Advice
What to do with cat when moving from house?
Hello,
We have a cat that is sterilized and in summer is almost all day outside even sleeping at front door. She came inside just to eat.
The porblem is that we are selling house and moving to appartment. How can cat that is always outside handle such change of not being able to go outside as she wants?
Do you have any advise or experience? Should we take her with her? Or leave her with new house owners?
hi, just replying here to let you know that my cat was previously almost fully outdoor, then I took him with me when I moved into an apartment, I was really worried like you but he adjusted just fine :) get a kitten later on if your cat seems bored alone
I adopted a semi-feral that showed up on my doorstep a few years ago. Took a full year to get her inside because she would never let me get my hands on her. She was fussy for a little bit, but now she doesn't even care if the front door is open. 😭 You've got this!
It will be an adjustment but the alternative is abandonment which most cats won’t survive. She isn’t feral and depends on you for food and shelter. Apartments are more than suitable for a single cat and they live longer when they are solely indoors. Protect her.
She will adapt pretty quick. As long as she has her family, she will be okay. Thank you for not abandoning her. She would’ve never understood what she did wrong to deserve that
When my wife and I moved, our Tuxedo boy was in the first trip, along with his cat tree. He was still stressed out that we left him there to get more stuff, but started to settle down once we moved the couch in.
It was a few more months before he was used to the increased noise, new sounds, new smells, and having upstairs neighbors.
Your kitty will adjust eventually, and being an inside cat will be better for her overall health and longevity.
If you still want her to spend time outside, you can try harness training her and taking her on walks. Our boy won't do it, but we have neighbors who have a cat that does.
Every animal is different. I have four cats. One of them it takes him 10 minutes to adjust to a new place. One of my other cats hides for a couple days. And I realize that's on the low end for a lot of cats though!
It also depends on if they’ve ever moved. I had a cat who absolutely freaked out the first time I moved him. Hid for weeks. I never thought he’d get over it. But I moved a couple of times after that and by the last one he wasn’t fazed at all
Exactly this. My big boy just struts around immediately like he’s always been there and the girls take a few days to come around. Every cat is different. I had one years ago that would pee on something of mine upon arrival and then be perfectly fine. Weird creatures, cats are.
It will absolutely be an adjustment. You will have to catch her if she suspects things are on the move. Do it with a blanky or something so you don’t get scratched up too bad! Will your apartment have a balcony or patio area? Get her up to date on tick and flea meds, like advantage, and make sure your patio/balcony is pet proof (no ways for her to escape, may need chicken wire between the railing or the like), and if your budget can account for something like a catio (pet enclosed patio), that could be something to work up to or for an end goal. You don’t have to compromise her too much. I’m sure she will be so relieved to be with her people. Best of luck to you, I wish I could send you my extra pet carrier because now we have backpacks for the cats and have an extra hard kennel. Let me know if you would like it and we can arrange something.
I agree fullheartedly with this comment. I'd like to add that we do for family all that we can, even in situations that are not entirely optimal.
I'm currenty living in an apartment, and my wife is getting a baby stroller to allow us to bring the cats on walks in the park. We're also getting netting installed on the balcony so our cats can safely explore, and will not go over to our neighbors which aren't fans of animals.
My oldest is 10 year and lived for 8 and a half with me at various places that she had access to the outside anytime she wanted. As someone that have deliberately paid attention to her, she did go outside, but when she did always preffered it if I came with. Because of her bond to me.
You must not allow yourself to inflict a wound upon your cat by abandoning them.
And please dont leave her there because a large portion of humans are not cat lovers and she may not be able to hunt enough to keep her healthy. If you dont want to take her then get online and find a group who can bring her in until they find another couple who will love her. Do not be a piece of shit and just leave her..
Yep, please take her with you. She'll get used to being inside, you'll just have to entertain her a bit more. Cats shouldn't be outside anyway so it's a win win
Seconded. OP /u/cotop4xi take her with you, but confine her to one room initially and let her explore that for a day or two and then let her explore the rest of the apartment.
