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The litter tray

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

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Original poster

Moving house 450 miles with two cats

20 replies

Tempusfudgeit · 10/02/2022 21:05

Hello, knowledgeable people!

In June we're moving house. Family of 5 with 3 children (7, 5, 2 and I'll be 6 months pregnant)

I was just wanting some advice about how to move our 2 cats (6 months old, not yet neutered) with minimal stress to them.

Current plan is the first day to drive 250 miles and stay at a hotel that allows pets, then the rest of the journey the following day. Then set a small bedroom aside for them in the new house so they can be out of the way when furniture and boxes are hefted about.

Is this a good plan? Am I missing anything obvious?

Thanks for your suggestions and wish me luck!

OP posts:

joopy79 · 10/02/2022 21:08

Could the cats stay in a cattery while you unpack?

RandomMess · 10/02/2022 21:09

If you can put them in a kittening cage rather than in cat baskets.

Moved mine without a peep in a large cage. They always created merry hell if in baskets.

GingerFigs · 10/02/2022 21:24

I don't know what a pet friendly hotel means with regards cats but be so so careful they don't escape from your room if you let them out of the carrier / cage.

I'd second putting them in a cattery while you get the house sorted to keep them safe. Appreciate this adds cost so if you do put them in a small room, again be careful that no one accidentally lets them escape (can your small children be trusted not to try to sneak in to see them). If they escape and panic you may never find them.

Good luck with the move!!

GingerFigs · 10/02/2022 21:25

Oh and Feliway spray on the inside of the carrier and blankets before you put the cats in (don't spray it on the cats!!).

TheMadGardener · 10/02/2022 21:31

When we moved long distance five years ago our cat went to a cattery for one night so that she wasn't there for the day of arrival when all the furniture was unloaded and all the mayhem was going on. It was just to keep her safe and it was less stressful for us. The next day we collected her and let her explore the new house. By the afternoon of the next day she was sunning herself on the patio in our new back garden, v. relaxed! Although she was quite chilled about being in a different house as she'd travelled every Christmas to stay at my in-laws house since she was a kitten.

Good luck!

TheMadGardener · 10/02/2022 21:33

I would add, find the local gossip Facebook page for your new community, introduce yourself and ask there for cattery recommendations. You may even get some of your new neighbours offering to catsit!

Fluffycloudland77 · 10/02/2022 21:34

I think you can get pet transportation services.

thecatneuterer · 10/02/2022 21:36

Sounds OK. Just be careful in the hotel. You can't risk them escaping out of the room. It might be easier/safer to put them in a large dog crate with a litter tray and bed for that day/night in the hotel. Maybe I'm being over cautious though.

Are they booked for neutering?

caringcarer · 10/02/2022 22:20

I agree an extra large dog crate with litter tray and cat bed. Drape a blanket over it at night in pet friendly room. I would not let them out until safety.in new home in their room. I would keep door locked so kids don't accidentally let them escape. 4-5 weeks is a good time to keep them in house before they go outside. Last October my son left home as bought his own place. He took his cat 3 year old Bengal and he took him in dog crate. Cat mewed all the way up North. Loves its new home though.

Original poster

Tempusfudgeit · 10/02/2022 22:34

I spoke with the vet about whether to neuter them before we went, and she said it was better to wait until after we've moved. Early neutering can lead to hip problems in boys later. One of them needs a hernia repair too so there wouldn't be enough time to recover before the move.

Thanks for all the advice, lots to consider.

OP posts:

thecatneuterer · 10/02/2022 22:36

Are they both boys?

Original poster

Tempusfudgeit · 10/02/2022 23:11

Yes, brothers.

OP posts:

Kinko · 10/02/2022 23:20

I'm sure someone with better knowledge will come along....but in the 80s when we had cats and we moved, we were told to rub proper butter (not margarine) on all their paws.

The logic being, they set to work licking it off, which is very pleasurable and they develop an instinct that says this is home because the licking and the butter makes them feel cosy.

It could be total bobbins but we did this and it seemed to work, our cats settled and we had no issue with them getting lost.

