Returning with cat to UK permanently

[chessie]

We have a 10 year old cat.   He was a feral but he 'adopted' us (or left by Mum) at age about 4 months.

He's never been a sit on a lap cat, or a talker, or very affectionate.   Just a cat about the house.

Until the last year or so when he's become much more a domestic, friendly, follow one around the garden and far happier with human company than in previous years.

We now need to think about returning, permanently, to the UK.   Where we'll end up no-one knows - renting probably, in urban situation - not open countryside as we have currently.

Here, this cat has the run of fields, and farms, and the whole of the wide open spaces.   I don't know whether it is fair to him to remove him from this freedom to come and go, no worries about traffic, or dogs or anything - and transplant him into a UK urban environment.   But I will not 'leave' him behind, or hand him over to another owner - that would be rather cruel to do that - just can't do it.

So - do we have to wait out until little cat goes to 'cat heaven' - or do we inflict the UK's urban world on him ?

Has anyone had experience of taking cat back to UK, from the open air and freedom to the confines of an urban back-garden, with neighbouring cats, and dogs and children and noise.

If anyone has any experience of this, I would really appreciate some guidance....

Chessie

[AnOther]

Of your options I'd say the one you seem to regard as least palatable is probably in fact the kindest.

Cats can live to 20 or more so waiting for him to die isn't really an option at all and as you don't know where you'll end up in UK, other than it probably being in an urban/built up area, the shock and potential dangers that would present would be far crueller than finding him a loving home here in France ever could be.

That's my opinion anyway and I might add comes from someone who may possibly be facing a similar decision over the future of much loved cat in not too distant future.

That's not moving back to UK though just to be clear, absolutely NOT but the cat herself going there is one of the options !

[chessie]

Oh thank you for reply.   It does sound morbid doesn't it, that we won't move until.....

But I feel really torn about this.   I've been on the receiving end several times of 'we're having to move back, don't know what to do about our cat(s) - you wouldn't like to take it(them) would you' - and then feeling so mean when we have to say 'no', simply because we don't want to be put in the same situation later on down the line.   But I'm so worried about having to find a home for a rather nice cat - and end up in the situation that no-one would want him... - then how do you cope with that, and the feelings of guilt - can't do it.

But you feel that this older adult cat would indeed have problems adjusting to the UK ? - Rather confirms my thoughts - oh dear.

Why do we have pets ?  No - don't answer that - just rhetorical - of course I know why.....

Chessie

[lindal1000]

I bought my 18 year old cat here to France..and yes I know it's the other way round, but we couldn't let him out when we got here because he was too old to cope with all the space and orientated himself. He lived his remaining three years indoors and it didn't seem to bother him.

[andyh4]

I cannot help with France to UK, but I have experience of UK to Germany and Germany to France.

UK environment - country but with busy road in front which had previously taken out previous cats. Our rescues were given free run behind the house but not in front.

German environment - urban, busy cross roads. Cats were kept indoors and had a purpose built run in the garden.

French environment - completely rural, no major roads in immediate vicinity. Given free run.

Our 3 cats from the UK were 5-6 months old before being caught in an RSPCA humane trap - together with mum (who had clearly been a house cat before becoming pregnant). Consensus was that they would be permanently feral but they bonded with us.

When I was shipped out to Germany we brought the 3 kittens with us. Mum stayed in the UK and was rehomed by the cats' protection league - who had supplied the trap. The rationale was that while mum had been used to a more general human contact and would adjust to rehoming, the kittens (by now 18 months old so not really kittens) would only respond to us.

They quickly adjusted to the new environment in Germany where they were essentially permanently penned in.

After 7 years we bought the house in France and regularly commuted between the two properties, where they experienced the freedom of France in contrast to the confined environment in Germany. All no problems.

I could go on about the pedigree cat that the adopted us in France, produced a litter of kittens and were then transported with the other 3 from the UK back and forth between France and Germany.

Cats are extremely adaptable and you should not have major fears about how your cat will respond to a new environment. To him/her the key points will be where is the food, and who will stroke me or just be around when I feel like I need some human contact - which might be infrequent.

So get him/her chipped (if not already) get him/her rabies injected and passported, and make your plans. The cat will adapt better than you fear - and maybe more quickly than even you do.

[mogs]

Where we lived in the UK we had had several kittens, all came to a ghastly end on a road around the corner from our house.

We adopted two kittens and brought them to France aged 13 weeks, we'd never let them out of the UK house before we left.

They are now 13 years old, and with two adopted cats aged 4 years and 2 years who all have the freedom of rural life, small animal catching on a daily basis and yet enjoy the home comforts we offer.

There is no way I could leave any of them behind if we ever moved, if I had to I would keep them indoors as house cats, which might be a trial to begin with but I wouldn't want to leave them behind.

I too think cats adapt to the situation they are offered, so don't worry about him, much better you take him with you than risk someone not caring about him if left behind in France.

Good luck with it and hope it works out

[mint]

I agree with Andy and Mogs.

We had 2 cats, both came to live with us of their own accord, and they moved around several homes with us, maybe up to 7 times. Like, Andy, we also used to commute, Friday nights from Wales to Somerset and Monday mornings the commute was the other way around.

They had no problems adapting to the 2 different places but preferring the Somerset house which was semi rural and had a large garden.  But, back in Wales, they'd sit in the forecourt of our flat (and yes, it was a busy road) only crossing the road after dark and the traffic was quiet.

One died at 18 years and the other died about 4 years later at 22 years old.  I must admit we couldn't think of moving to France until after both had gone and buried next to each other in the garden.  Sounds crazy but I didn't want to leave Cat No 1 on his own in the garden but after Cat No 2 was also buried there, I felt they would be with each other in death as they were in life and we could make the big move.

If you have a lot of contact with your animals, and you sound like you do, then they would adapt to any new environment as long as you are there.

Besides, if you left one behind, you'd never have any peace wondering how it's doing and, even if the new home is a good one, you'd wonder whether they are treating your cat the way you used to treat it.

There it is with animals...............you simply cannot walk away.

[AnOther]

Clearly I'm in the minority here but I do think people underestimate the care a carefully chosen new owner would give their new charge.

I know for my own part that if we took one in in the circumstances it would receive the self same love and attention as our own does, no question whatsoever about it because we did it in UK - twice !

Good luck with the dilemma.

[alittlebitfrench]

We have a large house/garden in Tours where our cat grew up and of course the cat loves it. But we live in a box in Paris 3/4 of the year. We take the cat backwards and forwards and it just adapts. One minute wild cat, next minute appartement cat.

Cats adjust.