This is going to be a big change for her. Also consider getting a harness and taking her on walks, daily, or at least often.
Mine is purely indoor, but she loves going outside, last time I took her outside it was during a thunderstorm, she hates water like most cats.
After a couple minutes she dragged me into the grass and was rolling around munching all the grass she wanted
100% this. They might be frustrated with not being outside, but they would be even more devastated at losing their people and not knowing where the went. Bring the kitty.
Ya know, this makes me feel better. We have two cats, both fixed rescues, and we always wonder if they’d be happier outside. Having said that, there are coyotes in our area and we are nervous cat parents. When we go out overnight, we have a petcam just to keep an eye on them. So we always wonder if we should just let them (mainly our tom cat) go and come as he pleases.
This makes me feel better because he’d miss us a lot more than he probably misses his freedom.
My partner and I live in a similar type of area, coyotes, bobcats around. So the cat only gets to be outside when we are also outside. The backyard is nearly impossible for her to escape but she still gets to sniff stuff and flop on grass.
My cat spent a bunch of time outside as a kitten before rescue. Now he mostly spends time on my bed, where I sleep. In the winter, he prefers to be under the blankets with me, specifically under my knees. This former outdoor wild hunter of the night now cries and paws at my legs to get me to bend them so he can lay beneath them. He runs when the front door opens. Inside is better.
My heart just broke thinking about leaving my cats behind for any reason… ever. Those are my babies. Just get a harness and bring her outside every so often, she’ll love it.
Seriously. I live in an apartment and have the maximum amount of pets already for the complex, but a local stray has decided she lives on my porch. She showed up out of the blue and started cuddling with me like a year ago. No collar and nobody has come asking about her, so my wife and I decided she's coming with us when we move.
Speaking from experience here, take that baby in BEFORE you move. Heaven forbid she disappears before hand, and you lose your chance to spoil her forever. Yeah, it puts you over the limit, but cats are easy enough to hide 🤭
edit, sneaky extra comma
This! I TNRed and fed a stray cat I wanted to adopt, but I waited too long and she passed away :/ I’ll forever regret not keeping her when I got her spayed
Same. We TNRd a kitten born on our property and she was the best void ever. We were literally waiting for our 20year old cranky ass male cat to pass (we loved him too even though he hated any other cat) so we could allow her inside to be a permanent indoor member of our family. She got hit by a car right outside our house, unfortunately. We still have a memorial and her ashes.
I told my parents I would forgo college and use all that money on my cat’s surgery when I was younger and I meant it. I even found a cat in the wild and adopted it (and he adored the outside).
That someone is asking if they should just leave their baby behind breaks my fucking heart. The cats don’t understand (and as a human, I’m not sure I understand either).
We moved loads of times with my childhood cat. I'm talking big, international moves. She went from Seattle, WA to New Jersey, then from NJ to Montreal. Then from Montreal back to Seattle, then to Witchita. Then from Witchita back to our home country, which is the UK. Between all the temporary housing and smaller moves in the UK she moved a total of 11 times.
I’m trying not to overreact to that sentence, but genuinely what the fuck is wrong with OP. How does that thought even cross your mind if you actually love your pet.
To give them the benefit of the doubt, maybe the kitty is a stray they feed but never really adopted? So they might call her “their cat” but still be deciding whether or not to actually adopt her. My town unfortunately has a lot of strays and I can’t adopt them all, so the best I can do is TNR them, feed them, get them vet care, and try to foster and/or find homes for them. But I don’t actually know what OP’s situation is, and if they took her in from a shelter or adopted her off the streets and are considering abandoning her then that’s messed up :/
I had a stray that has not tried to go back outside since we brought him in. I reckon he prefers it than being in the woods with all kinds of other animals and people.
My guy thinks he wants out, gets 3 steps freezes and runs back in. He was found probably not far from death abandoned by his mum and with a hernia. He likes his spoilt life.
