Is splitting up two cats who have been together for 4 years going to negatively affect them? ?

My ex and I broke up months ago and I have had both of our cats. Suddenly this morning he asked if he could take one of them and I'm worried that will be bad for the two of them to be split apart. Is splitting up two cats who have been together for 4 years going to negatively affect them? ?
Of course it will affect them. How it will depends on the individual cat's personality. It's possible one will recover without any problems, but it is also possible one or both may never get over the separation.





As someone else suggested, tell him to adopt one. If he insists on taking one of your cats, perhaps you both should consider adopting a companion for the remaining cat.





Try to convince him that animals do have personalities and do develop relationships with others (people and animals). Separation anxiety and depression are very real for animals.





If you broke up months ago, why is he asking this now? What is really motivating him?Is splitting up two cats who have been together for 4 years going to negatively affect them? ?
If one of the cats is his, then I would recommend you offer to pay for him to adopt another cat. If the cats are close they may become depress when the other is gone. I think if he was that close to those cats he would have insisted taking it when you broke up. Have a different cat should be able to satisfy whatever reason he suddenly wanted his cat back. If he didn't take the cat because he couldn't and he really wants that cat back, and you are really concerned about the cats being separated, maybe you could insist he takes both cats to keep them together, and get yourself a new cat.
If your cats are close it would be very cruel to seperate them. I have two cats who love one another a lot and would never seperate them under any circumstances because it would cause them to be very depressed and lonely. I could never do that to them. If your ex really loves the cats he'll understand and adopt one from the Humane Society instead.
If they are close at all then it will be very upsetting to them. Cats can form deep attachments to each other so separating them isn't usually a good idea. Maybe you could offer to help your ex adopt a kitten of his own (maybe offer to help pay for shots or spay/neuter or something). If you separate them they will most likely be depressed by may eventually adjust.
Cats who've been close for a number of years can go into a depression when separated from each other......by death or by one leaving (which to the remaining cat, is the same thing!)





A depressed cat can stop eating, begin hiding away, start to eliminate inappropriately, etc........big problems.





Just because you and your ex have broken up, doesn't mean the cats have to suffer, too. Tell him...for the health and well-being of the cats, they need to stay together. If he wants a cat, he can adopt one ( or 2 ) from a shelter, and save a life!





Hope this helps.........Take care of your ';babies';.......Good luck w/your ex!
Cats (and dogs) will grieve over lost housemates, even if they didn't get along too well.





I agree with most of the other people on here...try to see if you can keep them together. Why cause them sadness and grief...which I'm sure they might already be feeling over the ';loss'; of your ex.





Good luck...I send you all good wishes.
Depends on how the cats bonded with each other. If they are not close, then splitting them up won't be too bad. But if they are close, they would miss each other.





I suggest that if you have both of them, he should just go adopt another cat.
Don't seperate them! Your ex is just trying to be mean and punish you. They'll be depressed! I seperated mine (3.5 years old) for two nights once and they both acted so weird and were obviously so stressed and sad. Don't do it!
Tell him to go adopt one.





Keep your cats, and keep them together.
they will be sad unless they hated each other
it might. they' ve been together for a while and if you seperate them they might get depressed