What if I move?

I've been feeling more and more strongly about moving to an apartment, but I have no idea what to do with my cat!

It might not even happen for a few months or even a year.

The problem is that the for a cat who is used to a house, moving into a not so big apartment might not be so good. And he is also used to be taken for a walk at least an hour a day, which may not be as easy if I move. Our current neighborhood is the perfect place for this, but most apartments are close to the road and have hardly any green areas. That means someone has to drive us some other place each time we're going outside  (I've been to busy studying to ever get my licence...). 

If he stays here, I highly doubt that my family is going to take him for a walk every day, which might make them consider letting him out without a leash. He has never been outside without his leash, and since we've walked this whole neighborhood plus taken him for a walk on the beach, the forest etc, I'm scared he wouldn't even find his way, or wander of into the forest and get lost there. We also have moose and badgers here, and as curious as my dare, stupid cat is, he might get attacked by a badger... And all the outdoor cats here seems so depressed and apathetic..

Sorry for babbling on like this, I just have no idea what to do. The thought of living without him brings me to tears every time, but sooner or later I have to move

Your cat will be fine in an apartment with you.  You can get him some cat furniture and make a course of shelves he can travel and you can exercise him by playing with a toy like DaBird (available on Amazon).  Hopefully you can find an apartment that also has some green space you can walk him in, since you have already trained him to walk on a leash.  There are lots of ideas for making insides attractive and fun for cats.  Here is a link to my own Pinterest board called "Catification" showing many good ideas for things you can make or buy to make your place cat friendly and interesting.

I don't see the harm in taking him to an apartment. Cats generally don't need a ton of space. If you can spare the time to exercise him and set up some vertical space, I'm sure he'd be just as happy in a smaller space with someone who will continue to provide him the level of care you've been giving him and that he's used to. It's obviously better for his safety too, if no one else would be willing to ensure he's leashed when outside and there are predators and other threats nearby.

Some apartments (even in busier areas here in Canada, at least) have some lawns or nearby parks which in all honesty is better than no greenery at all. If it really is unsafe outdoors even on leash, if you get an apartment with a balcony, maybe get it set up with little grass pads people use for small dogs or some cat-safe plants and either leash him to go on the balcony or mesh/cat proof it so he can go out there on his own to wander and sniff around with some foliage.

It sounds like you have a bit of time to think about this and apartment hunt so you can find something that would be suitable for you and your cat.

You take him with you!  Cats are very good at adjusting to living arrangements.  I took a stray with me when I moved into an apartment and she blossomed!  With a nice window, a cat tree, a steady supply of food and fresh water, and YOU, your cat will be fine.  Be sure to check into pet deposit fees when looking at apartments as well as requirements for having a pet.  Most will require your pet be up to date on shots and you might have a pet limit. 

Thanks for the replies everyone!

The thing is that he LOVES to be outside. He sits by the window all the time and if he hasn't been outside yet, he'll start calling out. He runs like crazy when we're outside, more than he does inside. He has all kind of toys, and we make sure he doesn't get all his new toys at once, so we always have something new for him if the old don't interest him anymore, but he still wants to go outside. 

I'm sure he'll get a lot of attention even if I move, because my parents love him so much, but I still think they'll want him to come and go as he wants to... The nearby forest is a few km away, but since we've taken him there before, who's to say he won't go there himself? 

It's so hard to know where he'll be happiest. But the same question goes for me; if it turns out he should stay here, will I be able to function without him? 

I think he calls to YOU because you're outside.  You just have to be committed to keeping him indoors knowing that that's the best and safest place for him to be.  I always tell my husband, "We're the humans and they're the cats.  We have to make the intelligent decisions for them."  You have to be convinced in your heart and committed to that or else you'll allow him to be outside where there's tons of dangers, mostly from humans.

Your cat will be fine living in an apartment. I seriously doubt he'll mind moving into a small place. Don't leave him behind! Just play with him and entertain him in other ways.

I would start to cut back on the walks when you seriously are thinking of moving so he does not create as much noise at the new place.  Cats in an apartment is nothing bad and they adjust to almost any living situation as long as the human they know is there it makes it that much easier!

I just feel so bad, because our neighbors cats can be gone a whole day, but nothing has ever happened to them. We live is such a safe place and there's hardly any traffic here, but as I said, who knows how far he'll wander... 

I know this sound so stupid, but there really is a special bond between us. He loves the entire family, and we all love him. He knows the difference between my dad, my mom and my brother and acts differently with each member of the family. Still, he acts different every time I'm gone for more than a day, and when he's cleaning himself he always licks me as well. I'm the only one he has the nerve to bite, and if I'm sad or sick, he knows it. I'm the one who got up in the middle of the night to feed him, and I'm the one who got sick because he was keeping me up with his loud crying. If someone else is outside with him, he has on more than one occasion run towards me. Once he ran so fast that my mom decided to let go of the leash. When he reached me he jumped up and touched my hand, and then sat down. 

But then again, he loves it when we're all home. If my family is away, he gets more quiet and don't want to play. He just loves it when the house is full.

If he even after two weeks don't seem to be adapting, should I think about letting my parents have him, or should I wait longer? And what if my parents promise to walk him every day, would it still be best to take him with me?

