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Published in the Ithaca Journal on Tuesday, January 20, 2004
How will cats handle separation, new living space?
Spotlight on Pet Behavior
By MICHELLE BAMBERGER
Special to the Journal
Question:Our two family cats have lived with my parents for all of their 10 years. Until about a year ago I lived at home and assumed a lot of the responsibility and care for the cats. As a result, the cats are very close to me. I have been home for several months throughout the last year and they are always happy to see me. My parents have both recently retired and plan to travel, which will mean the cats will be left home alone for extend periods. I would like to bring the cats to live with me but I'm worried about the transition adversely affecting them. You see, my parents live in a fairly big house and my apartment is comparatively small. Do you think the cats will have a hard time adjusting to a smaller living situation? Also, will they be upset by the separation from my parents? I should tell you that whenever we get out the suitcases to travel, both cats (especially the male cat) behave as if they are upset by the upcoming departure. Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Our family only wants the best for the cats and they are very much loved by everyone.Answer: In answer to your question concerning space issues, moving the cats into smaller living quarters, such as your apartment, would be of no concern if the cats were truly quite happy to be together. However, in your parents’ house, the space might have allowed them to occupy their own areas without being in each other’s way, and without engaging in acts of aggression, such as hissing, growling, biting, staring, blocking doorways, guarding litterboxes or food. Adjustment times do vary depending on the individual personalities of the cats and the people involved, but give your cats at least three months in your apartment before you decide whether they can, or can’t tolerate each other in a smaller space. To ease the transition to your apartment, consider increasing the vertical space in your home; this will allow your cats to be together but still have some space between them. Vertical space may include catwalks, kitty condos, trees, tents, tunnels and teepees. You may also simply be able to move existing furniture around to create space. The Cats House and Cats into Everything by Bob Walker are two books you may want to read for more ideas along these lines. You may also want to provide your cats with several cat beds each throughout your home as additional places where they could rest, yet feel comfortable in favorite rooms. You might also try using Feliway, a pheromone that often times has a calming effect on cats.
My impression is that your cats very much like to be around people, whether it is you or your parents, and may become distressed when someone leaves. In order to decrease their anxiety, be sure to keep your departures and arrivals low key and try not to act differently with your cats before you leave and when you return. When you are about to leave, don’t be overly attentive or act guilty because you feel bad about leaving your cats alone for so many hours; instead, try to act as normally as possible and give a quick goodbye when you leave. Next, act like you are going to leave, and then don't. For example, bring out your suitcases and then sit down and read the paper or cook dinner. Other triggers your cats might respond to are when you pick up your keys and put on your shoes. These cues, given randomly in this way, will soon be ignored by both cats and will not lead to anxiety over your departure. Another step you might consider is to give your cats a special treat or an interactive toy just before you leave, and to change these items every few weeks. It is very important that your cats have access to these special items only when you are gone. Another way to occupy your cats while you are gone and to add some variety to their lives is to place part of their food in difficult to find places, so they must “hunt” for it. Try changing the locations and the consistency of the foods you hide. One last piece of advice is to keep your schedule as predictable as possible. Avoid long hours at work, frequent travel or time away from home.
Making these changes to your home, your lifestyle and the way you deal with your cats will not be easy but will provide the best chance for a smooth transition for your feline friends.
Michelle Bamberger is a veterinarian and owner of Vet Behavior Consults (www.vetbehaviorconsults.com), a practice based in Ithaca and devoted exclusively to solving behavioral problems in small, large and exotic animals. Send questions for her column to mjb57@cornell.edu, mail them Care of Jessica Keltz to The Ithaca Journal, 123 West State St., Ithaca, NY, 14850, or fax them to 277-6845.