How to move house with cat

[WeAreOnTheRoadToNowhere]

I'm just looking for practical advice. I am moving shortly. My cat, like many, doesn't like it when things move around so I am worried he will disappear when packing starts. I also don't like the thought of him being in a carrier too long whilst we are packing
He has never been to a cattery either and will have to for this year's holiday so any tips for that would be good too

our cat went to a cattery when we moved and stayed a few days whilst we unpacked. I didn’t want the stress of worrying that she would disappear (she’s got form!) We kept her inside for a couple of weeks at the new house so she could get to know the environment. He’ll be fine in a cattery - take his bed so he’s got something familiar, and good luck with your move!

I second putting him into the cattery for the moving period - this would kill two birds with one stone, in your case, as he'd be in for a short period to get used to it before he goes in longer for your holiday.

You really don't want him underfoot while your stuff is being moved, there's a risk he'll be freaked out by it and disappear. You can get him out again once everything is in your new house and the big things like furniture have been placed. Show him where his litter tray and food are, and keep him indoors for at least a couple of weeks while he settles.

Putting him in the cattery - he might like something from home to go with him; his bed, if he uses one, and something smelling of you such as a cushion or pillow. Tell them about any special dietary requirements and provide medications with instructions. You will need evidence that his vaccinations are up to date when you drop him off (the card the vet gives you or a paper invoice for the most recent booster). Give him a flea treatment before he goes in as there's a risk of picking up fleas in there.

It is horrible, emotionally, leaving them in the cattery but they do settle there and mine have never hated me afterwards despite my fears!

Good luck with the move!

Yep ours went to cattery with cosy bed, plenty of toys. He’s a house cat so I didn’t want him around for all the moving about, especially if he’s jumpy. We moved and he came home about 3 days later when I felt the furniture and most of the boxes were “straight”!

I would put him in a cattery for a few days. It’s the safest option really. I’m not a fan of them generally but I think moving house is one of those times where they’re an essential unless you have a super confident cat.

If your cat will be going to a cattery later anyway then I agree that would probably be best for him.

We did things slightly differently. We emptied out one bedroom entirely before the move happened so that there was no need for anyone to go in there on the day.

We then put the cat in there with the litter tray, food, water and some of his things. When everything was moved out we got him into a carrier and went off to the new house.

When we got there we did it in reverse. Put him and his stuff in a small bedroom and the movers then brought in all our stuff but that one bedroom was left empty with the door shut until the move was complete.

The cat was fine with that and settled in to the new home very quickly indeed.

This is how I've always worked it with our house cats, and will be doing the same when we're relocating 300miles later this year.

Best of luck with the move OP.

We did a version of another2cats move.
DCat, however was incredibly unhappy at being shut in an empty room, so I had to send the kids to sit on the floor with her. They got screens, she got compamy and settled the as long as one of "her humans" was in the room.

She goes on hunger strike at the cattery, however, so that wasn't an easy solution either.

Agree,we put ours in a cattery for a few days ,apart from.....
.a really fun thing happened once..I was moving,cat, skint so mostly using the car,on one of the trips,our ginger boy tiger,got in the car and sat himself in the passenger seat. He had never done this before ,it was hilarious seeing peoples faces and double takes when I stopped at traffic lights.

"...and sat himself in the passenger seat."

My in laws live abroad. They have a small holiday home that they visit regularly.

They always take their cat with them in the car (not in a carrier, but just with them in the car) and they get the same sort of reactions as well.

They went so often that the cat could always tell when they were getting close to their holiday home, he knew the way there.

Thanks all, good advice
Will hopefully all go smoothly

It was freaky it was as though he knew we were moving. He was a chilled out soul,at one point my DD took him to work, which was a stud farm, she lived in, and he settled from the word go. To be honest, the reason we took the cattery route was because people kept taking in and feeding my cats. The one we had with tiger for a while,my then neighbour used to keep her indoors. She had 2 of her own, one an abbasynian horrible howling thing,on a lead so no one could pinch him. The other one she took from people opposite, they gave up when they moved away,left her the cat. Next place we moved to the son a 19 year old did the same. Would you believe, when we were moving, put them in lnto the cattery,both these neighbours came round demanding to know where the cats were. This same DD lost hers when she moved,he was a gorgeous British blue, she managed to get him once because she moved a long way. The people had obviously kept him indoors,fed him rubbish,his fur had been hacked off and he was covered in dry faeces.

Cattery for at least a week. It’s the only way.

No, it really isn't.