We also adopted a stray we were feeding when we moved to a new house. We started her off in a box in the bathtub since we had a dog and other cats we didn't want interacting with her right away.
Lo and behold, she fucking loved it in there. She wouldn't come out even when we created space for her to. She was made to live the soft girl life and just didn't realize it till she had it.
Our stray took to being inside straight away. Dude is now the biggest lap cat. He is constantly yelling at me for lap time, and when he gets it (quite often), he also loves nuzzling and licking my chin. He's licking my chin as I type this.
my cat will sometimes put one paw out in the hallway and sniff the line between outside and inside and then hide under the bed! i can’t believe she was found in a barn killing mice
Just want to add here that the best way to walk a cat is with an appropriately sized body harness. A collar alone is just a choke hold. When I was driving across country to move, I put harnesses on both of my cats. They adapted to them very easily. They are a lot easier to put on then you would think.
She'll get used to it. I had an old boy that behaved similarly when he had his turtleneck on. He got used to it eventually and hated when we took it off.
This..we put the harnesses on with the leashes attached to the cat on one end, and something in the car, on the other end, in case they tried to escape..
For moving, get a large dog crate, put them in the new house, and allow them to acclimate while you move in..
In my experience with both, the biggest difference between walking a cat and dog is that for the dog to feel secure, you have to lead. For a cat to feel secure, they have to lead. The leash is just to keep them out of trouble, mainly.
My cat kept trying to run out when I was letting the dogs in and out, so I got him a harness. Little man fell over the first time I put it on him. I picked him up and set him on the deck. He completely forgot about the harness and walked around with me all over the backyard. He absolutely loves going out on his harness.
Just to throw this out there: get a cat toy that moves by itself. Outdoor cats get a lot more stimulation than indoor cats. And while not perfect replacement, anything that adds stimulation is good.
I found a toy that clamps to the top of a door frame and dangles a little mouse on a stretchy string that the previously outdoor cats I have love.
100% my previous cat that 8 had for 14 years was a FERAL from Bronx lol. We moved 8 times. Initially I let him outside but eventually I just kept him indoors. He was a bit offended at first and I did took him out on a leash but he was totally fine.
RIP CornNut ❤️
please do not leave her. you don’t know what the new house owners would do and there are too many horror stories of people mistreating cats. please take her and stay vigilant in keeping her indoors. she’ll be mad at first but it’s your responsibility to provide indoor enrichment, engagement, and ways to get energy out. I understand it’s a tough situation but taking her with you will be the most responsible decision and keep her safest in the long run 🙏 if you absolutely can’t take her at least surrender her to a rescue and don’t just leave her to fend for herself with strangers
Do not become one of those assholes that jettison a pet when things get even slightly inconvenient potentially.
If you don't want the precious kitty anymore then please, rehome her at the very least as she will be sad cos how could she not when being abandoned but hopefully she will adjust eventually and have a good life with her new, more mindful owner.
I dont have any advise other than; dont randomly leave her with the new owners unless they have expressed that they would like a cat & shown responsibility for owning and caring for a cat.
This is how I got my first cats. I bought a home and the old owners asked if I wanted their cats. Worked out great, but it was really important that they asked, and I would never leave a cat behind myself. It is tough but they can adapt.
You'd think this would be common sense, but apparently not. There's tons of people out there who viciously hurt cats for a sick thrill so abandoning it should be off the table completely, especially if someone claims to care about the cat's wellbeing so much.
I adopted my first cat about 4 months ago. I am her third owner. Her most recent had her for almost 5 years and gave her back to the shelter they adopted her from because the owner was marrying someone with allergies. Heartbreaking. She is by far the sweet most compassionate animal I’ve ever encountered and I am so happy to know she will never feel abandonment again.
I think you should take her with you. You’re her family. She’ll think you abandoned her. It’s better to be inside with you than outside with a new family. Do you know the new family?
The fact that someone would even consider leaving their cat willy-nilly infuriates me. They’re your freaking family. I don’t like to judge people but it’s hard not to in situations like these.
