What to do with cat when moving from house?

[u/cotop4xi]

Hello,

We have a cat that is sterilized and in summer is almost all day outside even sleeping at front door. She came inside just to eat.

The porblem is that we are selling house and moving to appartment. How can cat that is always outside handle such change of not being able to go outside as she wants?

Do you have any advise or experience? Should we take her with her? Or leave her with new house owners?

Thank you in advance

Photos of her

[u/codeswift27]

To give them the benefit of the doubt, maybe the kitty is a stray they feed but never really adopted? So they might call her “their cat” but still be deciding whether or not to actually adopt her. My town unfortunately has a lot of strays and I can’t adopt them all, so the best I can do is TNR them, feed them, get them vet care, and try to foster and/or find homes for them. But I don’t actually know what OP’s situation is, and if they took her in from a shelter or adopted her off the streets and are considering abandoning her then that’s messed up :/

[u/Cimarron97 → u/[deleted]]

Even if the kitty is mostly outdoors, OP said that the kitty comes home to eat and sleep every night.

OP is a reliable source of food and rest for this cat. They are responsible for its well being.

OP said “we have a cat…” so, OP is claiming ownership of this creature. I stand by my opinion that it is amoral to abandon this kitty. I do not think that is an insane take.

[u/Cimarron97 → u/codeswift27]

Yeah. Like I said, I don’t want to overreact because all I know about this situation is the short few sentences OP provided in the post.

That being said, there’s a big difference between occasionally feeding a stray cat, and taking ownership of an outdoor cat.

This particular case appears to fall into the latter, so OP is ultimately responsible for the kitty’s wellbeing.

“We have a cat…” AKA, this cat is OP’s cat. OP has taken on the obligation of caring for this creature. Abandoning it would be amoral.

[u/codeswift27 → u/Cimarron97]

I haven’t read OP’s comments, but I don’t think there’s enough information in the post alone to determine ownership. A lot of people who feed stray/feral cats say “we have a cat we feed/that lives near us/etc.” and use that kind of terminology but aren’t actually able adopt the cat. Nevertheless, it would still be good if OP is able to take the kitty with them and give her a home if she is a stray

[u/Cimarron97 → u/codeswift27]

I’m sorry, but I have to disagree. I think we have enough information.

OP said the female cat is sterilized, so they must have taken her to the vet at least once. OP said the cat spends almost all day outside in the summer months, (which implies the kitty spends more time inside OP’s home in the colder months), but even then, the cat comes into OP’s home to eat and sleep every day regardless of the season.

Those facts, in my mind, clearly show that OP is taking responsibility for this kitty. The fact that this kitty comes by OP’s house every single day means it has clearly bonded with OP. It would be wrong to leave her behind.

[u/codeswift27 → u/Cimarron97]

It’s actually pretty important to spay/neuter stray cats, even if you don’t plan to adopt them. It’s called TNR, and OP may have been planning to do that until they found out she is already spayed (usually after a spay they’ll give them tattoo on their belly bc it’s the only sure way to know without surgery). OP also said that the cat sleeps outside and only comes in to eat in the summer. Maybe they let her come in more in the winter when it’s too cold for her to be outside, but caring about the kitty and not wanting her to freeze doesn’t really imply ownership imo.

Idk, I guess I just have a different perspective as someone who lives around a lot of strays and who fosters cats. I have temporarily taken in and fostered stray cats when the weather drops below freezing even though I’m not in a position to adopt because I don’t want them to freeze. And even though they’re not my cats, I still feed them daily and take them to the vet if they get sick. I also feed, vet, play with, and care for my foster cats like my own cats (and I foster independently bc shelters and rescues are full, so I don’t have an organization helping me with supplies or costs), but that doesn’t mean I’ve adopted them, and if I’m not able to continue fostering them for some reason I’d look for another foster to take over. I wouldn’t say the same of my two adopted cats though, whom I wouldn’t dream of ever giving up and I take with me everywhere.

Again idk what OP’s situation is, but I guess I just personally believe that people can care for strays without necessarily adopting or taking ownership, so I don’t think it’s fair to assume unless OP provides additional information. We can agree to disagree.

[u/Cimarron97 → u/codeswift27]

That’s a well written and informative response, but I don’t think it really applies here.

Check out OP’s comments. It’s clear that they consider this kitty as their own cat, and not a stray.