to me, as I've never had a completely indoor cat before, but I'm would consider trying. What I'm looking for are opinions on which option would be best for Felix. Thanks

 

[heatherwillard0614]

IMO i think he would be better going with you. You mentioned he is shy and has had some medical issues. Honestly rehoming him can be way more stressful than taking him with you..
Do you currently have cat toys, cat tree, litter box, etc?
Amazon has decent toys and cat trees fairly cheap even if only a cheaper small cat tree just until you can get everything situated.
You also don't need to buy everything all at once. I would recommend the litter box, cat tree, wand toys. Check Amazon for prices they have good deals.. I saw some cat trees from $25 and up.
And honestly I think he would be ok without a cat tree starting out especially if he is allowed on the furnature.. this way he can have more toys to play with if funds are tight. You can always gradually add to the catification if need be. This will make it a little less overwhelming then thinking about everything he would like to have all at one.

I'm also concerned about moving day. I would have to put him in his carrier early to make sure he didn't hide due to the commotion. And not let him out, until people finished unloading stuff in my apartment. So he could easily be in his carrier for five or six hours which seems like a long time for a cat.

Is there anyway you can put him in a bathroom or bedroom while moving things in and out of the house? Thus would be way better than his carrier even if it is just a small bathroom..

 

[Kwik]

I'm so sorry about your Dad,I hope he makes a full and speedy recovery.No doubt you are overwhelmed,moving is very stressful and worrying about your Dad but I can assure you that you needn't be worried about kitty adjusting to life indoors and you'll see his overall condition only improve by being inside with you

I could not agree more with heatherwillard0614 on everything she said,the best thing for your Feline friend is to take him with you and transition him to indoor only.It is completely untrue that being indoors contributes to blockages and would have a negative effect on his heath

Its very difficult to relocate outdoor & indoor outdoor cats- to do it properly a confinement time is necessary for them to be familiarized with "home base"....2 weeks at the very minimum but more like 30 days- still there remains the possibility of the cat searching for his territory when places outdoors in unfamiliar territory,no guarantee they will not wander off in search of " home"- cats will often search for many miles looking for their territory and they are lost
Also,with him being shy is all the more reason to keep him with you..... I'd imagine him getting very close to you in an indoor only environment,probably will be the best decision you ever made!
You have alot of people who will be here to support,encourage and make suggestions to help you through your move with your indoor only cat,lol Don't let this add to your worries,it'll be much easier than you imagine

 

[Neko-chan's mama]

I would take him with you. Older co, particularly ones with special needs, have difficulty finding a home. Especially now, with shelters flooded with kittens.

 

[di and bob]

take him with you. my cats adapted a LOT easier to moving and being inside totally then i thought. he will learn and give you some company. i kept mine in the bathroom, with a sign on the door, stating cats, do not open door!. move him to a small room in your new place asap. A new house should keep him distracted for a while!

 

[neely]

I agree with all the above members that it would be much more stressful and overwhelming to rehome your cat especially to a shelter environment. When we last moved I put our cat in the bathroom because the movers would not have to go in there and the cat could have the room to himself.

When we adopted our previous cat she had been an indoor/outdoor cat and although it took time she eventually became an indoor only cat who was completely content. Here is an Article with some helpful advice about bringing an outdoor cat inside:
The Five Golden Rules To Bringing An Outdoor Cat Inside - TheCatSite

 

[FeebysOwner]

I agree, he needs to go with you. In addition to the suggestions given above, maybe this TCS article (see link below) will help.
Set up a litter box for him now inside - if you don't have one - and introduce him to it so that he might be able to become acclimated to it before you move.

Additionally, you can look into window seats for any of the windows that have good solid screens that your cat might like in lieu of being outdoors. Some apartments might let you install a cat enclosure to one of the windows, so you could check on that too.
How To Move With Your Cat To A New Home In A Safe Way - TheCatSite
Amazon.com : Sycoodeal Cat Window Perch Cat Sill Window Hammock Thicken Rubber Wood & Metal Frame for Large Cat, Easy to Adjust & Assemble Cat Bed Seat for Windowsill, Bedside, Drawer and Cabinet (21 Inch M) : Pet Supplies

 

[heatherwillard0614]

Set up a litter box for him now inside - if you don't have one - and introduce him to it so that he might be able to become acclimated to it before you move.

Then when he is acclimated to the litter box if he isnt already maybe you can try what i saw on jackson galaxy my cat from hell.
There was a lady moving and he suggested taking the dirty litter from the cats litter box and bagging it up and taking it to her new home. Then when she got to the new place she put the dirty litter in the litter box so the cat had something with its scent. This helped the cat be calmer during the transition to the new home.

 

[Alldara]

Agree with all the above re:taking him.
You already know his tells me: urinary issues and your parents, his other people may still see him or call him so he won't completely lose all his people.

If you have a balcony you can put up chicken wire and he can still enjoy some balcony time. My (late) cats loved that about apartment life.

You can grow a little cat-safe herbs garden as enrichment, give some food enrichment, use feliway and cat calming music...there's loads of ways to keep cats with urinary issues indoors and happy. Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) | International Cat Care


A new family will struggle to know what you already do to keep him from flaring up. And their vet might suggest having him PTS too early if problems become ongoing. Also the depression from loosing all his family might cause flare ups.

with you he has familiar smells and places, even if it changes from house to apartment.

perhaps you can borrow a small dog crate for a couple days from your local Buy Nothing group or a neighbour. That would give space for a litter etc. I got this crate for free when Lily was ill. I've since used zip ties to add cardboard to the top (so they can walk on the top) and the inside (so they don't fall through the bars).

I can add clip on food/water dishes to the sides.