# Leaving my kitty- will she be okay?



## courtneyxoxox (Mar 17, 2014)

I will be leaving my home state to attend college in another state. I'll be leaving my cat Natasha with my parents. I'm just extremely worried how she'll react to not having me there. I will be moving from Hawaii to Texas, so I obviously won't be able to see her often (maybe twice a year). I rescued her as a kitten, she's 9 years old now. She sleeps with me every night, she's there at the door whenever I come home. There was a period of time where I had left for college, my parents told me she would wait at the door and cry (meow), she wouldn't eat and would hide out. I just took her to the vet and fortunately, she's physically healthy. I just want her to be okay, does anyone have any experience with leaving their cats? I will be gone for a maximum of 18-24 months to finish my degree and will probably come home Christmas and summer time. I know all cats adapt differently, so, does anyone have any advice on making this transition smoother for my kitty? The only thing that give me hope is she'll be with my parents, in the home she's been in for the last 9 years of her life. Any advice is much appreciated!


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## Marmoset (Feb 18, 2014)

I've never had to leave a cat that long but in general they adapt pretty easily especially if they don't have to move. The place will still smell like you and your parents are familiar to her. The last time I went away I dropped off our cat with my mom who she had already lived with along with us. She was fine. When we came back it was obvious that she had bonded with my mom again. 

I think it's great that she has a family who she knows will care for her already. She might need a little while to adapt- she might meow at the door again- but she will adapt and be a happy kitty in her secure and loving home.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

I have a daughter in college, so we have been through this before. My cat Beep was 10 when my daughter moved out to go to school. This cat was her baby, however, the cat is also very bonded to my husband. We also have a dog that Beep is pretty bonded with too. Beep did look for her when she was gone, but she did adjust. It will take a little time. Hopefully your family will give her lots of extra love and just be patient with her. 

This is the part of growing up and moving away that is hard. It will be hard for you and for her, but you will both be OK. It would be more stressful for your cat to move away from her home with you, so this is the best alternative. And you will be so happy to see each other when you visit. When my daughter visits, Beep is all over her, and just purrs and is so happy to see her. But Beep adjusted and your kitty will too. Will your family still keep your room the same while you are gone? Hopefully at least for a while? I think as long as she has her usual place to sleep for now, she will be fine. 

Good luck in college. Maybe when you are done, and you settle down somewhere, in your own place, then she can come live with you. But she will be OK with your family. I know how hard this must be on you. You must be a really good person, to be so worried about your kitty and how you will miss her, that speaks volumes about just the kind of person you are. She will be OK. (((Big hugs)))!!! Have your family send pictures, and maybe you Skype and see her. Not too much is going to be changing for her, yes, you won't be there, but she will still be in her same house around the same people, so she will probably be way less stressed out about this than you will be. Hang in there.


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## courtneyxoxox (Mar 17, 2014)

Thank you my friends.

She will still have all my sisters and my parents. She also has a partner name Leo who's been with her since the day she came along. Thank you for the reassurance. This really puts me at peace as she is like a baby to me.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

She will certainly miss you, but if you leave as much personal stuff with your smell on it - pillow cases, t shirts, etc. then the transition will be easier. She will be fine. As long as 90% of her life is the same the transition won't be difficult for her. I think it will be infinitely harder for your!

A pretty good book (a novel) about separation (this was because of death), and coming to grips with it from the cat's perspective, and finding new love, is Love will Save the Day by Gwen Cooper. She also wrote Homer's Odyssey which I loved.


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## calypsocoin (Jan 20, 2014)

I'm sorry, I know how hard this can be as I recently experienced it. I can't help you with anything from the cat's perspective, as my cat is pretty independent, but I can sympathize with you about how hard it is to leave your cat when you go off to college. But in a few years, you may have a place of your own and can take her with you! It didn't work for me (she's too old and temperamental to move), but I did adopt another stinker to call my own now that I'm settled and independent


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## gurujad (Feb 21, 2014)

To be frank with you, You will miss her more than she would miss you. Cats are fast in adaptation. If she is being patted, fed, and played with... etc then her life would be simple and everything will be just fine especially when they stay in the same habitat. Even when changing their homes, they would express some initial fear, but as soon as they roam around and investigate the new place, they will get accustomed to it and would act normally.


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## Darkaine (Feb 18, 2014)

To echo what others have said I think she should be ok after some adjustment. It really helps that she isn't leaving her familiar home so you shouldn't have to worry about anything since it sounds like she's in good hands.


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## ndiniz (Jun 29, 2009)

I will be moving soon as well, and I will be moving in with my step-parents who are allergic to cats, and I have an orange/white cat who's been with me since he was just a kitten. I'm moving because originally, my grandma wanted me to live with my dad, and I seriously don't know how I'd end up dealing with it, because my dad & I had an "iffy" relationship. However, he passed away last November, and probably by the end of May, or around early June, my step-parents will be coming to Champaign, IL to help me get everything ready to move. Even though I am leaving my orange/white cat behind, my grandma will take care of him until she can no longer do so. I have a few family members in South Dakota who have cats that I've met, and I guarantee you that these cats are going to LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE having me around on a permanent basis! 

It's true that some friends of mine have asked me what I'm going to do without my orange/white cat, and I've told them that I need not worry about my baby boy. He will be fine. I know I am always welcome to come & visit anytime, so that's good. 

In general, don't worry about a thing, your cat has some people that it's already used to, and it should be fine.


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