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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to leave my cat behind when the builders come and we move out?

37 replies

Heathcliffscathy · 27/03/2010 20:06

put this in here, because it is quite boring, but i want some responses! builders coming. We're moving out. will be out for 10 weeks. so, do we leave the cat here, it will be looked after by neighbours and fed by them (it goes in their house anyway already) but won't have access to our house a lot of the time...OR do we take the cat with us but keep it inside in the flat we're going to?

feels like a lose lose for the cat, but wondering about best option?

OP posts:

Fluffyone · 27/03/2010 22:50

My cat ran away when a bathroom fitter was in the house for two days. He was a friend, and was feeding her, but he left the front door open and she vanished for a week. They get very upset at having strangers around, and banging and crashing during building work will make that worse.

expatinscotland · 27/03/2010 22:54

take him! he's yours, not the neighbours'.

Original poster

Heathcliffscathy · 27/03/2010 23:12

he is in their house a lot anyway, which is why we jumped all over it when they volunteered to look after him. i will be here every day checking up on the build him. if we take him with us he will be inside in a tiny flat, we won't dare let him out as he will try to make his way back i think. flippin rock and hard place this.

OP posts:

hoxtonchick · 27/03/2010 23:15

you so don't want to be clearing out litter trays when pg soph, i'd leave him. maybe take him something nice to nibble on when you visit.

ThatVikRinA22 · 27/03/2010 23:27

depends on your cat - my cats were really scared by all the building work etc when we had it done and were desperate to get in but terrified to try! i felt so sorry for them i kept shutting them in various rooms with treats and a litter tray!

if i moved out for 10 weeks think id have to take mine with us, but our last cat had decided to lodge with the neighbours so he would have been left.

depends completely on your cat. will he think youve left him? can he get in/out? is he a laid back moggie or a scaredy cat?

maryz · 27/03/2010 23:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ItsGraceAgain · 28/03/2010 04:59

Another vote for leave it

It's not as if you're abandoning the cat, it knows the neighbours and is at home in the neighbourhood. It will be fed. Do ask the builders to look out for it though - mine once got stuck under the floor when we had renovations done!

Very funny, we spent most of the night crawling round, following under-floor miaows from room to room! (Yes, he was fine)

GardenPath · 28/03/2010 05:20

I'm a cat breeder - leave it - cats associate with the house and their territory, not (sorry) with their owners. But, after ten weeks, which will prob be more like 6 months if I know anything about builders, cat will love owners more than you - they have been feeding it. It will take gradual cutting down of neighbours feeding it back to you feeding it. Neighbours will have to cut down, say over a week, and then eventually STOP - COMPLETELY. Also, you feed it lovely fresh roast chicken/fish/offal, (you can go back to normal diet when you've got him lulled) neighbours feed it rubbish Go-Cat and Whiskas. It'll soon come back to you. Honest, it's not you they love, it's your cupboard.

GardenPath · 28/03/2010 05:23

Sorry - ... cat will love neighbours more than you.....

Original poster

Heathcliffscathy · 28/03/2010 22:15

we're erring on the side of leaving him. he wanders into their house and eats their cats food the whole time anyway, i'll make a big thing of taking his bowl (replete with food) over to theirs and getting him to follow me.

he is not a scaredy cat, he is very very inquisitive, which is why he would be extra unsafe during the works.

I'll be visting every day, and will bring him treats...to be honest, if he doesn't love us anymore afterwards bothers me a lot less then him being miserable!

We're away for first two weeks and so will use that as a trial.

OP posts:

SamanthaB · 02/04/2010 01:54

If you even have to think about leaving your cat behind then maybe you shouldn't own a pet.Better find it a good home.

nooka · 02/04/2010 04:48

I agree with GardenPath, if your cat is anything like ours have been then it would be very unhappy about being moved from it's territory to an unfamiliar place and then cooped up inside. So I woudl leave him with the neighbours. Especially if you are going to be around a lot in any case. The only other thing that I would do is check with the builders that they are OK with having the cat around, and generally cat friendly.

Whatever happens is going to be disturbing for your cat, you have to decide on the basis of it's habits and disposition what would be best. The only risk I think is that he will decide to permanently move in next door. Of course this is assuming that the building work isn't inherently dangerous.

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