Cat Chat Feline Forum

We're moving house next week and my cats are going into a cattery for a couple of days, so I know they're safe. They're nearly 15 and have never been in a cattery, so it's going to be a bit of a shock. Lottie is very much our home cat, Toby comes and goes as he pleases. Due to this Lottie she's the home as her territory and will happily hiss and swipe at him when he returns. Sometimes he ignores her as he's focussed on getting to his food, other times we end up with a cat fight, with Lottie loosing.

My husband and the lady at the cattery think they will so shocked, out of sorts and as Lottie won't be on her home territory she won't cause trouble, so they're unlikely to fight in a joint pen. This option would be good from the point of view they know they are in it together. Alternatively, I can have them put in two individual pens next to eachother, but I doubt Lottie will come out so they won't have the benefit of knowing the other is around (even though they fight eachother, they are brother and sister, so have always been together).

Has anyone any thoughts on whether a family or individual pen would be best. Sounds silly, weather forecast for the day is 25c and the family pens are more shaded.

will the cattery have a spare individual pen to move one of them into if they find close proximity too stressful?

when I used to put Tiffany and Trigger into a cattery a few times a year, the cattery insisted they were separated as Tiffany would eat all the food so there is that aspect to consider too

the ideal might be to share during the day, or at night, and be separated for the rest of the time

Personally I think the cattery owner is right and they would probably be okay in the same pen, particularly if it's bigger, nicer and with some welcome shade. You could ask the owner to promise that if they really don't get on she/he would move them, but from what I've heard cats generally understand when they are confined in a small area and tolerate each other BETTER than when they have a proper 'territory' to defend. It's why there are so many tales of cats having been fine in rescue together in the same pen (even to the extent of being called 'inseparable') and then when new owners get them home and release them into a full HOUSE all hell breaks loose as they compete for dominance...

I'd go with the family pen. x

I'd go for a family pen, we've had cats that are not the best of friends but definitely sick together in the face of adversity (ie the cattery). It would be good if the owner had another pen then you can just see what happens. It would be awful if they spent the whole time fighting.