Keeping or rehoming cat questions...

As some of you will know, I have sold my LSB and will be renting in a town for the immediate future. My problem is my dearly loved 8 year old cat Porche.

She is without a doubt an outdoor cat with ad lib entry to the house through the loo window. She arrives for her breakfast biscuits and arrives for her Whiskas dinner but apart from that I rarely see her.

When she does deign to come home, she climbs up on my shoulder and smooches big time. I can cut her claws without drama and groom her (just DON'T touch my tummy!) and now I have a big decision to make - try and move her to my new property or rehome her.

She has never used a dirt box in her life - problem one.
She has lived here for 8 years - problem two
She does not like other cats but great with small dogs (not big ones) - problem three

The good news is that I just spent $180 (her first ever Vet visit post speying) getting a total check up on her - bloods etc. No abnormalities ruling out diabetes, kidney disease and liver disease. Thyroid is normal and urine concentrating well. Teeth No 1 so not even needing cleaning. I have also had her vaccinated so I can use cat kennels so thus the big bill!

My question is - what have others experienced in this situation and would I be doing her a favour to rehome to a rural property rather than be selfish and have her with me. My horror would be her leaving home and never being seen again. Any advise gratefully received.

This is Porche:

Attached files [IMG]http://app.lifestyleblock.co.nz/images/converted_files/355324=7122-Porche portrait.jpg[/img]

Take her with you Didi[^] ...cats are remarkable at adapting to new surroundings and she sounds like she really LOVES you Just keep her contained inside for a while ...give her grass (in a pot plant to chew on) and toys to occupy her and dirt box ...at 8 years she is moving into her senior years and will be ready to start slowing down and soaking up the sun or getting the lions share of the fire
...If you find you cannot take her with you the next best thing would be the new owners of your property taking over her feeding and care in the routine she is use to ...sounds a pretty straight forward routine and she would not have to change anything much except losing her Mum

If she was mine she would be coming with me[]
Good Luck ..many decisions ahead HUH
Cheers

I second that, take her with you Didi, you're her mum and she'll be fine. I have moved kittens from town to really busy city as adults to country as senior cats and they have happily adapted every time.

A friend who had one cat that was only ever a "barn" cat on a large farm took the cat with her when she moved into town. It took over the lounge and was as happy as larry. A comfy place to sleep is a comfy place to sleep, be it hay bale or couch

I would just keep it locked up for at least a few days, better yet a couple of weeks so you can both feel confident about a new place. I also personally believe in keeping my cats locked in at night, saves a lot of money with vets, and you don't have to worry about where they are.

Wild cats know how to use a litter tray (even wild kittens figure it out almost immediately, I just put them in it and then use their paw to "scratch" at it). Snow is a "wild" cat who lives on my parent's farm but he will come into the house and use the litter tray, sleep on the bed, eat their cats' food, go through the cupboards looking for treats, clean up milk spills...

Thanks to both of you. I so want to take her with me as she loves me and I love her. I just could not comprehend how you would teach an 8 year old cat to use a litter tray!

Perhaps I should also look at having her microchipped so if she does disappear there will at least be hope that she will be returned. The other worry is that I live at least 250M from and on a No Exit road and with all the surrounding native bush and paddocks to play in, she would have no clue about traffic.

IF there were someone on this site that thought they could give her a good home, I would still consider that as my life is topsy turvey and I am not intending to stay in this rental long term either. She is a very good hunter of mice, baby rabbits etc but has been scolded since a kitten if she catches a bird (about once a year that I know of) so a good girl. People have suggested she is part Maine Coon based on the tuffs on her ears that will not be obvious in her photo but I wouldn't have a clue. She is just "my girl". I still have a month up my sleeve here so not urgent. Just wanted your input and advise. Thanks - I do appreciate it.

Just put a litter tray in the bath, or the laundry and show her where it is. Keep her locked in for a week or so and I'm sure she will surprise you. Without the big territory she's used to, she will be cautious at first and stay close to the new house. A microchip is a good idea, in case she does get lost, cause then you are more certain to get her back. Our neighbours have just taken on the 12yo cat that belonged to a family member that has gone caravanning, and the cat has not only accepted living with a dog, but is quite happy in her new home. The are adaptable most of the time.

Do cat's mallow over the years in their acceptance of change? Porche hounded a stray I rescued (not feral) so much that the stray left here and rehomed herself with a neighbour - a really brilliant outcome for her and the neighbours who adore her. I have no clue what she would be like with other cats now as I am presuming (based on ancient history) that she would not fit in with other cats?

