Moving abroad with or without cat?

[OffTheLawn]

We are planning to move abroad (to mainland Europe) from our fairly quiet London neighbourhood for 7 months, due to my husband's work. We have a 5 year old rescue cat, who currently feels very comfortable in our house with garden where he can go in and out as he pleases (although he's a homebody and indoors most of the time).

I am unsure about taking him with us, and am considering to leave him in London with a trusted friend instead. If we did take him abroad with us, he would essentially have to be an indoor cat for 6 months, as the place we'll be living in is a lively inner-city area with apartment blocks rather than individual houses with gardens. Most apartments there have balconies, which would be an additional issue as I'd be worried that he escapes onto the balcony (and possibly falls off). The only way around this would be to rent a ground floor apartment, which could be possible.

Leaving him here on the other hand means that he would have to get used to completely new surroundings (also a house with garden in a quiet street), before then moving back in with us when we return to London. And of course we would miss him terribly, he's a member of the family and gives us so much joy.

What would you do in this situation? Thanks!

OP, if you are moving to Germany (I am a German in Germany), it is very common to cat-proof balconies. It doesn’t actually look very nice, but people here a fine with it and it keeps the cat safe. BTW, it is illegal here for landlords to prohibit people from keeping normal pets.
But the main question is: is your cat very attached to you and will it have a difficult time without you?

Thanks Mia, good point about the balcony cat-proofing. He would still have to content with mostly being in the apartment though, so I am wondering if its cruel to take away his free-roaming life-style for 7 months?

In terms of attachment, its hard to say. I think we possibly love him a bit more than he us, and he has successfully stayed in the house alone for 2 weeks before (with someone coming in once per day to feed him). But he does come for strokes and fuss everyday, and he sleeps in our bed at night.

And of course, letting him stay with a friend for 7 months also means giving someone else responsibility for a pet that's very dear to us. And while they are responsible and trusted, they also have a live and possibly won't worry about him quite as much as we do (making sure he comes home at night etc).

So its really about what is worse - taking him with us and keeping an outdoor cat indoors for 7 months, or leaving him here but having no control over what he does for that time. Can't get my head around it.

How is he with travelling and the disruption of moving?

What’s happening with your London house whilst you are away?

Hi Fuzzy, our house in London will be sublet to two separate lots of people on a short term basis, but we don't personally know them and so I don't want to entrust them with my cat.

He's generally fine travelling in a car, but that's of course different from a longer trip, or even a 2 hour plane journey. So yes, that's an added issue with moving him.

Take him.

If a friend was moving into your house and willing to take on Cat, I'd say leave him behind. But either way, the cat will lose his territory. So take him to Germany, cat-proof the balcony, and give him the best experience you can of being an indoor cat. You're doing the best you can for Dcat.

Yes, that’s what I’m now thinking too. Thanks for the advice, it makes sense! Now I just need to decide if I should take him by car or by plane!

I took on the next door neighbours cat after they died. So the little prince kept his territory.

Its very nice of your friend to offer to have him, but what if they got attached? Id probably fall in love and want to keep him.

He's already been rehomed poor fella.can you take him to Germany, see if it works out and keep the friend as back up. PS house cats need to be played with more.

It would probably be better to take him by car. If you do take him by plane, make sure to take him with you into the cabin - many airlines do allow that. However, you would have to take him out of the carrier at security because the carrier will have to go through the scanner.
If he travels with the luggage, I would be too worried that he may get lost.

Going against the grain here but I wouldn’t put him through the move. As you say, you care more about him than he cares about his owners. If you have friends who will take him for the time you’re away I’d definitely do that. Then he can still go outside.

I've flown my cat abroad with me previously for a move. It's quite an ordeal for them (hold) and I would have driven if possible perhaps. With some Feliway or anything the vet suggests.

Having said it was quite an ordeal cat adjusted fine and also coped with being an indoor cat for temporary period.

Take your cat.

My parents very highly strung cat coped really well with being an indoor cat for 6 months. They moved in with my (Saint of a sister) while their house was being built.

Take the cat.

Mine moved from Ireland to Switzerland from farmland to an apartment and they were fine.

We moved back to Ireland into an apartment and they’re still fine!

Thanks for all the input - and helpful to know that I'd have to take im out of the carrier at airport security. I have visions of me chasing after him at Gatwick 😮

Is it 100% definite that it’s only for 7 months? Because that would probably influence my decision. I love my cats so much and would hate to be apart from them. But in this scenario, if I had a friend I totally trusted, I think I’d leave them rather than put them through the upheaval. I’d probably be a nervous wreck, but I’m lucky enough to know a couple of people that I would entrust them to in this timeframe. If there was any doubt re the length of time then it would be a different decision process.

Yes, 7 months only - but still worried about leaving him here..

If it was me, I’d take him. He’ll be in a new environment but he’ll have his familiar humans with him, whereas if he stays with your friend it’ll be an unfamiliar environment plus unfamiliar humans. My cat had to become an indoor cat for 12 weeks (on vet’s orders) to recuperate from an injury, and he seemed to cope very well.

That’s reassuring, thank you!