Leave the cat or take her with me?

[CutToChase]

I have a rescue cat I love to pieces. She is very attached to me - much more so than my DP, although she doesnt mind him and will go to him for strokes when I'm travelling:)

We live in the countryside where she spends every day all day gallivanting around the fields, hunting stuff climbing trees, etc. She is also friends with the neighbours cat.

Next summer I will be starting a job at the opposite end of the country. I have two options re the cat .

1. Take her with me. I will be moving to a city, and obviously if I take her i will get a garden flat. It'll still be a smaller space with a much smaller roaming radius though but at least we'll be together.
2. Leave her in the countryside with my partner. I will be going up once a month so I will still see her, and she can keep her habits and space and natural environment. However we will see each other much less

I want to do what my cat would like best, but obviously I cant ask her! If this were a dog I would be taking her no question. But a cat....I know they get attached to us but would keeping her country life be more important to her than keeping me? 🤔

Vote:
YABU = Leave cat in country
YANBU = Take cat to city

It’s so difficult. Some cats couldn’t give a shit who is feeding them so long as they have their territory and some are bonded to the person. My cat is very suspicious of other people (also rescue!) and very clingy to me - she hardly goes out and moves from room to room depending where I am. So with her, I would definitely bring her as she gets so stressed when I’m not around.

I think your idea to look for a suburban place might be a good compromise if she’s that sort of personality.

How long will you be working away for? Is it a long term arrangement?

Obviously leave her in her home.

I’m afraid that the welfare of the cat far outweighs your need to have them with you - rather a calmer cat in their own environment, especially as you would not be with the cat all day in the city. A sitter is a stranger, your husband is not ( even if he is out) the familiar smells of home and their territory would be most important to them

Oh she's a beauty. Ginger girls are the best cats. You must love her to bits. But I would agree with others, leave her where she is contented, and look forward to seeing her when you go back. If you call home on Zoom, ask to see her so you will at least get to look at her a few times a week x

Take her. I miss our cat when we go on holiday! We moved house when the cat was 6 and he was just fine. Kept him in for about 6 weeks and 9 years later this house is just as much his territory as the old house.

I'd take my cat he would miss me so much. If he hated the new environment you can always take him back but cats do settle in new surroundings.

She would miss you but she'll be happier and safer staying in the country.

I'd take her. Especially after reading your update.

I feel for you OP- it is a difficult decision. From what you've said I think that your cat would be best left where she is.

I cat sit for people when they go away. The vast majority of cats that I visit are very content at home whilst their owners are away. This includes cats with strong attachment to their owners, who worry how they will cope.

I've come to feel that as long as a cats environment is as they like it, they are mostly very happy.

Our cat is totally obsessed with one of our DCs and has been for 14 years.
She has a hierarchy of people she will snuggle up to (DS1, DS2, DD, DH, DDog and then me, because I'm the one who tells her off ).
He left to go to uni (along with all the other kids) a few weeks ago and she has honestly been fine.
I have been getting a lot more love from her!
Like you we live rurally, she has a forest on the doorstep, does as she pleases and has a nice life.
I wouldnt dream of putting a rural cat into a city scape, leave her where she is safe.

Chaotic45 I agree with you.
We left our cat in a cattery just once and she was in a terrible state when we got back. Had hardly eaten and had lost clumps of fur (?stress).
After that we started to pay a neighbour to feed her and check on her and she is much happier.The neighbour sends us photos of her asleep on his knee or on her favourite garden chair.

I know if it was my cat, he would want to go with my partner every time, but then my partner has had him since he was a kitten and I’ve only known him half his life. However, he’s an indoor cat anyway so not quite the same.

Lots of people saying cats don’t have separation anxiety - my partner went away for a week and our cat got a stress-induced UTI that cost us £70 in antibiotics to fix. Every cat is different, although I accept my cat is more sensitive than others. He has since been ok with DP goes away, but he still noticeably doesn’t like it.

Cats are attached to places, dogs are attached to people. She'll be happier if you leave her

Cats are attached to places, dogs are attached to people. She'll be happier if you leave her

Cats can be just as attached to people as dogs are.

Dogs are loyal to people, cats are loyal to locations. I say this as a cat lover. She stress of a move will waaaaaaaay out weight the stress of missing you. She will probably grow closer to your partner.

My sister got a kitten then moved back in with my DM (and me, and my DB) shortly after. We had a dog too and were unsure how things would go. Kitten and dog became best friends and despite me not really wanting her, she was so friendly she grew on me too.

My sister moved closer to work as a lodger that had three big Rotty type dogs, so had to leave her kitten. She tried to bring her but kitten was having none of it! Kept running away from her.

Kitten is now cat aged 9, living with DM, and I live locally and come to visit and she remembers our games that she doesn't play with anyone else She doesn't miss us when we're gone but is soooo happy when she sees us or even hears us on the phone - starts cuddling the phone when she hears my voice

Cats adapt. I would leave her only because I would be scared of her getting runover or wandering too far Homeward Bound style