She will establish her own slice of territory, though I would expect her to be timid til she makes the new place her home.

The stray you brought into "her" territory hence the need to get rid of it. It's a whole different ball game, when you are taking her to a new territory.

Keep her, for both yourself and her. You have enough changes happening at the moment. You won't be getting another cat wil you? She will still be top cat at your house?
I get cats in here all the time that have never had a dirt box, they find it and use it straight away. I've never had one dirty in their enclosure.

Thanks everyone - she stays with me but will get her microchipped just in case. Having been here 22.5 years, I haven't a clue about these things so I really do value your input. Thanks.

DiDi;355350 wrote: I am presuming (based on ancient history) that she would not fit in with other cats?

Cats are very picky. When I lived with my parents while building the house, my cat Jack and their cat Missy took an instant disliking to one another and it was very stressful, both of them spraying inside the house.

Fast forward to living on my own block and I was really worried Jack would be " in the habit" of spraying and do it here. I even had the three pin plugs placed higher just in case (cat pee in three pin plugs is not good and they're right at cat bum height!), and got roman blinds instead of curtains (good thing I like them!).

But Jack has never sprayed again, not even last year when kittens entered the house (5 of them at one time!). The ones I kept, Jack cleans them, sleeps with them, plays with them and has even shared his dead rabbits and mice with them.

Some cats just don't get along with other cats, but it doesn't mean they will always hate other cats.

DiDi I have an old boy aged 16.5 and we have just moved back to our smaller lifestyle block after living in a very remote rural location with lots of space, he has also lived in town(s) a few a bit of a gypsy lifestyle. Anyway I always butter his paws (old wives tale maybe but always do it) and pop in the bathroom or garage of the new location, the room that will be least disturbed while shifting. He adjusts and as long as he is fed and has familiar smells of the furniture around him he is fine. There can be a bit of argy bargy with the neighbouring cats as everyone determines there borders but then they settle down for a sleep and that is that. Wish you well.

DiDi, take the cat with you. She will handle it just fine. My old cat went through six moves with me in his almost fifteen year life and always managed to carve out a territory in the new location. I would just shut him in a room with a dirt box for a couple of days to give him the idea that "this is home now" and he was all good.

I agree with Igor, my cat is 14 and has moved 6 times with me. The only thing I did, was kept her in my room of the house for 2 days with food and dirt box. Gave her as much attention as they are scared to begin with. After two days, began to let her around the house but windows closed as I noticed as she got fimilar with the new house, she would begin to look outside by sitting on window sills or at the door. After 4-5 days, took her outside, watched and followed her, but would return her to the door inside. She is awesome and hasn't left me yet.

I vote take Porche with you
I know bugger all about pussy cats Didi ( lol you have met my 2 4 legged Town kids , lol so will understand why lol ) but after moving ( and re-homming) a ram lamb and a piggy to the grove .. they have all taken to it like a duck to water
and pussy cats are smarter t han sheepies
so i vote Take Porche with you

I moved several cats when I left my block. One of them had originally been a neurotic mess and used to panic and being closed indoors and had also never used a litter box. He's now one of the cats that spends the most time inside!!

He did pee on the carpet 1-2 times before he got the hint but there are cleaners these days that do an amazing job of sorting that out!! He tried to go near a pot plant, so was attracted by the smell of dirt and maybe the greenery! So I was mixing some dirt in with my choice of cat litter and I put the pot plant near the litter box! I picked him up and dropped him in there when he started peeing on the rug. He worked out very quickly that it was what he was expected to do from then on.

What happened with him is that he spent a few days at the vet (or cattery) and then he was just so happy to see us when we got him home that he didn't mind not being able to go outside. We kept him locked in for a few weeks , and then had a cat door installed. In the interim, since I was using wood pellets (for pellet fires) as cat litter, I disposed of it all around the edges of the property to get their smell around the place (it's just sawdust so breaks down eventually). I like to think this might have helped them figure out where they needed to be in case they were tempted to wander off.

We had the cat microchipped in case he did run away, but thankfully it proved not to be nesessary. We moved 4 cats, all with different personality and 3 of whom really enjyed living on the block and they've all done very well.

Another thing we did with a couple of them, was walk them around on a harness. Some cats handle this but not everyone. Gives them a chance to look around but helps them not get away from you in the event that something startles them. One did disappear for a few days, but she found her way back (locked in a neighbours basement we think!)

It's worth doing. The cat would still have to adjust to a new owner and a new property if you did rehome her to another block. It wouldn't be any easier on the cat I think.