Positive stories and tips for moving house with a cat please

[GloveFromAbove]

As above!

I’ve worked myself into a state that my beloved Puss will disappear when we move house. He’s quite timid with other people (not us), hates having anyone else in the house etc. Was a rescue as a kitten. He is very much an outdoor cat, loves to go and hunt but actually sticks fairly close to our house. We are moving 10 miles away so I wouldn’t have thought he’d make his way back there.
The house will need a bit of work when we move in and he will hate anyone banging around. He is very susceptible to catnip so I was going to use that as well as feliway.

The other option is not to move at all until he’s no longer with us but that could be 15+ years and well, that’s not really an option!

Positive stories only please and any tips. Thank you!

I moved with my cat who was fairly timid. We also had a baby so her nose was out of joint because of that too. It wasn't that far at all if she'd chosen to try and return to our old house. She was fine, stayed with us for a good few years (till she passed on as an old cat). She never disappeared, even briefly. Just hung round our new house/garden/street happy as Larry.

Thank you, that’s the sort of positive thing I need! Was she sad or did she settle quickly?

Years ago I moved to a new flat about three streets away in Glasgow. I had a (large intact male) cat that had moved in with me as a stray. I intended to keep him inside for a few weeks on the new flat, but he was a creature of habit (and very streetwise) and the first morning he woke me up as usual at 5.00 am demanding access outside. I succumbed. He was miaowing outside the door to come in and be fed at 8.00 am.
Not a recommended approach btw.

I’ve just moved with 4, been here 3 weeks. One has been out twice and came back although not encouraging it. All quite happy and content. You can get the feliway diffusers so they can relax in a new place.
Your cat will be fine

Keep her in for a few days at least. How it goes for her might depend on the other cats in the neighbourhood, who may regard your garden as theirs. I do sometimes stand behind my cats glaring, as backup when they are having a stand-off - it's quite fun watching mine triumph and I let them think the victory was all theirs....

More recently a friend rescued a cat from a busy car park in a large town near us. A large intact tom cat, with some visible injuries. Took him to the vet who cleaned him up and neutered him. First night in his new house he escaped by breaking the locked cat flap off the door (having also moved out of the way a box of beer blocking the flap). He reappeared 36 hours later having explored the neighbourhood and has never stayed out like that again.
I have a soft spot for cats like these

yes, a few weeks sounds better than a few days - long time since I've had to do it....

I've moved with my cat several times. I put her in her carry box at the start of moving day and shut her in the bathroom so I couldn't hear her sobbing while we were moving boxes!

At the new place, I set one room aside just for her (or, when I was in a small flat, decided on one "safe" room for her and kept all the middle and mess elsewhere). Scratching post, litter tray, food and water in there. Opened her cat carrier in there, shut the door and left. Kept her in just one room for a few days until the rest of the house was safe.

Let her explore the rest of the house after that, but kept her indoors for 3 weeks. Then let her out each evening just before teatime so she didn't wander far because she was hungry. Build confidence.

She's always been fine. Good luck!

OK, so I did everything you're not supposed to with cats and moving house and did it 4 times in 6 years, 3 long distance and the final one within 2 miles. Both of our cats are very much outdoor girls but both love the family and hence zip in and out all the time really.
We had every intention of keeping them in the house but very quickly found out that they wouldn't use a litter tray and just cried/ran/scratched/launched to get out of the house if shut away in a room. They ended up investigating the new rooms and gardens with us and then just came in for fuss and food when we went in for the evening. They just settled on their favourite bed of sofa and off we went. No losses, no problems. Not sure how common this is, but there you go. Good luck.

Could she go to a cattery for a few days, until the bulk of the disruption is done? Then obviously keep her in for a week or so until she recognises her new home.

Thanks everyone.

He’s definitely not going to a cattery, he absolutely detests other cats and I think he’d be worse there. He can be segregated during the move as there are plenty of rooms he can be put in that we don’t need to move furniture in immediately.

Glad to hear all the positive stories, this is settling me a bit. He’s terribly spoilt and a bit of a bratty diva tbh because he gets his own way all of the time so never has to put up with anything ‘difficult’ because one of our family is always there to alleviate any hint of misery 🤣