What's the least traumatic for my cat?

My grandmother recently passed away and I will be the new owner of my her 1 1/2 year old cat Lucky. Right now Lucky is living in my grandmother's house with my grandmother's friend but the house is for sale and as soon as it's sold, the friend will move and I will take Lucky. Some people have told me to take her asap even before the house sells so she can get used to me and her new surroundings before she gets older and older. I'd love to have her asap but I want to do what's best for Lucky. Right now she's in a big house and when she moves in with me she'll be in a small apt. In either case she'll be alone during the day but not at night. I will however have to leave her for a weekend from time to time (once a month say) if she moves in with me (for the next 8 months only).

SO...what is the best thing to do? Leave her in the house she's used to with my grandmother's friend till the house sells (could be 6 more months-we don't know).

OR
Get her used to her new surroundings and owner and leave her for an occasional weekend (with a friend dropping by to check on her).

Thank-you everyone!

I would say to get her into her new home right away. She is already a little stressed with a new person in the home. So soon she will get used to the new person and relax and then you will be moving her again which means stress all over again. I would just move her now and start getting her settled in with you and her new home.

You could go and play with Lucky at your grandmother's house on a once or twice weekly basis, making the visits more frequent as you set up a space for her in your apartment. Then bring her over. She will be used to you and consider you a friend, which is half the battle.

My Gizmo was in a house before she moved into my largish apartment, her former owners simply dropped her off with me and there was no gradual anything for the poor cat. She hid under the sofa for about twenty minutes, was playing with me in two hours' time, and it took her two weeks to adjust and consider it home. She was using her familiar litterbox and eating the same food, but everything else was new. This is a young cat and probably even more open to change than four year old Gizmo was. I'd take some of your grandmother's clothing and bring it to your apartment and make a cat bed with it; also make sure that you use the cat's original box and dishes, and she should be fine.

I like the gradual idea. you get to know her and then move her...

You might want to think about something.. With leaving the cat during the day (depending on how the cat is),, you might want to think about eventually getting her a kitty friend.. Especially with you leaving on weekends for the next 8 months..

It's just a thought..

Heather

Also, there will be people coming in and out of the house for showings while it is for sale. That would be stressful for the cat (and sometimes for the people who want to buy the house!). I'd take the cat now.

Take Lucky to your place now.

Scenario 1:
Lucky's owner is gone, a new woman comes to take care of her for an unknown amount of time, Lucky has to move, Lucky has to get used to a new person

Scenario 2:
Lucky's owner is gone, Lucky has to move, Lucky has to get used to a new person.

Making it more gradual will make it much more stressful to Lucky. As we cannot explain to them what's going on, if you leave her there for now, and things change gradually over a few months, and then suddenly she moves... well, she will be very stressed out for months. If you bring her over now, she will be stressed out until she is used to your place, which she would have been anyway.

The best thing for your cat is to change everything that will change all at once, and then be very careful to have a routine for awhile.

And my condolences about your grandmother.

Sorry about your Grandmother RIP .... I would take her now .

Personally, I'd take her now and get her used to things. If you have a separte room that you can keep her in that's better then to dump her in the middle of a new place with strange cats.

How old is the cat?

Thank-you everyone for your quick feedback! What a wonderful forum! Unfortunately I cannot do the gradual thing as Lucky is in FL and I live in NC (she's indoors there and will be here). Heather you have a good point about getting her a friend. I've been thinking about that. --Though I had a friend recently tell me that cats are not pack animals and that having 2 (so they are not alone) it's not as necessary as we used to think. Do you all have any thoughts on this? 2 cats in my small apt. might be tough but I don't want Lucky to be miserable!!!
Oh and to answer GoldenKitty45...Lucky is almost 1 and a half years old. (and very active!)

Thanks everyone!

If that's the case (states distance) you should get the cat now - not later. I thought when you talked about "old" the cat was over 8-10 yrs old; but she's barely out of kittenhood She'll adjust great at that age. You should have no problems.

If she's use to having a person around and you will be working you might consider adopting a 6 mo - 1 yr neutered laid-back male to keep her company.

Originally Posted by AnimalLover77

Thank-you everyone for your quick feedback! What a wonderful forum! Unfortunately I cannot do the gradual thing as Lucky is in FL and I live in NC (she's indoors there and will be here). Heather you have a good point about getting her a friend. I've been thinking about that. --Though I had a friend recently tell me that cats are not pack animals and that having 2 (so they are not alone) it's not as necessary as we used to think. Do you all have any thoughts on this? 2 cats in my small apt. might be tough but I don't want Lucky to be miserable!!!
Oh and to answer GoldenKitty45...Lucky is almost 1 and a half years old. (and very active!)

Thanks everyone!

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I highly recommend getting another young kitty as a companion for Lucky. Cats can and do get lonely when left alone for long periods, not to mention that they enjoy our company.

To make a long story short after we adopted Trouble our older cat, he's about 1 1/2 yrs old now, I really, really, wanted another baby. After searching and searching I finally found my baby Rascal at our local shelter. He was only 8 weeks at the time, but I knew he was the one for me

Once I got him home, we had to keep them apart for a time (about a week) so that they could get used to each other. It was funny because Trouble wanted to play with the kitten, but at the same time, he was also being very dominant towards him, which is why I had to keep them apart, so that Trouble would not hurt the baby. At night, the baby would come and sleep with us. It's like he knew that we were his safety net

I think within about three weeks they became inseparable! They were so in love with each other that I was almost depressed that they did not seem to want/need any attention from me, except for food and water!

Now, they play, sleep, and eat together. They groom each other. They imitate each other, what one does, so does the other!

But the best part is that although they are inseparable, they are so affectionate with us too! So two is better than one!

Have you ever had cats before?

Shanynne
Extreme Kitty Lover