Moving without kitty

8 years ago

Hello! I'm looking for assurance/advice...help! A similar question had been posted before, but with different circumstances I thought I'd share.

In April I'm moving to Japan for a year to work. Then I'm coming back home to settle down and whatnot.

I cannot take my 7yr old kitty with me. It breaks my heart because she is my baby. Due to various reasons it is not feasible for me to attempt to being Zoey with me. She is very bonded to me, she is a one person cat. However she will be staying with my parents in a house she is familiar with as she and I currently live with them. I'm just worried about how she will do while I'm gone. She sleeps with me and now there won't be any one to sleep with her. I'm not too worried about her not eating because she's never gone off feed before when I've gone on small vacations.

What do you guys think? Am I being overly worried/sensitive?

Featured Answer

socks

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

How fortunate you are to be able to leave kitty in the home she is familiar with and with your parents whom she also knows. You couldn’t ask for better. I’m sure your kitty will be just fine.

Who feeds kitty? If not your parents, maybe they could start doing it a couple weeks before you leave. Could they start playing with her a little, to develop more of a relationship. Does she like one of those fishing pole toys or playing with yarn string? (don’t leave the yarn string out as cats can eat yarn, but they do like to play with it.)

My kitty is a one person cat also. She becomes distressed when she sees the suitcases come out, so I have to pack in a laundry basket and transfer to a suitcase outside.

I know you will miss her. Have a fabulous year in Japan.

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Comments (8)

User
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
" I have to pack in a laundry basket and transfer to a suitcase outside."

Oh, wow.
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Julie van Leemput
Original Author
8 years ago
Socks,

Thank you! Your comment means a lot. They do feed her but I will have them play with her more.

Does your kitty do ok while you're away? I think you are a wonderful cat parent :) thank you for the encouragement
share_oh
8 years ago
Our dogs become extra attached to us when the suitcases come out! The cat, she couldn't care less.

I agree, it's so fortunate that your cat can stay in her own home while you're gone. She may even end up bonding with one of your parents. : )
socks
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Actually Daisy does seem to do ok when I'm gone. A family member or pet sitter feeds her. She pesters me a lot when I return.

Salti, I know you are not tolerant of animals "running the show." She has peed in my suitcase and my husband's as well which I was able to mitigate using a pet store product, but it won't happen again. She's used to the laundry basket and suspects nothing. Vet says it's stress.

Julie, I visited Japan in 2015 and loved it. It's an interesting culture and country. My friend taught English in Hokkaido for a couple of years. Unfortunately we weren't able to get up there. Don't worry about kitty as you embark on this fabulous adventure!

Share, you could be right! Cats can be fickle (not to say your is, Julie :-)
Julie van Leemput
Original Author
8 years ago
Socks, Oh that's awesome! I'm really happy to hear you loved your visit to Japan! I've always wanted to go and this is my first time there.

I would just laugh and then cry if she did bond with one of my parents. Have a feeling it will be my dad if anything! I guess I'm just anxious and feel guilty that I'm leaving her behind. But deep breath, I know it's not forever!
User
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Our family cat is extremely bonded to my daughter and I was worried how the cat would do when she went to college last year but the cat was fine. She still sleeps on her bed/pillow a lot but is downstairs with us as well. I wouldn't worry-just ask your parent to give her lots of pets and the year will fly by.
Julie van Leemput thanked User
Debbie Downer
8 years ago
Yeah just be calm and confident knowing that she is a very lucky cat to be staying in her own house with people she knows - dont let her pick up on any anxiety or guilt because really you have no reason to be feeling that IMHO! Keep kitty's routine normal, same time for meals etc.

I was gone for a while and left my one-person cat at home with a then-roommate, who reported that kitty was ok and just went about her day to day life as normal, enjoyed being petted and occasionally brushed. But then the day I came back - about 12 hours before I walked in the door, my cat apparently parked herself on the back of the sofa facing the door and just stayed there for hours until I walked in. Somehow she knew. Needless to say there was a lot of lovin' going on that night!
Julie van Leemput thanked Debbie Downer