Best way to move house with a cat?

[juneybean]

Just took my 11 year old tom up and he cried all the way there (a 2 minute car journey), cried all around the house, then cried all the way back to my parents.

Obviously house isn't looking great as it's currently empty but I hoped giving up some food (he thinks with his belly) would help him like the new house.

Any tips for a successful move when we finally move in?

They don't like change. We just moved and carried on as normal but he was allowed to sleep with us for a few nights for comfort.

Would it be an idea to put him in the cattery or leave him at your parents until you have actually moved in and got stuff in there and it all 'smells' right to him IYKWIM?

He will have to stay in for a few weeks once you are there to get settled.

Hope it all works out.

Feliway plug in in old house for at least a month before move and in new house ASAP.
Cat basket, blankets etc sprayed with Feliway, as well as the main scenting points in new house- door frames, table legs etc
Shut in one room when you arrive to keep overload of unfamiliar stuff to a minimum.
Put as much familiar stuff in that room as poss- furniture he has scented or stuff that smells of you or him
Don't put freshly washed blankets or towels in his basket- old familiar ones better, and/or worn clothes of yours
Don't let him out for at least a month
Try to keep routine - meals etc- the same
He will settle but it can take a while and be unpredictable. Our very sensitive nervy cat we were terribly worried about before and she settled in almost immediately. Our laid back v happy bouncy cat moped for about 3 weeks. It was horrid but fine in the end.

We moved last week. And our cat's our indoor cats so the house is their life :)

We kept the cats in the spare room in our house all day while moving, with their litter, food, toys, posts, all the things that smell like them.

When everything was moved to the new house we moved them last. put them in a spare room in the new house with all their things again. After about 2 hours we opened the door, gave them some dreamies and let them out.

One hid for a few hours, the other climbed all over everything and had a good sniff at all the new carpets, all the furniture smelt the same as always so they knew it was safe.

All went pretty easy, no litter problems, no issues, and they both love the new house :)