I'd probably also give them some really lovely dinners for a few weeks (fresh ham, tuna etc) so they really develop an instinct to keep coming home for food and not straying too far.

Also in a strange environment give them a cosy corner that they can retreat to - a box will work with fleecy blankets.

Keep them in the house for a good few days as well (if they aren't house cats already).

This was all the stuff we did and we moved 3 times and our cats always came home for dinner/breakfast etc. We even used to take our cats on holiday with us (in the UK - we had a place in the country) - again they never strayed far. It was a second home.

That said, they both hated the car. There wasn't much we could do about that apart from listening to them miaowing for entire journeys!

thecatneuterer · 10/02/2022 23:25

The butter on the paws thing is an old wives' tale. And the minimum time to keep cats inside when they are moved to a new home is three weeks, preferably longer. A few days definitely isn't long enough and if people manage not to lose their cats that way then it's more down to luck than judgement.

YouCanCallMeA1 · 10/02/2022 23:32

I moved 300 miles with one cat (and two children) last year. The move took place over three days because of the distance. The cat had never been further than 10 minutes in the car to the vet, and never been to a cattery.

I booked a cat courier (fairly local to my old house) who collected the cat on day 1 just as the packers arrived. I waved them off then got in the car with my kids and drove 300 miles while my OH stayed to supervise packing before following us up. We checked into a hotel near our new house for two nights, and the courier delivered the cat to a cattery which i'd booked in advance. We collected keys the next day, and moved in the day after (day 3) when all the furniture arrived. I plugged in a feliway in the utility room straight away.

On day 5 when things were calmer I collected the cat from cattery and brought her back to the new house where she stayed in the utility room with food, litter tray etc for a few days before exploring a bit more (very tentatively!) the week after.

The cat courier was a GREAT move - she was lovely and understood my cat's needs. There was a large cage in the back of her van, and she was the only animal being transported. The courier texted me on the way to let me know progress (puss slept most of the way) and our cat was far happier at the cattery than she would have been surrounded by strangers and boxes.

Honestly it was a relief to know that I didn't have to worry about the cat in the middle of a hectic and stressful few days. Would 100% do again.

Theoldwrinkley · 10/02/2022 23:38

I am an old wife. We have always put butter on paws when moving, and (so far) have never lost a cat through a house move. If you have an enjoyable suite or 'spare' bathroom in new house if you shut them in there while chaos reigns on moving in day and they get stressed, then it is easy to clear up accidents. Along with cosy bedding and a litter tray of course.

Babdoc · 10/02/2022 23:51

Theoldwrinkley, Loving the autocorrect of ensuite to enjoyable suite! And I’m sure any self respecting cat would expect (and enjoy) its own suite in a hotel…

Jux · 11/02/2022 00:08

We moved ours 150 miles. The vet gave us pills for them which quietened them down for the journey (obviously done in one day though). Bit like Cat Valium I suppose! They were none the worse for it.

We kept them in one room while our stuff was moved in, but then just let them roam through the house. They really enoued the unpacking boxes part, and were very, er, helpful

I buttered their paws - the first time I'd ever done it! - and it certainly helped my thoroughly neurotic cat, but I needn't have worried about the so-laid-back-she-probably-doesn't-have-a-nervous-system cat.

I kept them in for about 4weeks as it took that long to find someone prepared to cut through 2 foot thick stone wall for the cat flap! Once outside they were very clear where their home was and there was no trouble at all. I planted a few bunches of catnip in the garden too. They were obsessed by it for a while and didn't really venture much further at first.

They always found their way back for dinner!

Good luck. Hope it all goes well.

mowly77 · 11/02/2022 00:25

It probably was Valium I’ve had a cat prescribed this before and I was v jealous!

Don’t have anything helpful to add to these great suggestions just know that whatever you do they’ll probably take a gigantic shit in their crate / box the minute you set off.

Bakewelltart987 · 11/02/2022 00:47

Cattery will upset/confused them more. Take them straight to house an put them In a room like you said checking on them every hour.

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