Hello Becky,I would love...

Question
Hello Becky,

I would love your advice on my situation:

In 1999, my girlfriend and I got four cats - all from the same litter.  We kept 2 (Teddy and Fiona) and gave the other 2 to my girlfriend's parents.   My girlfriend and I were planning to move to Washington DC together (for a new job for her and grad school for me), but things did not work out - we broke up.  My girlfriend's parents agreed to keep our 2 cats (in addition to the other 2 we gave them - and promised them to me when I was ready for them.

I graduated in 2002 but have lived with roommates ever since and have felt that the cats have the best life on Cape Cod - where they have a big house and yard.  I live in Boston and visit them about once a month.

I am actually pretty close with my ex girlfriend's parents, who say I can have one of the cat's (Teddy - my favorite) when I am ready.  I also want to take his sister, Fiona, as they are very close.  I think it would be a mistake to take just Teddy, although I think my ex's parents are concerned that I will not give Fiona enough attention.  Although I have tended to favor Teddy and it is true that I give him the most attention (he commands it!), I would also be devoted to Fiona.  Here are my concerns/questions:

Should I take Teddy and Fiona when I am able to provide a good living situation for them?  I love them both immensely - in fact, I feel so connected to them that I would have tremendous regrets if I did not take them at some point.  On the other hand, I worry about disrupting their lives.  I feel that they are connected to me as well, but I'm just not sure what to do?  If I do take them, as I plan, do you have any ideas on how I can make the transition easiest for them?  Also, it may be tough to convince my ex's parents to let me take Fiona.  I feel it would be most detriminental to take Ted away from his litter mate.  Do you agree/disagree?

I would be most grateful for your thoughts on the issues I've raised.

Thanks,

Jeremy

Answer
Hi Jeremy,

Cats are funny creatures and do not like change.  You may or may not have problems if you take them to a new environment.   Some cats that get stressed, will stop using the litter box and start going on the carpet or elsewhere.   It really depends on the cat.  I had an experience with one of my Rex cats....  I gave him to a friend because he was beating up on some of my other cats.  He began peeing on their clothes.  They no longer wanted him, so I found another home, and there he peed on their carpet.  That seems to be the way they show their displeasure.  Eventually he was trained to use the litter box again, but only because his new owner was very very patient and re-trained him completely.   You may not have any problems at all, I just want you to be aware of how cats sometimes react to change.   The main thing is stress.... and yes, I think separating the two cats is defeinetly not a good idea.  If you can't take both, then leave them together.    
You may want to take a hard look at their lives now. If they are happy and content, given lots of attention, it might be best to leave them alone.   I know you don't want to hear that, but you may upset their lives and cause all kinds of problems.  Cats are creatures of habit,  and if they are happy where they are,  then I would really think about it before I changed their way of life.  You seem to be a really caring person who wants the best for your cat,  I'm sure you will do the right thing.  

Good Luck, and God bless!
Becky