Should I say goodbye to my cat?

MsFifers

I'm in a dilemma - I've been minding a stray cat since last Sept, and since the snow he's been living in my kitchen (he has no interest in going outside anymore!). I've brought him to the vet, got him neutered, taught him about litter trays etc, and he is a real dote. But I have to rehome him because he is vicious with my own two cats - he will not stop trying to kill them and the house is now a war zone with me as the UN keeping the sides apart!

Anyway, after advertising for months, yesterday a lady rang me - she lives on her own in a house with a big garden and sounds like she loves cats. She used to have one herself until recently when it was knocked down and she was devastated. Unfortunately she lives beside a busy road, and the cat won't be kept inside full time because she doesn't want a litter tray in the house. She will let him live inside too, but will put him out when she's not home (she has a garage for him to shelter in).

I don't know whether to hand over my stray to her or not. It would probably be good for him to have his own place because its so stressful in my house now with the cat-war going on (he has started losing his fur with the stress), but I'm worried he'll try to find his way home if he gets out into the garden, and I'm concerned about the road too (although he is used to roads as he used to live around my village and managed to avoid getting knocked down).

If you were me - would you let him go?

Paddysnapper

YES....You know it makes sense:)

The Sweeper

It makes sense?

It makes sense to hand an inside-only cat over to someone who lives next to a busy road and won't let him stay in the house during the day?

Might as well just scruff him and throw him into the traffic yourself tbh.

I'd hold off if I were you and keep advertising. Or ask her if she'd build him a cat run.

MsFifers

The Sweeper wrote: »

It makes sense to hand an inside-only cat over to someone who lives next to a busy road and won't let him stay in the house during the day?

Just to clarify - he was an outdoor only stray until v. recently so is used to roads etc, and the lady is retired so its only when she goes out socially that the cat will be put in the garden/garage. She will let him inside as much as he wants otherwise.

I know what you're saying though.

The Sweeper

Yeah even if he was a stray and had some street savvies tho, it depends on whether he's ever lived near that busy a road.

His stray history may make him more likely to explore outside the yard, but his experience with busy roads will directly influence his survival rate.

I'd press her on litter trays and an enclosure tbh. I mean, how long did she have her former road-savvy cat beside that busy road, and yet it still met its end on that same road?

Angelmangle

To be honest I don't understand her aversion to having a litter tray in the house, that to my mind is part of owning a cat. I think she wants a cat on her terms and not what is best for the animal.

He will need to be kept in for the very minimum of one week when he first moves into his new home (so that he settles and doesn't stray and end up killed by a car) and she can't or won't do that because she won't have a litter tray in the house then no I don't think she is a suitable person to take your cat.