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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.

Original poster

Cat on moving house day

33 replies

longtallsalieri · 22/01/2023 09:15

I'm trying to work out how to look after my cat best on house moving day.
We can't take her to the new house (luckily very near our current house) until everything is moved into it, otherwise the front door there will be open most of the time and she might escape. But I'm also concerned about her getting hurt if she's wandering our current house while we moving everything. Can't obvs leave her in her car carrier thingy all day. Also what if she's having a wander when it's time to take her?!
How do you manage it?

OP posts:
TheLovleyChebbyMcGee · 22/01/2023 09:17

Cattery for our 3. We had packers on the Monday for a move on Tuesday, so we put them in Sunday evening and collected wed evening once we were in the new house.

eurochick · 22/01/2023 09:19

We shut ours in a bathroom at our old house while the movers were there, with a keep out sign on the door. Then cat carrier. Then repeated the bathroom exercise at the new house. They had a litter tray and food apart from in the carrier.

LadyAstor · 22/01/2023 09:19

cattery or responsible relatives for a few days.

AnnaMagnani · 22/01/2023 09:25

Cattery. Moved cat back in once I had unpacked.

Coffeepot72 · 22/01/2023 09:26

Definitely cattery

Anotheanon · 22/01/2023 09:30

We had 4 cats last time we moved. Cat basket first thing. Up to new house. Settled them in one room with food, water and litter tray. Made sure no one opened that door until everything else was in the house and the front door shut.
There were only three of us involved in the move though, so easy to make sure that no one mistakenly opened the cat door.

CottonSock · 22/01/2023 09:31

I'd do cattery.

MyBloodyMaryneedsmoreTabasco · 22/01/2023 09:34

Emptied the box room ourselves and put cat in there with litter tray and food. Sign on door so noone opened it. Once moving all done, retrieved cat and went to new house.

CatChant · 22/01/2023 09:37

Cattery.

MrsFriskers · 22/01/2023 09:38

We’re moving soon. My cat has never been in a cattery and wouldn’t like it. We plan to shut her in emptied box room with food, litter tray, bed and feliway with a big sign on the door not to open. Then into cat carrier and go. Same process when we arrive at new home - a room set aside from the movers for her.

RandomCatGenerator · 22/01/2023 09:39

Cattery.

she hadn’t been to one before but she was absolutely fine. Just two nights.

AWaferThinMint · 22/01/2023 09:44

While we packed up our cat was shut in the spare room with his litter tray. Then he moved with us in his carrier and went into the office room while we unpacked the other end. It wasn't his favourite thing but it was better than him not being with us.

Bestcatmum · 22/01/2023 09:44

You put her in a cattery or she will get massively stressed and it isn't fair on her.

Nannyfannybanny · 22/01/2023 09:46

We always put ours in a cattery for a couple of weeks,but years ago, moving from temporary accommodation to our own rental,my ginger cat,Tiger hopped in the car,sat himself on the passenger seat,he'd never done it before. The looks from folk on the pavement and bus stops was priceless. He had his paws on the door, looking out like a king. My DD moved from London to Kent,her cat kept disappearing, some one else feeding him. She grabbed him one day,I collected him and kept him 6 weeks. Did that with her previous cats. Mostly the cattery option with us,was because neighbours were feeding our cats,and expected us to leave them behind....no,get your own!

middleager · 22/01/2023 09:48

eurochick · 22/01/2023 09:19

We shut ours in a bathroom at our old house while the movers were there, with a keep out sign on the door. Then cat carrier. Then repeated the bathroom exercise at the new house. They had a litter tray and food apart from in the carrier.

We did the same with ours.

turkeyboots · 22/01/2023 09:49

My cats moved house a few times. We did the lock into a bathroom model. And then you do it in reverse in the new house.

Binfluencer · 22/01/2023 09:51

Put the cat in one room in new house and shut the door. Unless you have DC that can't be trusted not to open the door

SleekMamma · 22/01/2023 09:52

Shut in a bathroom. Then in cat carrier in the cafe, then in new house bathroom. She seemed fine

middleager · 22/01/2023 09:53

Also, be prepared for delays or if things don't go to plan.

We were in transit with the cats and waiting outside the EA for ages for the key because the solicitor had not confirmed the transfer of funds.

Then, when we got to the new house the previous owners were still there moving out, so more waiting In the car.

The cats were in carriers in the car for far longer than we wanted.

ranoutofquinoaandprosecco · 22/01/2023 09:55

Cattery

Original poster
longtallsalieri · 22/01/2023 10:06

Thanks all. Knowing my cat, I wonder whether a cattery would be more stressful for her. But obvs I don't know. Will have a think. Thanks for everyone's suggestion. Really appreciate it.

One advantage is that we're only moving a 5 min walk from our current house (although that brings its own issues with her potentially trying to move back into the old house once we've moved!).

OP posts:
Original poster
longtallsalieri · 22/01/2023 10:14

PS my cat really doesn't like being around other cats weirdly. Her original home with 2 other cats didn't work out for this reason. Hence my hesitance re the cattery.

OP posts:
Nannyfannybanny · 22/01/2023 10:18

The cats are not in together in a cattery. It's not weird at all,most cats don't like other cats. They are very territorial. Don't know whether it's a fluke though we always had 2 cats (cat protection) they weren't used to dogs,not was our daughters cat, they all got on.

Original poster
longtallsalieri · 22/01/2023 10:22

@Nannyfannybanny thanks that's good to know!

OP posts:
Nannyfannybanny · 22/01/2023 10:22

Same daughter moved just before Christmas, from Kent to Sussex. She put one cat in the bath in a carrier. I have a bladder prolapse,her bathroom door handle fell off,I'm VERY claustrophobic, told her I wasn't closing the door! Next time I went to the bathroom,cat was gone!! I got the blame, turned out one clip on the carrier was broken. She was so upset, said he wouldn't go back to the house,new occupants had dog, assured her he would. He's now in the new house.