Cat dilemma

[flumpybear]

Help fellow cat lovers - difficult situation- were having our house totally renovated - literally bare house, roof about to come off and no comfort as floors back to concrete etc. All furniture out - everything - Whilst our family has moved out, we're in a rental - no pets allowed (couldn't find any with pets allowed ) which was awful but nothing available
We've actually had to Move Out before due to huge leak and needed to dry out, redo bathroom - 13 weeks! So thought this six months would work too but a month in and our elderly cat is a bit bedraggled and hangs around the house all the time, the shelter he had has now gone and soon they'll be throwing the whole roof down to the ground - honestly, I think my elderly cat can't stay there under these conditions (albeit neighbour has him around loads, feeds him sardines and lovely tit bits, makes big fuss and loves him to bits ... second mum ... it's not his space so still hangs around our house/ garden.

I absolutely don't want him in kennels!

I've bought him a cat kennel for the garden and run for our rental garden. Plan is to have him in the kitchen at night (Lino flooring so easy To clean ) and in the kennel run pen thing in the day when we're working ... garden fencing is high so we can let him have run of garden in the evening when we're home ... but kitty litter of course

• (we may sneak him in for evenings on the sofa... our sofa.. of course but supervised so he doesn't mark his territory) Am I Doing the right thing?

I would just move him in 😂 but I can see why you dont want to. Is there no family member that could take him for a bit?

I'd love to be he's a 'smelly cat' and wee wee i the house isn't a no no for him ... which we 'deal' with - I think it's because he's so old (about 15 ... beloved rescue cat)

I'm torn, making a wonderful family home but what to do with beloved kitty ... but leaving him is stressing me already and it's just the start!!

No family 😕

Ahh in that case how do you think he would take to living in a cat run?

Can you not ask to pay extra?

Would the neighbour be willing to step up the treats? If the cat is already going through there anyway I would be tempted to give her money for food and the cat either move into her house or a shelter in her garden. At least then he is in a familiar area

@NotSoThinLizzy what about the landlord saying 'no cats' ? Worries me ... albeit I've not rented in 20 years lol

Well he's very home orientated so keeping him away is hard - we have a young female who literally buggers off all day and pops back for food them goes off again - the older Male literally hangs around th house bless him 😞

Do you have anyone who could foster him temporarily? I'd do it if I didn't already have a cat, I've got lino and don't mind cleaning up cat wee now and again.

I'm worried when they take the roof off they'll be slinging all sorts of crap from the roof that he'll get hurt as he hangs around. Think I'll talk to the neighbour and see what her thoughts are

Could you put the cat run in her garden and shut him in there when the main demolition work is taking place?

He really needs to be somewhere secure for his own safety and your peace of mind. Although you are trying to keep him in surroundings he is familiar with, he must be finding it really distressing because of all the work that is going on and the fact you are absent most of the time - there must be a lot of noise that will be scaring him too. Moving him back and forth to a run in the rental garden is going to be distressing for him as well. He can't be happy the way things are, so although you don't want to, maybe you do need to find him a cattery to stay.

Been talking to my husband, think we're going to bring him to the rental and use cat kennel and run in the garden when we're out, let him sleep in the kitchen as it's Lino and he may get to snuggle on the sofa when we're home (our sofa) - in fact all our furniture

So the rental is for 6 months in total? And then you're going back to the house you own?

If so, I would just do what you say with basically moving the cat in and maybe limit him to downstairs only. Your landlord is unlikely to even visit during such a short let and would never find out. It's not likely you're moving in big barking dogs or multiple young cats who would cause damage running around swinging from curtains...

If he's weeing around the house and you think he's smelly, he needs a vet check up in any case. Could be symptoms of kidney disease or something else at his age.

Thanks @viccat - he's just been to the vets, he's ok just very old and we didn't have a cat flap so I think he got caught short - he even went into the shower cubicle once

Yes 6 months, moving out December

If you dont mind losing your deposit if he does do any damage I would just let him live in the kitchen. If you put a cat run in the back garden. Neighbors might grass you in.

Well by the time you get taken to court for a breach it will be December anyway if I was your landlord I wouldn't bother about it