Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Moving home advice

4 replies

Thurlow · 15/04/2021 10:56

So we've not even completed yet but I'm getting stressed about this one! Grin

Our new place has a field behind it, and a relatively busy (or at least busier road) in front of it, so I want to keep out 8yo girl inside for a good six weeks before letting her out. There's no way of catproofing the garden at all.

However the house itself is big and open plan, and there's not too many doors. If we move when it's warmer the living room patio doors are liable to be open a lot, so she'll make a bid for freedom. DCat is used to having free access inside and outside whenever and wherever she wants.

The kitchen is quite big, and there are four bedrooms. Is it going to be fair to keep her shut in one of those for six weeks? I'd obviously move her between rooms so she doesn't get bored, and I think the drop from the bedroom windows is enough that she can sit by an open window but not attempt to escape. If we're in in the evening with doors closed I can let her out into the living room; she'll be easy to shut away during the night in the kitchen with a litter tray.

Obviously I'll get some Feliway to help and spend lots of time with her to make her feel reassured, but does that sound like an awful plan? Any other suggestions?

Also, what the hell do you do with the cat on moving day itself?!

OP posts:
Want2beme · 16/04/2021 17:22

A few days before moving, get her travel box out, open it and let her get used to it. On moving day, put her in an empty room with her travel box, food, litter tray & the bits and bobs she likes. If you can, lock the door of the room she's in, so that no-one can mistakenly open it and let her out. If possible, get her room ready in the new house first, and put her in it whilst you're getting on with moving in. Remember to keep her food, treats, litter and rubbish bag, close to hand. You won't want to be searching for her grub when she's hangryWink

6 weeks is a long time for her to be kept in. I'd say see how she behaves and be guided by her. Definitely keep her in for 3 weeks, if she'll let youGrin

Good luckBrew

ShirazSlag · 16/04/2021 17:27

We've moved with a very settled/territorial cat. We kept him in one room for a week, then added all of upstairs (with a baby gate and netting, bit of a pain in the arse), then after 2 weeks let him run the whole house. Let him outside after 4 weeks.

It was ok. We had to be very careful when opening outside doors that he wasn't nearby.

Then once we let him out we emptied the hoover bag out front and back for a couple weeks so he could find the house scent from outside.

Thurlow · 16/04/2021 19:00

Hoover bag is a good trick!

Thank you, I think we'll just keep her on one room for a few days then only during the day when the downstairs windows and that are open, let her roam the house and get comfy at night when it's safer.

OP posts:
Megasaurus · 16/04/2021 19:49

Hoover bag plus one of their sleepy blankets on the front doorstep helps.

When we moved we did this so they could find their way home. Our vet recommended this plus dirty litter tray contents scattered on your land as apparently they can sense their smell better that sight.

Then after a few weeks they will have pissed everywhere so they know it's their territory!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread