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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

First hand advice for moving house please?

19 replies

Adhdsucks · 30/12/2022 16:47

I am so anxious about moving house with my cat that I am considering pulling out of the purchase. If I lost her I just can’t explain how devastated I would be.

Can anyone who has moved with a cat please give me all the tips and advice?

Should I send her to the cattery for a few days over the move?

Many thanks in advance.

OP posts:

Theunamedcat · 30/12/2022 16:54

If you can afford it I would

Is she indoor outdoor? I had to shut my indoor outdoor cats in cages then transfer them to the new house and shut them in the bathroom it was stressful because despite having three toilets in that house everyone wanted to use THAT one 😒 and nearly let them out constantly

Original poster

Adhdsucks · 30/12/2022 16:57

Sorry should have said, outdoor! So obviously need to keep her in for some time but not sure how long.

I think the cattery would make life easier for a few days to get everything into the new house without worrying about an escapee!

OP posts:

boboshmobo · 30/12/2022 17:00

I send mine to a Cattery or vets for the day so they are safe and they shut them in when the movers have gone . I kept them in for a month and then let them out gradually when they were hungry .

TheOtherBoleynGirls · 30/12/2022 17:07

We managed to wrangle ours into the empty shed the morning of the move so she was secure, then crated her and put her in the en suite when we got to the new place, as a secure room she wouldn’t get out of. Once the movers had gone I put her in the spare room with blankets that smelt of the old house and some toys. We left her in there for a few days, going in really regularly to see her, as the new house was so much bigger than the old one. Then after a day or two I brought her down to the living room for the evening. After a few days we let her into the whole house. She seemed to settle well but was clearly desperate to go outside! We let her out after a month into the back garden, and tried not to let her out the front for another month or so.

Pashazade · 30/12/2022 17:11

If you're not moving far and the new house has a second toilet than you can set them up in the bathroom for the day whilst removal men bring things in. So litter tray in one corner, food in the other and big notice on the door stating cats inside do not enter.
Do not let them loose in a room with a chimney, it can be difficult getting them out.......
As for keeping them in I'd aim for a minimum of two weeks.
When you do let them out the first time make sure they are hungry so they will come back for food.
Don't panic they'll be fine.

ChigedyJigHeeHawHeeHawItsDominicTheDonkey · 30/12/2022 17:18

Mines mainly indoors. When I moved I put his litter tray, food and water bowls in the bathroom and shut him inside whilst we loaded everything up into the cars and removal van. Went up to my new place and unloaded my Car then went back to my old place and did a final check to make sure I'd got everything, before loading DCat into his carrier, cleaned out his litter tray and loaded the rest of his stuff into the car and drove us up to our new home. Once we were in he was put straight into the conservatory along with his litter tray, food and water bowls and shut in until we had sorted out the rest of the stuff. He settled in pretty much straight away once I let him out for a wonder around the place. I do have a garden here but left it a good 6 weeks before I let him into the garden whilst staying out keeping an eye on him.

ChristmasCakeAndStilton · 30/12/2022 17:33

We shut DC in the ensuite with litter tray and food on moving day. Then once the master bedroom was empty, she was released into there. She HATED it, and was very vocal in her disgust until the kids took their tablets and sat with her in an empty room.
She was then transfered into her travel basket, and tucked away in the best corner we had for her until the movers had finished.
Then released into the kitchen with litter tray and food.
Intention was to keep her indoors for 3 weeks, but she had other ideas, and snuck out of a window at 3am. Thankfully she just sat and cried until DS2 heard her, and let her back in.

Cattery for 3 days (evening before packers arrived, packing day, moving day) would probably have been better if it wasn't summer hidays, and the only one round here I trust full.

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 30/12/2022 17:37

Most people here are missing the point that she is AN OUTDOOR CAT.

I have one (a male). He wouldn't ever move as this is his territory.

Have you spoken to your vet?

Chances are, she will run away if you move her. Or you will land her in the middle of other cats' territories.

Can you ask a friend to take her in? Or ask other local people to feed her? You cannot force the cat to do anything.