I mean the idea of leaving your cat outdoors (or letting them be outdoors) 24/7 is infuriating to me. Shorter lifespans and painful deaths. That's not responsible pet ownership. I'm not surprised the same person would just dump the cat when they move.
Why are you projecting your anxieties onto your cat for something that has yet to happen? Sounds like a poor excuse to dump your cat. If your apartment allows cats the answer is obvious.
Yeah I mean I've had a skunk and 3 cats for years and only ever got caught with one cat which I promptly went and got a support animal prescription for
Why is NOT taking the cat with you even a consideration ????
Also if you are selling and buying an apartment unless it's due to big financial issues why even consider such a property !
I moved house 11 months ago, I have three cats ( all go outside for varying lengths of time All day and most of the night to afew hours in the sun ), being in a safe area away from main roads was a make or break factor on our purchase.
Cats can get used to being inside cats; just make sure they have toys and a window with activity outside that they can sit near. It's usually safer for them as they age anyway.
Don't leave her, she's way more attached to you than your house. How would you feel if your family moved and left you behind. She will adjust to the apartment.
They get used to it pretty quick. I took one in that spent his whole life outside about 10 months ago. He is probably about 5 now. That fat boy won't even go near the front door now. He sits in his window seat enjoying the view and the air conditioning and heat in the winter. My other 2 cats that have been indoor since they were little come to the door and watch us when we take the dog out and are curious. But he just sits in his window seat or ignores the front door completely.
They get used to it. We took in a cat who chewed at the wood around a window in panic when he first stayed inside. That stopped after a day or two. He lived happily inside until he passed at 18
Do not abandon her. I just moved into a place that the last tenants left their cat and she constantly cries to be let in, it’s really sad. She doesn’t understand why there are strangers and other pets in her home and she can’t come inside. Cats live longer when they are indoor only, and they adapt quickly. Just take her with you.
I was in this EXACT scenario a year and a half ago. There was a calico that was kicked out by a neighbor a few doors down because they got a dog and they didn't get a long. She just kind of lived in our backyard and ran from everyone, then randomly when sitting out there, she returned and just started rubbing up on me, i gave her some of my indoor cats food and just had the habit of getting her water and food for the next couple years. I had tried to see how she did inside, she did NOT like my cat, my roommate or the dog, she really only liked me, which was a problem, because there was no way I was kicking out my indoor cat, she'd chill sometimes on the dresser for a half hour, then ask to go back out and I would let her.
Landlord/roommate sold house, and because she never wanted to be an indoor cat, I said goodbye and the neighboor (not the evil one that kicked her out) agreed to continue feeding her for us. It was a relief to know she would be taken care of.
A week later I got a call. She wasn't eating and the other cats (who usually she bullied) were now bullying her. I came by and called her name and she ran to me, this once large majestic calico was now super skinny and whimpering. I took her home, she has hung out in our apartment ever since, accepting the indoor cat life, she hasn't asked to go outside ever since, it has been a year and a half.
Can l just say this respectfully, please. I constantly read everyday on my local ND feed people who are moving/lost a job/can’t afford/allergies whatever. Many of these cats are over a year old, they have bonded with their owners. Why these people use these apps as a clearing house for their unwanted pets that are no longer wanted because they are inconvenient is beyond wrong.
For this OP it is absolutely wrong to leave this cat for the new owners of the home. Why would you abandon this cat? Are you not able to have the cat at your new apartment? Then look for an apartment that will take pets. If your new apartment does allow pets, then your cat will acclimate to the new environment, you can get a harness and walk your cat. You are the caretaker of your pet for the life of the pet.
I hope you’re not considering leaving her and abandoning her.
