When couples split up, it’s important to keep any animal companion from becoming a pawn.

By Karen Commings

When Kim Gildea and her husband Tim divorced, the couple arrived at a split decision regarding their four cats. “We each had our favorites,” said Gildea. Kim kept Alex, the tortie-colored cat she had when she met Tim, and Madeline, one of the Ocicats the couple adopted together. Tim kept Max, the second Ocicat, and Abby, a deaf white female.

Choosing favorites is one way divorcing couples determine with whom the cats stay. “Usually the person who wants the cat is the person most attached to it,” says Katherine Houpt, VMD, PhD, of Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine and board certified in animal behavior. “Nine out of ten times, that’s…

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