What is best to do: moving with a cat

[Kitty198]

My indoor cat has lived with us since she was a kitten and is 9. We are moving in a few days, and im getting really worried how she will cope. She is a funny cat, has no interest in going outside which is why she’s indoor , hates change and gets quite aggressive when stressed.

I was thinking of leaving her at our old place for a few days after we move while we settle things as she gets very stressed when it’s busy and likes the quiet, but would she think we are abandoning her if she’s left in our last home alone for a few nights ( I need to go back during the day anyway to clean so I’ll be there in the day, not overnight) It’s a tiny bungalow.

That sounds like an ideal plan if she’s likely to get more stressed with the upheaval of the moving process.

Keep some unwashed jumpers/towels, etc in the old house (that smell of you) then transfer those with her on the day you transport her to the new house.

Perhaps get a couple of plug-in diffusers or sprays (e.g, Feliway)

Get some of her favourite foods or treats too, so that you can ‘spoil’ her when she’s moved.

To add, it’s probably safer to keep her at your old home until you’re sorted in the new house. In case she panicked and escaped, especially since the external doors will be open a lot, if that makes sense!

Agree that keeping her in the old home is better, being a bit lonely is not as bad as the huge stress of moving, and risk of bolting. If you can get yourselves settled as much as possible and then move her (into one room for the first few nights) that's best.

Our cat hated our last move... was soooo stressed and panicky for the first few days, we felt so guilty... but he was completely over it and back to usual self after a month. Hang in there!

To be honest, if she is in the home with all the upheaval of everything literally being moved out from under her, she will get really stressed anyway.

Maybe the best thing for her would be to go to a cattery for a week whilst you move out of the old place and into the new one. You can then ready the new home for her, and collect her at the right time.

I’d take her to a cattery too.

I too would recommend putting her in a Cattery over the moving period. You will worry her whilst packing/moving. With a Cattery there is no chance of escape and she will come back to her own people and things in the new house.