My cat is going to a new home

Jumpy

My cat will most likely be moving to a new home shortly because myself and the girlfriend are moving into the city centre and then onto australia.
Rather upset.
I have a few questions,

Will the cat bond to the new owners?
How long should they keep him inside after the move?
If he gets out before then will he vanish?
I have brought him up from a kitten for the last 3 years, I am devastated.
At least he is going to people I know, but I am in a bit of a panic that he will run away from the new place.

mike65

Speaking from experience he'll almost certainly make his way back to the old homestead.

When we moved from near Kilmeaden to Waterford (6 miles) one of the cats made it back and stayed there with the neighbour.

Mike.

Tabitharose

Will the cat bond to the new owners?
yes probably - given time - if your cat is one who likes humans - some don't

How long should they keep him inside after the move?
at the VERY MINIMUM 6 weeks - longer is advisable IMO

If he gets out before then will he vanish?
possibly yes possibly no - it's a difficult one to answer and it is not difficult -to keep a cat in doors if you want to I know cause I have 4 of my own & I foster too

Best of luck

Demonique

How long are you going to Australia? If permanently, are you aware that you can bring cats with you to Australia?

Jumpy

Demonique wrote: »

How long are you going to Australia? If permanently, are you aware that you can bring cats with you to Australia?

I know, but we will be moving around a lot. And we will be spending a year minimum in an apartment in town before we go.
I have already weighed all the options, this might be the only chance I get to give him to someone I know and trust.

Jumpy

Tabitharose wrote: »

Will the cat bond to the new owners?
yes probably - given time - if your cat is one who likes humans - some don't

How long should they keep him inside after the move?
at the VERY MINIMUM 6 weeks - longer is advisable IMO

If he gets out before then will he vanish?
possibly yes possibly no - it's a difficult one to answer and it is not difficult -to keep a cat in doors if you want to I know cause I have 4 of my own & I foster too

Best of luck

He likes me anyway, hes an indoor cat. But he gets out occasionally, he vanished for 6 days at one stage. I am just worried I will give him away and he will run away from the new place

echosound

Get the new owners to keep him indoors for as long as possible to get him used to his new surroundings. The cat will eventually take to the new owners - I've had to give a cat away myself (was a rescue cat and was too wild for city living, so gave him to a relative who lives in the country, and the cat took to him no problems), I've also taken in a cat left behind by previous owners when we moved into a house (they just abandoned him!!! poor pet) and he took to us like a duck to water, and is still with us 5 years and 3 housemoves (from suburbs to country and back to suburbs again) later, due to careful minding during the transition to a new house. Here's what I suggest having done it myself successfully 3 times with our cat:

Keep the cat indoors for as long as possible (minimum of a fortnight at the very very least, and then bring him out to garden to explore, while staying with him all the time so he feels safe and doesn't get spooked, leaving the back door open for him to run back in through to safety, rather than leaving him out alone with no safety route is best). If he's an indoor cat he may be happy staying indoors longer too.

Make sure the new owners let him explore the house in it's own time, as often when they are moved to a new environment they will find some "safe" place to hide for a while, down the back of a bed or under a table etc. while working up the courage to go investigate new smells and sights.

If the cat does end up straying off (hopefully it won't), don't worry too much as a cat will always find a new family to feed it and take care of it. Another cat we had, decided to "adopt" both us and another family across the fields, and while we thought the cat was "ours" the other family thought the cat was "theirs" too

Even if he does stray off, he may return once he's done his rounds. The cat I gave out to a family member in the country vanished for nearly a month, and arrived back looking fat and healthy after his new owner had given up all hope of ever finding him, he had just decided to go off on a jaunt, finding people to feed him (and birds to eat!) while he roamed and returned to settle once the wild oats had been sown.

Hope it all goes well for you, I know how upsetting it is to have to find a new home for your loved moggy.

Jumpy

Thanks loads echosound.