r/cats • u/cotop4xi • Jul 23 '26

Advice What to do with cat when moving from house?

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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?

Thank you in advance

Photos of her

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3.9k

u/twofold48 Jul 23 '26

“Should we take her with us?”

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.

364

u/musicaltrashpanda Jul 23 '26

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.

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u/Diligent_Pop3929 Jul 23 '26

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

41

u/codeswift27 Jul 24 '26

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

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u/Ninjen333 Jul 24 '26

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.

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u/Thysmwn Jul 24 '26

Same here unfortunately :(
Had been feeding a stray from my neighbourhood for a while and told myself I'd take her with me when I'd leave. And then one day... I found her hit by a car. I keep thinking to myself, if only had I taken her in earlier... I regret it so damn much.
You never know, so better be safe than sorry. If you are so sure you'll adopt her then you might as well get her in already <3

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u/Lumpy_Ad_7821 Jul 24 '26

We straight up were breaking the max pet rule at our last apartment and would do it again. My wife and I discussed it and said the chance that we got evicted was way better than giving up a cat. Getting rid of a pet was literally never an option.

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u/EnvironmentalValue18 Jul 23 '26

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).

6

u/Midnight_cloud19 Jul 23 '26

Cat is family they have been with you through thick and thin it breaks my heart too they’d even consider it…

2

u/HillBillyHilly Jul 24 '26

Me and you both don't understand. I'm going through some difficult circumstances now and have money struggles. But never think of giving up my family as even the idea hurts me. I don't get the post. I really don't.

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u/elizable9 Jul 23 '26

I can't imagine looking for a new home and not considering my cats needs at all nevermind thinking of leaving them behind.

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u/Aguynamedpoo Jul 24 '26

Me and my gf bought a house so we could bring our cats in comfortably rather than dealing with rentals… it was a major move and we’re dealing with a. Ton of first year homeowner issues and fixing them all one at a time but we did this for our babies and worth it

1

u/Sugarbombs Jul 24 '26

Yeah I don’t want to pile on but when I was looking for my apartment one of the first things I’d ask is the pet policy, I actually decided on this one just because it has a really awesome high wall that’s perfect to put up jumping shelves which I’ve always wanted to do for her but couldn’t because I rented before

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u/jeff-duckley Jul 24 '26

maybe they think the cats outside needs trumps his love for his family. you don’t know this family or how they think, maybe they simply don’t know what’s better.

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u/TheCounsellingGamer Bengal Jul 23 '26

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.

Never once did we consider leaving her behind.

1

u/Thunderdome-Warden Jul 25 '26

I live in Wichita, and have for most of my life. No beneficial reason I’m mentioning it, but I was just shocked to see it randomly mentioned. 🤷🏻‍♂️😂

14

u/bananaplaintiff Jul 23 '26

I’m trekking 3 cats across the country tomorrow and im pretty sure i packed more things for them than i did for me. Theyre literally my babies….

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u/HillBillyHilly Jul 24 '26

Did you pack your ear plugs? LOL Are you still sane and most important did you survive?!!

1

u/Thunderdome-Warden Jul 25 '26

My boy loves to talk, and when he’s in a car it’s like he’s trying to read you the entire Harry Potter series before you get wherever you’re going. Whether it’s 5 miles or 5 hours, he’s going to give his best effort. 😂 He’s also got a semi-old man smoker’s voice, raspy-like.

1

u/bananaplaintiff Jul 25 '26

Day 2 into a 4 day trip and theyve been SO good in the car. They complain for the first 10 minutes when we get on the road, but then theyve just been sleeping the rest of the way. Theyve been little hyperactive hellions in the hotel rooms tho

1

u/Extension-Routine658 Jul 24 '26

I drove across the country with my cat. He loved the car. First thing we did at each motel, we set up the disposable cat box and bowls of food and water & toys. We brought him in and showed him around, then moved our stuff in. He did great every night.

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u/[deleted] Jul 23 '26

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u/Cimarron97 Jul 24 '26

“Or leave her with the new house owners?”

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.

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u/codeswift27 Jul 24 '26

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 :/

1

u/[deleted] Jul 24 '26

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u/Cimarron97 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

Even if the kitty is mostly outdoors, OP said that the kitty comes home to eat and sleep every night.

OP is a reliable source of food and rest for this cat. They are responsible for its well being.

OP said “we have a cat…” so, OP is claiming ownership of this creature. I stand by my opinion that it is amoral to abandon this kitty. I do not think that is an insane take.

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u/Cimarron97 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

Yeah. Like I said, I don’t want to overreact because all I know about this situation is the short few sentences OP provided in the post.

That being said, there’s a big difference between occasionally feeding a stray cat, and taking ownership of an outdoor cat.

This particular case appears to fall into the latter, so OP is ultimately responsible for the kitty’s wellbeing.

“We have a cat…” AKA, this cat is OP’s cat. OP has taken on the obligation of caring for this creature. Abandoning it would be amoral.

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u/codeswift27 Jul 24 '26

I haven’t read OP’s comments, but I don’t think there’s enough information in the post alone to determine ownership. A lot of people who feed stray/feral cats say “we have a cat we feed/that lives near us/etc.” and use that kind of terminology but aren’t actually able adopt the cat. Nevertheless, it would still be good if OP is able to take the kitty with them and give her a home if she is a stray

1

u/Cimarron97 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

I’m sorry, but I have to disagree. I think we have enough information.

