What do I do with Dcat?!

[graciasinmorzine]

It’s looking increasingly likely that we will need to go abroad for a year for work reasons. Probably Summer of this year.

We have a lovely 7 year old house cat. We have always lived in a high traffic area so she stays inside but potters around the garden in summer.

She could come with us but I am worried this will be stressful. She will need to fly and she might not settle where we are. I’m worried about her getting lost :(

Can I pay for someone to foster her as a proper pet? Is this a thing?

Renting out house with cat in situ??? Is this a thing if we found a nice family who liked cats? Rent reduction for this?

I don’t know what to do. I can’t split the family and stay home.

I’m sure you can but it will cost you. I would do it for £3000 plus expenses if I didn’t live in a flat

We have a company called Kitty Angels who come and feed our cats when we go away. In the pandemic they looked after a cat for someone who had been unable to get a flight back from abroad for about 6 months so it might be worth seeing if you have something similar in your area?

What about a cattery with outside pen? I’m sure you could negotiate a deal for a long stay, and they’d give any medication it may need.

I don’t think she’d do well in a cattery long term. She’s been to different, lovely ones in the past for 1-2 weeks and has come back skinny and ungroomed, with the staff commenting how she has been very anxious. We have a house visitor now.

I don’t think she could be alone for a year though with just someone coming into feed her. It might be worth contacting them to see if they have a volunteer or employee who would like a bonus cat.

I think they may have taken her into one of their homes (not entirely sure). But they don’t just feed anyway, they stay and play for a bit. Just depends on the cat I suppose! Hope you get it sorted.

Check out animal charities - RSPCA, Blue Cross, PDSA and/or small local ones. Many offer fostering services - we foster care on behalf of PDSA for cats of servicemen/women posted overseas. It's a wrench when they go, but the look of joy on the faces of the service people when they get their pets back is worth it every time.

Is your ideal that she stays in your home? I think I'd rather find someone I know who would really take care of her in their own home.

Foster home. Ideally an older person or family who will dote on her for a year and love to have a pet without the long term commitment.

I absolutely would not leave a cat alone for a year with someone just popping in to feed it.

A foster home sounds perfect.

I have a friend that rented a house for a year with no rent cost, just bills on the condition that she was responsible for the family cat. She loved it!
She was sofa surfing so this really suited her.

The only downside that I know of was that she got very attached to the cat!

If your going to rent out your house while you're away maybe you could start by asking family/close friends if they know anyone interested in a year contract including looking after the cat? You would then at least be dealing with people you know or who are known to your family so maybe easier to trust, you could also insist that someone who knows the cat is allowed to call occasionally and check on it, you'd also have to set it up with your vet that someone else can authorise treatment if needed, obviously there would have to be a rent reduction included for whoever moved in. I've had to consider the same type of situation because in a year or two I want to spend a few months travelling and I have 3 dogs, one is elderly and tbh time is limited with him so right now we don't leave him for any length of time (dh and I had Christmas dinner apart this year for the first time since we met because of elderly dog). I'm hoping when the time comes for me that I can find someone to move in and treat our home and dogs as theirs but it'll be rent free because we'll be gone less than a year. I don't think charging rent for 6 months would be right. Good chance for a couple to save a few quid though.

There’s no way I would leave a cat for a year with just someone popping in🥲

I would take an age 7 cat with me if I went abroad for a year & make it work or I wouldn’t go.

The only other thing I might consider is family or a trustworthy friend to foster until I got back.

i know you say about her not settling & it might be stressful but she would be stressed without you or in a cattery even more stressed. I think she would settle. It’s really only the flight & unless she was elderly, I think it’s doable. It’s a year out of her whole life.

There are companies that drive animals abroad to save the stress of flights. Not sure on the areas they cover but might be worthwhile looking into? They stop regularly for fresh food, water and cuddles

@Ibizafun I think they took in the cat while the owner tried to get back.

If she doesn’t go outside the. Surely take her with you? Or rent out the house with the cat people do this

I think your most realistic options are to rehome her or take her with you. I’m not sure why taking her with you is such a big drama tbh. Her life is about to drastically change no matter which option you take, she’s not necessarily going to be more settled in a different environment in the same country, or with her owners disappearing and a new family moving into her house. Obviously using a pet sitter for an entire year is ridiculous

My friend 'fostered' my cat for 3 months after I had an ankle op. I found a couple of people - friends of friends - who were open to a temporary pet with all expenses paid.

Where are you going? My friend has just gone all the way to Ireland on the ferry with her cat. No problem at all. You can give some sedation.

A friend of mine bought a house with a cat included! The owners thought that the cat was more attached to the house than the family, so left him where he was secure. It worked really well.