If you know your parents will just say they'll do it, and then just open the door and let him out unsupervised, it's better to be safe and keep him with you, especially since that's your main concern. Cats can adapt so well to change - and having the person they're closest to makes it that much easier - and even if he LOVES his outdoor walks, I don't think moving him to an apartment will reduce his quality of life at all. Have you had a talk with the whole family about this?

It seems like you're really fighting yourself with who the cat would be better with, and there are never solid answers for this kind of thing. A lot of us would argue he'd be better off with his primary caregiver and the person he has bonded most with; however, if your family can still provide him with everything he knows and loves, you can bring up your concerns over his safety and where he wanders outdoors. Sit down and have a family talk. The way they address your concerns and answer your questions about his care once you've moved away may help you make your decision. Ask them to be honest - people will sometimes just say what they know the other person wants to hear, and that won't help anyone.

Our older cat was picked up as a stray, so he was a wanderer even before my boyfriend got him. He spent a few years living in a house full of people, and he's super social and loves all the attention he gets. He spent a year living with my boyfriend's parents with a second older cat, and being indoor/outdoor (during this time, he did get in a fight with a tom and fall very ill). After that, he's only lived in apartments with one person other than the boyfriend. That lasted maybe 3 or 4 years? Now he lives with boyfriend and I, as well as another younger cat, in yet another apartment.

He's still happy and playful at 10 years old, and he's of course very curious, but he's definitely still got a great quality of life even though he can't be an outdoor or wandering cat anymore. The thing that impacts him most is when his person is gone and he's in a weird and unfamiliar place - for example, when the vets took him to the back room for blood work, he became extremely stressed and howled with complete abandon, fighting tooth and claw, which is totally unlike him. The boyfriend has been this cat's only major constant since he can remember, and so he would always be better off with him as long as there's the option.

I think I would not worry much now and take it as it comes when/if you move.You have no idea where you will be going and what the setup will be.  You may end up with a private porch that you can take him right off or you may end up in  a single entrance apartment that would be a bit risky to get him outside if they take dogs too.

pinkdagger said:

 
If you know your parents will just say they'll do it, and then just open the door and let him out unsupervised, it's better to be safe and keep him with you, especially since that's your main concern. Cats can adapt so well to change - and having the person they're closest to makes it that much easier - and even if he LOVES his outdoor walks, I don't think moving him to an apartment will reduce his quality of life at all. Have you had a talk with the whole family about this?

It seems like you're really fighting yourself with who the cat would be better with, and there are never solid answers for this kind of thing. A lot of us would argue he'd be better off with his primary caregiver and the person he has bonded most with; however, if your family can still provide him with everything he knows and loves, you can bring up your concerns over his safety and where he wanders outdoors. Sit down and have a family talk. The way they address your concerns and answer your questions about his care once you've moved away may help you make your decision. Ask them to be honest - people will sometimes just say what they know the other person wants to hear, and that won't help anyone.

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We have talked, and I know that if they say they will walk him, they will. But as the situation is now, they can't walk him every day. 

You're right, I'm just fighting myself... It's still not time to move, so I have to stop freaking out.

As the time draws nearer for you to move, you can phase his walks down to shorter walks every other day, or some other interval. That way, if you do decide to leave him with your parents, he won't be begging to go out as part of his routine every single day. Likewise, if you take him with you, he won't be expecting walks all the time if it's not practical at your new place. It doesn't hurt to start preparing him for either change!

Trust me your cat will be fine I had to move this month did not have an apartment to go to till August so I am staying with my friend they are confined to one room. My friend has 7 dogs and 5 puppies and one cat she is a dog breeder . My boy needed a few days to adjust he is not used to other dogs I have 2 other cats. Two are with me my friend would not let me take all three other is with my ex till I move in August. My first week there he was very vocal talking to me when I came home or left the room and came back he would talk to me this was not normal for him. He is a licker to. What I did is when I came home from work I would go straight to the room feed them brush them and talk to them and play with them. It has been a two weeks and he has Adjusted ok but he will have our new apartment to adjust to soon. I went from a 1300 sq feet apartment to 700 sq feet apartment he will be fine.

I think you are worrying too much and living in the future and not the present, which wastes a lot of energy.  Don't worry NOW about what you will do when you move.  Instead start planning on finding an apartment or even house or duplex to rent that would work with your cat.  That's a good way to spend your energy right now.  You can become very educated about what's out there, what the costs will be, what the situation is etc.  Your next step is to rent it, decorate it, catify it, and move in, complete with cat.  After THAT you live there for awhile with your cat.   If the cat adjusts fine, then all the energy you are now devoting to deciding what to do if he DOESN'T adjust becomes wasted time you could put to better use now.  Cross that bridge when AND IF you come to it.  You may never even have to think about it again.  Most of us here think he will be just fine with you in your new living situation.

Take him with you. Youll be so sorry if you don't. You need him and. He needs you. That's all there is to it. Stop driving yourself mad. He's meant to be with you. Nuff sed.

You are all right. I'll stop worrying and focus on the present instead. Thank you for calming me down