Deciding to move my 17 1/2 year old cat or not?!

Hi everyone,

I am at home visiting my parents for the holidays and am facing a tough decision on what to do for my cat!

Upon arrival I was devasated to see that my 17-year-old cat had dropped 2 pounds in the three months I had been gone. (I moved to a different province for school.) She is in the beginning stages of crf and has hyperthyroidiism which she takes medication for. Otherwise, she is very healthy. Anyways, apparently she had not been eating much and looked like a little skeleton. I have gotten her a feeding supplement, and fed her via syringe for a few days. i tried a few new types of cat food and treats, and she is now eating like normal again and has gained a bit of weight. she is still jumping and running around and is playful and energetic!

So my dilemma- she loves my parents home and, honestly, prefers their company to mine. But I am so much better at looking after her. I am just always aware of changes in her health and vigilant about making sure she is healthy. I miss her so much and want to bring her back with me. I live in a basement apartment by myself. I know she wouldnt love it there and wouldnt have as many windows to look out of, and am afraid of how she would deal with the flight at her age. My school schedule is pretty good so that she would never be left at home for more than a few hours at a time. (I live close to campus)  I am just hoping to get the advice of other cat owners, or if anyone has a similar experience to share!

I want to do whats best for her, and don't want her to be stressed and upset. I know she is old, but i think she will live for a good while yet- but I want her last years to be happy ones!

Thanks for reading!!

First thoughts are I would not move her.

If your parents are caring for her , great.

If you have health concerns that they are not caring for her, that's different.

I would not move her unless it was a last resort

It must be really hard going back home after such a short period and seeing how much your cat has changed.  If she is happy and comfortable with your parents and her basic health care needs are able to be met I would try not to move her though as it can be really stressful for an older cat.  Even a stressful jouney can be enough to trigger ilness in a cat without adding in moving to a new home.  Is there anyone you know who lives close to your parents who would be able to help out with your cat's additional care needs if necessary?

Whew... that's a tough one. I feel for you.

If I were in your situation... I would sit down with my parents and try to explain to them that with a little more comprehensive treatment, she will live longer. I'd offer to help where I could. And then I would leave her there.

Here's the thing. It's a trade-off with old cats. How well they handle a move is going to depend on whether their people are there, and where they're moving to.

You say she's kind of your parents' cat, in terms of who she likes to be around the most. And you know your place isn't ideal.

With both those things in mind, it's entirely possible that even with more the comprehensive medical care you would provide, this won't produce much improvement in her quality or length of life, because she isn't where she wants to be.

Depression has a very real impact on a cat's health. And you have to weigh that against the impact of better medical care. At a certain point, I think they cancel each other out.

My elder kitty Pearl was well-cared for in a familiar environment by my dad, who I left her with for a year or so because when I first became an adult, I didn't have the money or stability to meet her needs.

But she had obvious signs of depression. She lost energy and weight. Her fur thinned. And she never improved the entire time I was gone, despite the fact that she does like my dad and she had a good home. The issue was that I was her person -- not him. And me not being there had a significant impact on her health.

I took her back when I could, and I did wind up having to move her a couple of times. I wish I hadn't, but like any very young person, I was still trying to stabilize myself.

Despite the moving, her health instantly improved. She was healthier and happier with me than being more stable with my dad. She didn't even mind the moving, as long as she could physically see me (yes, I even took her on a plane in the cabin). But if someone else moved her and I wasn't visible to her, she became stressed very quickly.

She wound up living three more years. And even though she might have been more stable with my dad, and her health care would have been just as good, I don't think she would have lived as long or as happily if I had left her with him, without me.

I've seen this in other cats too. People underestimate how strongly cats bond to their people. And especially in an older cat, who's had maybe as long as two decades to bond, taking them away from their person can really impact their health, and it's also going to impact how well they handle moving.

If your parents were just doing nothing, it might be different. But they do care, and they are getting her treatment, so hopefully with a talk you can inspire them to go that extra mile. But even if not, they are at least getting her treatment.

So basically... the question is, what's more important to a cat? More comprehensive care, or being happy?

I'd say being happy.

Thanks for your replies everyone!

Yes, I think ultimately that she would be happiest here, but it is so hard to tell. I think I will leave her here and be on top of my parents to take better care of her. I would hate to see her stressed.

Thanks again for all the advice!

A few years ago, my dad who is a Veterinarian semi retired and we closed down his clinic.  I moved a 13 year old clinic mascot kitty who already had Hyperthyroidism and CRF to my home.  It was very stressful on her.  She never fully recovered and ended up dying a few months later.  I agree with your decision to not move your kitty.  Just stay on top of your parents with her health.