It is increasingly common to hear or read the words "divorce" and "separation". These are things that happen: the relationship that two people decided to start, putting a lot of hope and desire, is broken. It is very hard, so much so that some compare this pain with that felt after the death of a loved one. But when there are pets, the situation can get complicated, especially when it comes to cats.
These animals hate changes, we must also bear in mind that they tend to prefer a human. So, We are going to explain everything about joint custody of pets.
We have separated: who does the cat have to stay with?
The cat is an animal of habit. He does not like changes at all. In fact, you may feel very bad just because you have moved a piece of furniture; Let's not even imagine what a change of house would be. It may take several days and sometimes weeks for you to adjust.
When a member of the family leaves, the furry one will realize that that loved one is gone. That's why You have to think carefully with whom the furry person should stay, or if, on the contrary, joint custody is chosen. But how? Always talking to the person first.
Before leaving the decision to a judge, it will be better for everyone - including the cat himself - to try to reach an amicable agreement with the former partner. In this way, headaches and expenses derived from the trial will be avoided. However, If we do not achieve anything this way, then yes, there will be no choice but to take legal action.
And that is where the situation can get complicated. The stress, both human and feline, will be great. It is more than likely that we are all more sensitive, more irritable. The feline could begin to have unwanted behaviors derived from the stress it is experiencing, such as relieving itself off the tray, scratching and / or biting when it did not before, growling when we pet it.
For all these reasons, it will be highly recommended to try to make everything go as quickly as possible.
Can my ex partner claim my cat?
If the cat was already ours before the marriage and we can prove it (with the animal's vaccination card or passport, adoption receipt or purchase invoice) we won't have to worry about anything. But, if the furry was acquired or adopted during the relationship, then you can choose to resolve the situation in two different ways:
Opt for sole custody
It is, without a doubt, the most complicated. When one of the parties is allowed to keep the cat, they must compensate their ex-partner for the loss of the rights of custody and enjoyment of the animal., as explained by the Affinity Foundation on its website.
In the case of a cat, and bearing in mind that environmental changes can cause many problems, this would undoubtedly be the best option. But when both people adore and love you, you can think of joint custody.
Joint custody of cats
Sometimes it happens that an amicable agreement cannot be reached. Therefore, a solution could be to share custody. When requested, the animal's visiting regime will be established, as well as the care it will receive from now on. For example, if one of the members can dedicate more time to you, he will keep it but will allow his ex partner to visit him and take him away during periods of time such as vacations.
What if there are children?
If there are children in the family, the sentence may vary. He may give us joint custody, but we will most likely get sole custody. Why? Because the little ones tend to form very strong bonds with the animals, and if they break, it will be a major trauma. In addition, jurisprudence advises not to separate them in cases of divorce or parental separation.
What to avoid: neglect or abuse
It's very sad, but after a separation, the cat is usually the one who gets the worst of it. In the worst case, you will end up on the street, where you can be hit by a car in a matter of a few days; At best, you will end up in a shelter where you can be well cared for, but you will be so sad and depressed that you may need a lot of help to get by.
In Spain many animals are abandoned every year. In 2016, 138.000 were collected, of which 33.335 were cats. Let's not add to that list with our feline. He is not to blame for what happened. And that is not to mention that he did not decide to share his life with us, but we were the ones who decided to take him home. Let's take care of him as he deserves.