Boyfriend and I broke up, don’t know who should get the cats
Good morning!
So my boyfriend (28m) of 6 years and I (26f) broke up in the winter and are just finishing out our lease together before he moves out, which is at the end of this month. We’re still great friends, and it was an amicable split. We do however have two cats together that we’ve had for almost our entire relationship, and we both want them.
It has always kind of felt like one of them is more “my” cat, and the other is more “his” (just in terms of the attention and affection the cats give us.) In a perfect world we would each take our respective cats and call it a day, but I would feel bad splitting the two up. I think the cat he would take would be a bit relieved to being an only child again for lack of a better term, but I don’t know for sure how it would affect him.
I’ve debated letting him take both and visiting them every now and then, but he’s not home super often due to work and being out with friends, and is moving into a significantly smaller apartment whereas I work from home and have plenty of space.
I think I’m torn between just keeping them both or letting him take “his” cat. I don’t want the cats thinking the other has died and getting heartbroken, but I also feel awful making him split up from the cats entirely.
What is the best way to handle this situation?
EDIT —— Thank you guys for your input. I will be keeping the cats. :) As I mentioned in a reply to someone, I’ve felt guilty on not allowing him to have the cats and it’s clouded my judgment. I need to think about what’s best for them vs us, and I agree with everyone saying it will be best if they stay where they have been.