Moving day - best way to move nervous elderly cat?

[Salome61]

Hello everyone, I can't think properly because I'm feeling stressed. I'm completing on Thursday 11 March, but can't get a removal until Friday 12 March. I'm in rented and hope to have the cottage until Sunday 14 March so I can clean/shampoo the carpets.

I have an elderly dog, and am going to put him into kennels on the evening of 11 March. My idea was to use the big dog crate I've bought to keep my cat safe, I was going to set it up in the bathroom with her basket/litter tray/water where the removal men wouldn't be going, although she'd hear all the noise.

Do you think it's sensible I should go and set up the crate on the 11th, and the next day on moving day, go over early and put my cat in there before the removal men come? Or should I just forget about the crate idea and keep her in her cat basket in my car? She is a rescue feral cat and really timid, and does hate being in the cat basket.

Can you crate her but in your car? More space to move and quieter?

Is there any way you could put her in the Cattery for a couple of nights? That way she’ll be away from all the chaos and no chance of her running off either.

Thank you for replying.

I could crate her in my car, I have got a big boot, thank you, I hadn't thought of that. I'll make sure I get her back into the cat basket with the car doors closed.

Unfortunately I can't do the cattery as the nearest is a 40 minute drive, and as she cries all the way to the vets ten minutes away I think it would be too stressful.

Ah I see. Cats are stressful little things aren’t they! We have two and are also looking to move soon - I think we are thinking as much about the cat logistics as we are our own! I hope it all goes well.

It will be my lovely old puss's second move within eight months after fifteen years in my old house , I sold in May. Luckily there is only one cat here at the rental, I am worried for her moving into the village where there will be more cats. I've got the Feliway and a new scratching post for her as a housewarming!

The single biggest thing we did to help very nervous cat move last year and will do again in two weeks is create as many 'scent soakers'. Anything she slept on in the month running up was not washed. Her bed, blankets and a towel. The more she can smell herself and you, the better. Also if you have old scratch posts they will smell of your cat so do take them along. For this up coming move we have 5 scent soakers. On for bottom of crate, one on top and 3 in spots in the new house. Also, and yes a bit gross, leave the litter tray a little dirty rather than putting out a fresh one in the new house. Hope all goes well.

Oh and yeas we did dog crates in our car for the cats. Not ideal if a very cold day but great otherwise.

I second the idea of familiar objects containing her scent. Don't forget to keep her indoors for a couple of weeks when you move until she's used to the new house.

I'd ask your vets if they could possibly board her there for 2 nights. It will be really stressful in your property with all the noise and unfamiliar voices.
The car will be freezing for her.

good advice from Somuddled.
I assume you mean with the boot staying open, OP? that's be o with the crate then, if you try to be close by and do put a few warm blankkets in tere. I aagree that it will be too much noise for her in the house - ermovals aer VERY noisy, they may drop things, may shout out to each other, or wander into her space by mistake.

I’ve moved too many times with elderly cats, and also an ex-feral. I do similar to your original suggestion: set up the cats in a bathroom or room that is not used. They go in there before the movers arrive. Room is shut (not locked in case of an emergency) but I tape it closed with blue masking tape, a notice to say no entry etc. The masking tape prevents accidental entry- a mover would have to consciously break or remove the tape to open the door so they can’t just wander in by mistake.

If there is no time, or the distance is too great, the cats are the last thing to get packed into my car and the first thing to be unpacked at the other side. (Again, door taped shut, with sign, no one allowed in) they only get to leave that room once the house is quiet again.

If I have time, I leave them at the old place, and pop back to get them after the movers have left the new place and the house is quiet. That way they only have to deal with the noise once.

I like your idea of the large dog crate inside the room. Just an extra precaution to prevent an escapee in the chaos of the day.

I wouldn’t keep mine in the car all day. Mine hate it in there and would probably pee deliberately if left there for hours on end. Plus if it’s a cold day, it’s not exactly comfortable for them. Ditto warm day and you’ve got overheating worries. Yours doesn’t appear to like the car, so maybe that will be stressful.

Good luck with the move!

pee deliberately - trust cats to be able to produce wee om a whim, for revenge!

If it helps, my vet said you can get a mild sedative for cat to calm them for transporting them to new place.

Thank you for all of your suggestions. Unfortunately this rental only has two bedrooms, one of them is 'hers', and the bed will need to be dismantled and taken so I can't leave her in there. I feel really nervous about it and am grateful to you for giving me so many options.

We moved with our two recently and it was girl cat second move in a year. Both are rescues. We put them in their carriers with their own blankets and then they went in one of the cars. We had movers who moved us so quickly! We then let them out in my room once everyone had gone.

We had Feliway and kept them indoors for two weeks as it is all Boy cat can stand. Girl cat really lost her confidence at first but they both adjusted really well.

Good luck for the move!

Thank you, my car was rescued as an older kitten from a farm, and she had cat flu when we got her, she spent a month under the landing cupboard much to my daughter's distress. Now she's older she is occasionally getting herpes in the soft tissue around her eye (recurrence of the cat flu), and often sneezes. I should have said earlier that I have a Nissan X trail with a large open boot behind the car seats. I'm still in two minds, but I've had the kennels confirmed which is good. I don't sleep well when my dog isn't here, will be a baggy eyed moving day!

My cat, not my car!