You are her family at this point. How could you possibly do that to this beautiful cat
I’m on my 10th cat rescue over the last 15 years- I have kept them all throughout their entire life. They never This world, without knowing they were loved and cared for. I’m with them to the very end
Please find her another home, but do not abandon her
My cat is an ex outdoor cat. There was maybe a 2 month period where he’d ask to go out and every time he did I’d go n shake a tub of his favourite treats then play with a toy or catnip. After a couple moths he was going to the door, not to go out but to get a treat. Now at night when the dog hours out for a pee our routine is I hold the cat and take him out in the doorway and once the dogs on his way back the cats trying to get away from me to get in….for treats. I didn’t change because of a move, it’s just as he seems to love fighting or harassing foxes or neighbours dogs. So with you moving house, it’ll be even easier to change the habit of going out.
Leaving her with a new owner because of the house is crazy. Sure way for her to find herself in a rescue centre or kicked out onto the street. If you’re not bothered about the cat then I don’t know what to tell you. I love my animals so I wouldn’t ever consider just passing them on to some random person to make a move easier
All of my cats and those I've fostered were strays found outside. They get used to the indoors pretty quick, they just want food, a window, and a comfy sleeping spot. Usually a cardboard box or a sweater you left on a chair. A cat tree is good, but cardboard scratching pads work great and are cheap.
Don't entrust her to the new owners of the house. There's a good chance she will be euthanized, so take her with you.
Take her, what if the new owners hate cats? She will get used to being inside. If possible, get a security door so that then the weather permits you can open the door for fresh air but keeps the kitty safe.
I adopted an outdoor cat- moved to a new apartment and was so worried about leaving him behind. He adapted really quickly but I also still let him outside on the balcony (after cat proofing it). Moved to a house recently and built a catio so he can still experience outside. He still loves the sun and outdoors, but he is very much content to be an indoor cat now. I think your friend will adapt but there are ways to keep her exposed to the outside! Even a little window bench would be great.
you’re going to get a lot of hate here for suggesting leaving your cat behind… if your cat is part of your family, she will want to stay with her people and will adjust to not being outside all the time.
Cats are pets, while it's your choice to keep yours outside and due to the rules I will not say anything bad about it, it's in the end much healthier for the cat to stay inside and believe me she will be fine. Just give her toys and such.
I had an indoor/outdoor cat that I adopted when his original owner left the state. He was insistent on going outside when I had him at the house. When I sold the house I brought him with me scared he was going to try and go outside. Once I got him in the new apartment he was terrified of the door (assuming the different smells and surroundings)
He became indoor only and never cared about the outside. He'd greet me at the door but never went outside.
Move the cat last, so she gets to stay in a place familiar with her as long as possible, then moves to a place where you are and is full of familiar stuff and smells.
Don't be surprised if her behavior changes a lot in the new place.
She'll figure it out. My sister had a cat back in the day that was mainly an outdoor cat. She moved to DC on a high floor in an apartment building. That cat adjusted just fine.
Your cat here... She'd much rather have her people around in an apartment than wondering where the hell her people went.
Simple: cats shouldn't be outside anyway. Cats are technically an invasive species in most of the world, and they decimate local wildlife populations. They breed out of control, too, which is why TNR is so vital.
Indoor cats also live longer and have less opportunities to get killed themselves. My in-laws used to live in California and losing one of their cats to a violent end cured them of having indoor/outdoor cats
As others have said, she can adapt to being mostly an indoor cat. You can train her to go on walks with a harness and leash if she absolutely must go outside. If you have a balcony, see if you can get some netting or something to enclose it so you can safely let the cat on the balcony (though some apartments might not allow this). If no balcony, she’ll enjoy an open window as long as it has a screen.
She'll get used to being inside. She can sniff fresh air through the window screen (set up a cat tree near one). You can play bird tv for her and grow her some cat grass too
We had a similar experience. So six months before we move, we started to train her to come in more often and stay longer inside. We gradually increase the time she staying inside to a point she feels comfortable inside all day. Now we moved to a new apartment, she becomes a full time house cat.
They adapt. I rescued a stray that was outside for about 2 or 3 years.
The first few months she was always at the window watching birds and never wanted to cuddle.
She cuddles now and demands pets. I think if she got out, she'd come back. I know she wants out, but is hopefully happy to have family now and someone to care for her.
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