Moving my cats

[Madratlady]

We move house on friday. I've got a Plan of Action (cat carriers, many litter trays, feliway, somewhere secure to shut them away from removal men leaving doors open at the new house.

I'm so worried about Girlcat though. Boycat and Stupidkitten will both be in overnight so I can stick them in carriers friday morning and off we go. Girlcat is a law unto herself, she comes home every 2-3 days, eats loads, snuggles on our bed, stays around 24 hours then she's off again. I don't think she has another home, just an adventurous streak, she often hangs out in the garden in between.

What if she doesn't come home in time for the move? She's very much an outdoor cat so even if she came in today keeping her in for the next 3 days would be very hard and probably result in weeing and pooing in inconvenient places because she won't share a litter tray. I'll happily drive the 2 hours back every day until I can catch her but we only have this house for another 2 weeks. I'm imagining scenarios where she just never turns up and we lose her :(

Go and buy a metal dog crate today from Pets at Home. As soon as she comes back, put her in that with a bed and a litter tray. That way, although she'll be miserable, at least you'll know where she is and she won't be able to wee everywhere. The crate may also prove useful for just after the move.

Good idea from TCN there, Madrat - and what option have you got really? If she comes in today then heads off she might not come back until - say - Friday morning and if she arrives when the removal men are infull swing she might decide to make herself scarce for a while.

If she comes back before Friday, keep her in - miserable though she may be.

Or, if she comes home today/tomorrow, put her in a cattery until you move on Friday, then collect from there when you have everything packed and you're ready for the journey?

Now that's true - cattery just didn't occur to me.

Yes, cattery. Also a good idea.

She needs to be up to date with her jabs though.

I put cat in cattery and collected him a week later when new house was pretty organised. It worked really well as you don't need added stress on moving day.

Yes would also advise cattery and then bring cats home when most stuff sorted and settled, less stress for them and you!

I've never had a good experience with one - but that's just my cats. They would likely turn up their toes if they were separated from me but Madrat's girl sounds a very different sort of cat.

She's an odd girl, very loving when she's around but also very independent.

She is not up to date with her jabs anymore (getting her to the vets is an ordeal to say the least) so that's a cattery out. That would have been ideal though.

Have you got a pet store nearby for a crate then? Or a vet/anyone you could borrow one from?

Thanks for the advice, we are now settling into our new house with all 3 cats.

So far kitten is totally unbothered by the move. Girlcat has slept in the bed and occasionally got up to eat which is pretty normal for her, and boycat hid under the bed for over 24 hours (presumably he must have eaten and used the litter tray at some point) but he is getting braver now.

Well done. How did you achieve it in the end?

Girlcat came home just after I posted. Bloody dh let her out again. She turned up again the morning we moved and was shut in a room until I was about to leave. Then shoved protesting violently into a cat carrier.