My BIL is in the military and has been posted away to the US for one year. He has a DCat but feels that taking her there and back for a year could be quite stressful for her as well as very costly. He has looked at boarding her in a cattery long term but it doesn't seem like much of a life for a cat.
Unfortunately no one in the family is in the position to take on his cat for a year. We are thinking about taking her, but we already have a 16 year old boy and we are not sure how he would take to her. It could turn out well - his brother died last year and he has been feeling lonely since then, but he is also quite an anxious cat so I am worried it will upset him too much. Also we are moving soon and I'm not sure there would be time to settle our cat into the new home and then introduce a new cat before BIL goes away.
Does anyone have any other ideas? I understand that most rescue centres would be full in terms of fostering at the moment and this would anyway be a very last resort. Thanks in advance.
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The litter tray
Going Away for a Year
CatAdvice101 · 23/03/2024 10:19
SevenSeasOfRhye · 23/03/2024 10:53
Rather than have a separate trial period, could you view the first month or so of her coming to live with you as a trial period - i.e. agree with BIL a 'plan B' if it really doesn't work out between the two cats.
Aggression is normal when two cats meet face to face for the first time, but that can be avoided with slow introductions - keeping new cat shut in her own room at first, which means they get to know each other's smell (it will permeate beyond the room) and get used to the sense of another cat being present before there is any chance for confrontation.
I've introduced a new cat three times over the last 30 years or so, and also had a dog in the mix for some of that, and it's always worked out - the key is to rush nothing.
CatAdvice101 · 23/03/2024 11:06
Thanks for the advice, appreciate it, it's good to hear a positive story. We can talk to BIL about a plan B, which I think unfortunately would be the cattery, so things would have to be very bad between the Dcats for us to give up on the situation
SevenSeasOfRhye · 23/03/2024 10:53
Rather than have a separate trial period, could you view the first month or so of her coming to live with you as a trial period - i.e. agree with BIL a 'plan B' if it really doesn't work out between the two cats.
Aggression is normal when two cats meet face to face for the first time, but that can be avoided with slow introductions - keeping new cat shut in her own room at first, which means they get to know each other's smell (it will permeate beyond the room) and get used to the sense of another cat being present before there is any chance for confrontation.
I've introduced a new cat three times over the last 30 years or so, and also had a dog in the mix for some of that, and it's always worked out - the key is to rush nothing.
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