Moving out while extension is built, should we take our cat?

[SkaterGrrrrl]

We are having major building work done to our ground floor and are taking a short-term let for a minimum of 3 and maxim of 6 months. Our lovely cat is 15 now and we can't decide what will be more stressful for him - coming with us to a new rental property or staying here with the building work going on.

If he comes with us he will probably have to fight other cats for a new territory (he is neutered but still quite territorial) and the rental is on a busier road than ours. Although he is an outside cat, we will have to keep him in at first, to adjust to the new location.

If we leave him at our house during the extension, we would come to the house every day to feed him and to check on the building work. The upstairs of the house will be untouched so he can stay there. We have very nice neighbours who like our cat - he spends a lot of time there already so they would make sure he had lots of cuddles and attention.

Really undecided - any advice appreciated. The rental property is a short walk from our current home, just 10 minutes away.

If he is an outdoor cat how will he adjust to being indoors upstairs for 3 months with all that noise, he wont know you are coming back, would the neighbours take him in for 3 months and you visit him there.

Take him with you. The noise and dirt/dust will be awful. We took ours with us to our first rental, there for 4 weeks and then they went to a cattery for 4 weeks as the next rental wouldn't have them. They didn't appreciate either, but would have hated being left behind. Both settled back in really quickly and I think they have forgiven us 4 months on!

You absolutely cannot leave a cat where extensive buildings works are going on. They can get accidentally shut under floorboards for a start, as well as numerous other hazards and the stress of it all. The obvious thing to do, particularly as you will be near a busy road, is to just keep him in for the duration. Even if it's six months it's not that long in the grand scheme of things. Make sure you have window restrictors, or that at least you are very careful with windows and doors. He won't be too thrilled, but he'll adjust and it won't be forever.

Please take him, he'll be massively stressed, frightened and confused if you dissappear and then all this mayhem happens around him. He may well run away

I agree with the catneuterer, the safest option is to take him with you and keep him inside at the new rental.

Thank you so much everyone, it's great to get unanimous opinions! Never done building work before so not sure what it would be like. Good point about him being trapped somewhere!

You could get a catio (I often see cheaper 2nd hand ones on FB marketplace) at the rental so he can go outside without meeting other cats or risking the road. You'd probably recoup most of the cost reselling it afterwards.

I am glad you are going to take your cat with you, OP. So many good reasons to do so and no good reasons not to do so.

We had extensive building work done a few years ago but continued living in the house. We were able to move the cat into another room that wasn't being worked on and had outdoor access but I've always worried that the disruption and noise hastened her end. She was also 15 .

You can't leave him. There will presumably be diggers etc being used. Vans coming and going. Lorries delivering materials.
It's just too dangerous - the builders aren't going to spare a second of thought as to whether he's climbed in their van, or if he's wandering around where they are using a digger.

I know a horrendous story of a builder who killed a cat because it was pooing in the sand he was using.

Either take him with you and keep him in, send him to live with friends / in laws where he can go outside safely (not near your house where he could go back there!) or put him in a cattery.

Oh, yes, a catio outside a window at the rental is a great idea!

Really appreciate the replies. Looks unanimous! Great advice on here.

I have come back with an update to thank you all for your very good advice. We've moved into the rental property. We left our cat alone in the old house for just one night on moving day, because we thought the removal men might leave a door open at the new place and he'd escape.

Went back to the old house to collect him and he was so thrilled to see us and we realised how much he'd have missed us. Mind you, I only contemplated leaving him because our neighbours adore him and would have seen semi adopted him. But deffo the right move. Thanks everyone.