Good luck. I still bear the scars...

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 30/12/2022 17:38

Or ask a local cat rehoming charity to help.

DilettanteMum · 30/12/2022 17:40

Bit extreme to suggest one cannot love with a cat and should rehome!

People do it all the time. Keep the cat inside for a month then gradually let them out whilst hungry.

user863 · 30/12/2022 18:03

I could afford a category but wouldn't even bother.

Just take the cat with you in its handheld cage, leave them in the cage in new home for hour with treats to calm. Cage them or keep them in a WC for a night with litter tray.
Then keep them inside for a few nights. When you eventually let them out, go in the garden with them. I have moved with my cats and it's a bit of a phaff but they figure it really well. The idea is to get them used to the house and smells before letting them out.

A34 · 01/01/2023 22:18

We moved 2 months ago - approx 50 miles. Our 2 cats were both outdoor cats. I took them to a cattery the day before the move and collected them the day after. We don't use catteries for them usually but couldn't think of an alternative - coping with them on the day of the move would have been horrendous. They had blankets and jumpers which smelled of us and home in the cattery. When we collected them they went into the garage which was set up with litter trays, places to hide and their beds (which they ignored completely...). Lots of blankets etc. They had the run of the house from the start - bravecat explored, timidcat stayed in the garage for a few days. We kept them indoors for 2 weeks then put a catflap in the back door and introduced them to the garden. Bravecat is happy to go outside but does spend most of their time inside (I don't blame them, it's mostly rained since we moved). Timidcat has decided to be an indoor cat which is fine.

AWaferThinMint · 03/01/2023 06:27

We moved two years ago and had moved our boy twice before that. He always moved with us.

Day 1 when we moved in we put him in a bedroom, door shut, with litter, food, water, toys etc while we moved everything in and doors were open.

Then he was allowed out once that was done to mooch about and explore while we unpacked.

Kept him indoors for two weeks.

Then let him out. He's never run away but he recognises the shake of a tin of treats and comes running from miles away!

AWaferThinMint · 03/01/2023 06:29

Mine was an outdoor cat too. Roamed miles, hunted, fought off the neighbours. He moved fine every time. Most cats do.

Defiantlynot41 · 05/01/2023 08:10

We moved 100 miles. Took cats to Cattery at destination before removal men arrived to start packing so they weren't freaked out. Picked up once removals complete and most furniture in the right rooms so it kind of smelt like home for them. Feliway diffuser on. Kept them in for a month (except one escaped during some carpentry work!, found her after a few hours, she had not gone far but black cat in a dark garden).

Only let them out when hungry

They have been fine

julz87 · 05/01/2023 08:29

We moved last June. We put shut our lovely boy in a room at the old house whilst we cleared the place out. Then he was last to go in the car in his cage, we took him straight to the new house and again shut him in a room, with a litter tray and some food and water. After a day we let him explore the door house, but not go outside. Then after a few days he was free to explore. We were lucky that the new house had a field behind and is on a quiet road so I wasn't too worried about him outside.

Hope your move goes well! A cattery might be a shout!

planefullofotters · 05/01/2023 08:43

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 30/12/2022 17:37

Most people here are missing the point that she is AN OUTDOOR CAT.

I have one (a male). He wouldn't ever move as this is his territory.

Have you spoken to your vet?

Chances are, she will run away if you move her. Or you will land her in the middle of other cats' territories.

Can you ask a friend to take her in? Or ask other local people to feed her? You cannot force the cat to do anything.

Good luck. I still bear the scars...

This is a ridiculous post! Of course you can move with a cat.

maximist · 05/01/2023 09:30

This is pretty much what I did and it worked fine. One went outside with me after about a week, the other took longer to go out, but both were fine eventually.

Lkydfju · 05/01/2023 09:32

Is your car familiar with a cattery? If so go for it but if not it might cause more stress. When we moved across the country we got to the new house and put our cats in one room with their familiar items and kept that door shut/locked while we did the rest of the moving things in so they got a chance to get used to some of the new smells

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