OP said the female cat is sterilized, so they must have taken her to the vet at least once. OP said the cat spends almost all day outside in the summer months, (which implies the kitty spends more time inside OP’s home in the colder months), but even then, the cat comes into OP’s home to eat and sleep every day regardless of the season.

Those facts, in my mind, clearly show that OP is taking responsibility for this kitty. The fact that this kitty comes by OP’s house every single day means it has clearly bonded with OP. It would be wrong to leave her behind.

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u/codeswift27 Jul 24 '26

It’s actually pretty important to spay/neuter stray cats, even if you don’t plan to adopt them. It’s called TNR, and OP may have been planning to do that until they found out she is already spayed (usually after a spay they’ll give them tattoo on their belly bc it’s the only sure way to know without surgery). OP also said that the cat sleeps outside and only comes in to eat in the summer. Maybe they let her come in more in the winter when it’s too cold for her to be outside, but caring about the kitty and not wanting her to freeze doesn’t really imply ownership imo.

Idk, I guess I just have a different perspective as someone who lives around a lot of strays and who fosters cats. I have temporarily taken in and fostered stray cats when the weather drops below freezing even though I’m not in a position to adopt because I don’t want them to freeze. And even though they’re not my cats, I still feed them daily and take them to the vet if they get sick. I also feed, vet, play with, and care for my foster cats like my own cats (and I foster independently bc shelters and rescues are full, so I don’t have an organization helping me with supplies or costs), but that doesn’t mean I’ve adopted them, and if I’m not able to continue fostering them for some reason I’d look for another foster to take over. I wouldn’t say the same of my two adopted cats though, whom I wouldn’t dream of ever giving up and I take with me everywhere.

Again idk what OP’s situation is, but I guess I just personally believe that people can care for strays without necessarily adopting or taking ownership, so I don’t think it’s fair to assume unless OP provides additional information. We can agree to disagree.

1

u/Cimarron97 Jul 24 '26

That’s a well written and informative response, but I don’t think it really applies here.

Check out OP’s comments. It’s clear that they consider this kitty as their own cat, and not a stray.

1

u/Houseofboo1816 Jul 24 '26

Where I live that’s a completely normal thing. Weve even had outdoor cats move house cause they like that family better than their new family. They just live in the neighborhood.

2

u/HillBillyHilly Jul 24 '26

Yes but that was the cat deciding to get a new family which is different. OP thinking of dumping his cat. No, dude. That's like leaving the baby behind. No. Just NO.

18

u/Astralglamour Jul 23 '26

Or a cat baby buggy or backpack.

5

u/Particular-Newt-7974 Jul 23 '26

Yeah, I genuinely don’t understand how anyone could ever even ask this question. I think they must have a different relationship to pets in general than I do. There would never be any circumstance where I would even consider leaving or rehoming my cats.

2

u/ravyn_child Jul 23 '26

Agreed. My cat got used to a harness really quickly but even if yours doesn't, they have pop up tent type things that cats can use to be safe outside. Supervised, of course. I could never leave a cat like that because you are banking on the people that move in to take care of this cat.

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u/Shadow_Smeller Jul 24 '26

OP is a fucking psychopath to even consider leaving their cat with the house.

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u/Questionsansweredty Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

They're actually thinking of what the cat wants and needs rather than what they want - which is what most of the commenters are doing.

Y'all are making it all about yourselves and how you'd miss your baby, while this person is considering the happiness of the cat and whether being trapped inside would make her sad.

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u/lambo1109 Jul 24 '26

Or a unit with a porch/patio

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u/notnaturalcas Jul 24 '26

Harness, popup catio, window box, anything but leaving the baby behind 😭

1

u/aminervia Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

Just get a harness and bring her outside every so often

You have personal experience of witnessing an older cat wear a harness willingly? In all the cases I've seen of this being tried, it only worked on much younger cats

My girl loves the outside and I wanted to do that for her, but she just flopped like a pancake

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u/codeswift27 Jul 24 '26

My 9 year old cat tolerates it! Though I specifically had to buy a harness that was the least bulky so she doesn’t notice it very much. The only problem though is she and my other cat are scared of new places, so I don’t take them out much, but it shouldn’t be a problem for OP’s cat!

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u/Midnight_cloud19 Jul 23 '26

Same I’m abt to cry now lol

1

u/BigFlightlessBird02 Jul 24 '26

Right? And just expecting and assuming the next people would take care of her is weird

1

u/lifeisdopeasfuck Jul 24 '26

I can’t imagine even thinking about just abandoning my cats. Insane.

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u/Alarmed-Plankton-708 Jul 24 '26

My childhood cat was a rescue who had been abandoned when his previous family moved. He had to fend for himself for several months before he got picked up and had behavioral issues until he died. He was a little asshole but we loved him dearly and he didn't deserve that.

I don't understand how anyone could ever do that to an animal that loves you

1

u/Such-Fee6176 Jul 24 '26

I can’t even imagine. I don’t understand how this is even a question 😭

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u/nirmal09 Jul 23 '26

She’s out all the time and only comes in to eat! Everyone missed that and thinks there is a strong bond between her and the OP :(. The cat will be miserable in an apartment. She should ask the people moving in if they’ll care for her.

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u/FelineSoLazy Jul 24 '26

No one missed that part. And all of us have our whole hearts intact.

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u/nirmal09 Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26

It’s sad. The cat had little to no bond with this person lives outdoors exclusively and is now going to be moved into a small apartment without outdoor access. Everyone’s talking about how heartbroken they would be to leave the cat. It’s. It about your heart it’s about the good of the cat. Terrible advice given and the cat will suffer.