Advice on whether okay to take my daughter’s cat

[Bertha1924]

My daughter has two cats - she got her second cat Bowson as a kitten a year after the first cat who was a year old.

Unfortunately they have never got on and often fight and she’s worried that one of them is going to end up badly hurt. They are both house cats and avoid each other like the plague most times. Bowson is not at all affectionate and seems to like being on his own.

She has asked if I would consider taking Bowson on. I live in a one-bedroom flat and I wondered if he would be happy here after having the run of a three-bedroom house. I live alone and work from home two days a week and get home around six when I’m in the office. I don’t have any pets and would like the company but not if he will be unhappy. I’ve never had a cat and would appreciate your views please.

You may find the cat turns out to be affectionate once he's out of the current situation.

I think he will be happy. Cats don't need huge amounts of space. Do you have a window he can look out of? A nice wide window sill to watch the world go by is always popular. And you could get a cat tree

Bowson might be a lot happier living in a flat without the other cat. He might be bullied by other cat and have to spend most of time hiding. Why not tell your dd you will give Bowson a 3 month trial. That should be enough time to see if he seems happier. Spend a bit of time each day playing with him. He will soon realise the cat he does not like/could be afraid of is no longer around and come out of himself. Some cats like to live without other cats. My son's car is like this. He is a Bengal and a terrible bully. He terrorises other cats. He is super affectionate to humans but very aggressive to other cats.

I also think it's worth a try. He can't be an unhappier than he already is.

I suspect he'll be absolutely fine with no other cats to fight with and a human all to himself 🥰

I expect he'll find it a relief! 4 days with a human around all day and 3 days spent snoozing until you get back. How old is he now? If he's younger than about 8 months I might be concerned about him being alone all day for those 3 days, just make sure your place is catproofed as best you can and maybe time his arrival with some time off so you can figure out what might attract him. Have you got lots of things on shelves that he can knock off? Does he like chewing things like cables? There are ways to mitigate everything, you just might need some time to organise them.

Where would you put his litterbox and food?

If your daughter gives him some toys and blankets that he liked with her, that'll help him settle in.

He sounds like he needs a quieter environment and especially if he's still quite young you may find he becomes a friendly lap cat. But on the other hand he may not, so please also be prepared for him to always be aloof.

I think it's worth trying. Can you have a trial period? I suspect he will be less stressed for his own space, albeit smaller, and may well become a different personality too.

I would give it a try and if you feel he needs more space there are options to look at - like taking him for a walk or sitting outside with him for short periods. Worst case is he is removed but sounds like that is going to happen anyway.