Leaving cats dilemma

[mamapolenta]

I have two cats from my previous relationship who are still in the family home. Been there 6 years, lovely big garden etc. Stbxh has been living there so all fine however over recent months this has been less frequent as he spends more time at his new partners house. However 2-4 nights per week are still spent at family home and on the other days he's not, we've been going in and feeding them and fussing them. It's now got to the stage that he wants to move in permanently with his gf which is fair enough because living between two houses is hard but she already has a cat and she would just not get along with ours.

The plan is that me and my dp are going to move back to the family house (where my cats are) but we have to sell the one we're currently in plus we want to do a bit of work on family house before we move in so we're looking at another 3 months or so before we can make the move. What to do about the cats? Options are bring them to live with us for the next few months before we move back again or we leave them where they are in their familiar surroundings and I go in twice a day to feed and spend time with them. Plus I'll be spending lots of time there redecorating etc but just won't be there at night. They are very territorial and it took them ages to get settled when we moved them before but I really do not know what to do for the best. Any advice?

It’s hard to say without knowing their personalities but I would be inclined to try and have them live with you until you move back. Months is a long time for them to live alone.
You could always take them back to the house if they really hated it.

What kind of work are you getting done to the house? Do the cats have outdoor access?

I think if you leave them there, you risk them straying elsewhere if they have such limited human company and the added stress of work going on in the house as well.

It's just painting and decorating so nothing structural. The summer months they are normally outside permanently anyway. For the last year they have coped with being left alone at least 4 nights per week but this feels just a lot more like abandoning them for a long stretch even though whenever I go in I spend a good hour with them and sit on the sofa for cuddles. It's a really tricky one. They were rescues and had been living feral on a farm when we got them as kittens. Didn't take long to get them socialised although they have never done well with being moved. They haven't been to the vet in 9 years as it's just been so distressing for them in the past. I just want to do what is best for them and cause them the least stress.

I'll be doing the decorating too so no strangers in the house

If you're going to be doing the decorating yourself won't you actually be around quite a bit? I'd be inclined to leave them where they are, as long as you're in an out and spending a decent chunk of time there regularly. If you move them twice in 3 months that could be really stressful for them.

Thanks, that's what I was thinking. I won't really by there much less than what they've been used to when we've been out at work. It's just overnight they'll be on their own but that's when they're out mostly in the summer anyway. I might plug in a few feliways and see how they get on for a few weeks. If there's signs of stress and unhappiness then I can have a rethink. They have each other for company too, I suppose.