[Klynn91]

Hello!

I'm currently living in Saginaw, however at the end of February, my boyfriend and I are planning to move into the Grand Blanc/Davison/Clarkston area.

My parents live in Oxford, and we have a kitty and puppy. Dallas is staying, because he's not my dog, but my cat Snickers is mine, and my dad wants me to take her when my boyfriend and I get our apartment because he's tired of having a cat in the house.

My parents live in a good sized home and Snickers has been living there her entire life- about 10 years (we're unsure exactly how old she is because we got her from a rescue, but she was definitely a kitten when we got her). She is most definitely my cat. Whenever I go home, I'm the one she follows around, and I know she misses me when I'm not there.

Because of this, I was wondering if moving her would be a bad idea? I'm struggling between keeping her in the bigger home she's known all her life, and coming with me, since she knows and loves both me and my boyfriend, which could be of comfort to her. She's still active, she's slowed down only in the way that adult cats do, no signs of aging just yet.

Please give me some imput! My boyfriend and I both want a cat, and it would be easy to have a cat that we know and love well, who is litter trained and very well-mannered. But I don't want to harm her by moving her!

Thank you!

[teachbeach]

Animals like to be where their "people" are, the cat will probably be fine. Just make sure she can't or won't be able to get out and try to walk "home" again.

[jaynarie]

You'd have more insightful responses to this question by posting in the pets forum, since this is not a geographically specific question.

To answer, your cat will likely adjust. When I rescued my cat, I lived alone in a single family house. I moved back to Michigan and my cat and I lived with my parents for a year until my house sold. Also a single family home. After that, I moved into an apartment. At this time, my cat was about 5 years old. She hid a lot at first because there are a LOT of noises to get used to. She still runs and hides sometimes when she hears the exterior building doors slam shut. She always hides when she hears a door being knocked on. Otherwise, she has adjusted although I know she misses having more windows to lay in.

[highlanderfil]

Like the poster above said, this is best suited for the "Pets" subforum as it's got very little to do with Michigan - and the cities in which you and your parents live are irrelevant. But I'll offer my $.02. You basically have two scenarios to weigh against one another: do you want your cat to continue living in an environment in which she is not wanted or do you think it would be healthier for her to go through the shock of moving (and, at 10 years old, it would be a fairly substantial shock) in order to live in a more loving home? Answer this question and you'll know what to do. My guess is the latter will (and should, IMHO) win out.

FWIW, my currently-seven-year-old skittish-as-hell male cat has moved every year since I got him in 2012, including to and from Pittsburgh from Metro Detroit. It usually takes him about a month or so to be totally comfortable, so it can definitely be done successfully.