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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Possible to have a cat when we live in two places?

22 replies

Windyone · 07/11/2017 16:25

I think I know this isn't possible but I thought I'd ask those in the know.
Due to my husband's job we live between two houses. I would love to have a cat but could it work if we had to move it every few months? Has anyone been in this situation?
I think I'm clutching at straws! Thanks.

OP posts:

Wolfiefan · 07/11/2017 16:27

Indoor only cat? Some rescues only rehome certain cats indoors.
How far apart are homes? Mine travel VERY badly. We always have wee, poo and generally vomit too when we visit the vet. 5 mins up the road.

strawberrypenguin · 07/11/2017 16:29

No cats don’t travel well and like ‘their’ space.

House rabbit? Dog? Both would likely cope with those changes better

thecatneuterer · 07/11/2017 16:30

Exactly. How much travelling would be involved?

I think with the right cat (middle aged or older, happy to be indoors and laid back about travelling) then it would be possible.

TizzyDongue · 07/11/2017 16:31

Do Siamese cats ever appear in rescue centres? Isn't this a breed that attaches to their family rather than the territory?

Original poster

Windyone · 07/11/2017 16:33

It's a 3 hour drive and a 2 hour ferry trip :( I had a rescue cat about 10 years ago who had no issues with travelling. Before I got her she travelled regularly by road from London to Edinburgh. I think your experience is more usual. I know it's probably not possible I think I just wanted a magic solution!

OP posts:

Original poster

Windyone · 07/11/2017 16:34

Thanks for the replies. I think I might have to wait until my husband retires.

OP posts:

Papergirl1968 · 07/11/2017 17:08

Dcat travels well and since we’ve had him, we’ve taken him on self catering holidays, with no issues. But then we started taking him to my mom’s and for little drives from when we had him at 12 weeks old. He adapts amazingly well to holiday homes. Not sure how he would be with a ferry crossing though as I don’t think you can usually stay in the car with them.
Your best bet would be to get a secure carrier but check with the ferry company if he would be allowed in the lounges etc - wouldn’t be much fun to have to stay on deck in bad weather.

Oops4 · 07/11/2017 18:53

We've taken our cat back and forward to my parents since she was a kitten (1.5 hr drive and half an hour ferry) and she's fine. She gets a bit disgruntled about the joinery but not distressed at all, more of a huff! But once there it's like her home from home. Settles in straight away. We had intended she would stay in at my parents by she was having none of it and happily goes in and out at either house. I think if ou start it as a kitten you might be fine

rslsys · 07/11/2017 20:20

DD1's cat comes with them for holidays to our house - 5 hour trip, no problems.

AllTheWittyNamesAreGone · 07/11/2017 20:52

My mate takes her cat to Ireland for 3 months ever year. It's a chilled out manky old tabby that she got from a rescue, he seems so grateful to be around her it doesn't mind.

DumbledoresApprentice · 07/11/2017 20:59

My rescue cat likes people and isn’t fussed about where she is. We’ve taken her on a self catering holiday three and a half hours away with no problems. She apparently settled immediately at the shelter and was stretched out on the sofa and on my lap as soon as we got her home, no hiding or anything, and she seems to actively like the vet. With all that in mind we decided to decide taking her with us on holiday and it’s definitely something we plan to do on UK holidays in future. She tolerates the car OK but doesn’t love it. I keep her on a harness and she likes to sleep on my lap for a bit before she’ll settle in her carrier.
For me it would depend on how often you move between homes. Every week or two I probably wouldn’t. One a month or less then I’d consider it. I follow someone on social media who drives from London to Sweden and back with their cats a couple of times a year.

Theresahairbrushinthefridge · 07/11/2017 22:30

Our cats have always travelled. As children we took them from the city to the country every weekend.

All the cats I have owned in the last 20 years have enjoyed the a 4 hr commute to Cornwall for holidays. We are lucky to go there a lot. 11 weeks in total last year. My current three love it. They go to sleep and don’t make a sound. Are out catching mice within 5 mins of arrival.

We have wire mesh baskets that are roomy so they can see out. When my current kitten was tiny we travelled him in a dog crate so he had enough room for a litter tray.

holdbackonthewine · 07/11/2017 22:47

Our first cat used regularly (maybe a weekend a month) used to come with us to my parents’ house a two hour drive away. She also went if we went on holiday. She seemed as happy and familiar there as at home, perhaps as we did it from a kitten.

SilverSpot · 08/11/2017 15:03

Not rabbit, they cope even worse than cats with change!

AlexaAmbidextra · 09/11/2017 22:56

I know a cat that travels regularly between her London home and the cottage in Norfolk. She's equally content in both as long as she's with her hoomans.

Jennyfi · 18/03/2019 16:56

I'm sorry to bump such a zombie thread, but does anyone have any other stories of cats that adjust ok to two houses?

For work reasons we might need to occasionally spend 2-3 days in another house, about an hour's drive from here. This would be approximately once every two months.

Do you think our 8-month cat could come with us? He's definitely bonded to us rather than our house - he's the least territorial cat I've ever known, and is even happy at the vet as long as one of us is with him. Is it a silly idea to try?

JonestheRemail · 18/03/2019 17:26

I have travelled with my cats with no real issues. They don't love being put in the cat basket, but are never travel sick and always perfectly happy to check out a new house. They come when called and never go far. I think it really does depend on your cats personality; I'm sure some cats would be horrified.

Fluffycloudland77 · 18/03/2019 17:26

We used to take 4 cats on holiday in this country.

Els1e · 18/03/2019 18:15

Yes you can but depends on the cat. I have one friend who lives between their house in the country with big garden and city centre flat with roof terrace. Their cat moves to both homes fine. I don’t know if it makes any difference but the cat is half ragdoll, loves people and has been doing this move regularly since a kitten.

hodgeheg92 · 19/03/2019 10:35

@jennyfi If he travels okay then yes it would be possible. I'd start doing car journeys with him now to get used to it. We've had our two from 6 months old and they come with us to my parents for the weekend every 6 weeks or so with no problems at all. I should say that they are both house cats but it seems others on this thread with cats that go out are fine too.

CustardOmlet · 19/03/2019 21:12

I have one cat who travels like a dream - the box is his nest. Other cat poos and wees as soon as she is restrained into the box, cried the entire drive to the vets and has broken out of boxes into the car (cat on the dashboard down the dual carriage way was an experience).

No to cats are alike!

claragolightly · 25/03/2019 12:45

It really depends on the cat. My cat Tomas was completely unphased by travelling / new environments. I moved back from Spain to the UK with him and he was fine. He went back and forth between my house and my mum's, also stayed with friends when we were on holidays. He loved a car journey, too - he'd look out the window / sit on the parcel shelf.

My girls, however, were very nervous when we brought them home in the car. One of them was crying.

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