"223rem" wrote in message
oups.com...
I will be moving from a house in a suburban/semi-rural area to an
apartment in a big metropolis. Now my cats can go out whenever they
want and in fact they spend more time outdoors than indoors. They love
to roam, climb trees, hunt, etc. They'd probably go nuts if confined
in an apartment.

To my surprise, my landlord, who always pets my cats when he rans into
them, offered to take my cats and 'give them a good home' in a barn on
his 50 acre farm. They'll probably become "barn cats"! This guy is a
honorable man, he's proven that many times, so he'll keep his promise.

Well, I accepted his offer, and now I'm extremely sad... Was I wrong?
What would you have done in my place?


Well, since you asked for opinions, I will give you mine. Yes, I think you
were wrong. I would *never* give up my cats. They are family, just like
children -- and very few people would give up children. Cats are not
disposable objects! Moreover, I have been through a number of "moving days"
when I had to find an apartment that would accept cats. I had to give up on
many apartments that I really would have liked simply because of adamant "no
pets" policies. I no longer have to worry about that because I own my home,
but *my* policy during the days when I was renting was "accept my cats, or I
look elsewhere." Incidentally, cats adjust *very* well to apartment living.
All you need to do is provide lots of toys, attention, scratching posts, and
a climbing surface (such as a cat tree). Barn cats usually do not receive
the type of attention that you have probably been giving your cats. They
also usually have a shorter lifespan than indoor cats -- less nutrition,
vulnerable to predators, traffic (even in a rural area), etc. Your landlord
may have good intentions, but do you really think he will monitor their
health, take them to a vet on a regular basis, provide good quality food
(and not take the attitude that they can "catch their own food"), groom
them, give them attention, and all the other little things that you have
probably done without even thinking about it. So, my opinion is that you
should try to retrieve these kitties, take them with you, and provide the
type of indoor space that will give them a healthy and happy environment
without needing to go outdoors. Personally, I think it will also make *you*
happier since you said you are heartbroken over this decision.

MaryL