Tips for moving house with cats

[LivingForRedWine]

Hi everyone

We will be moving house in the next few weeks and was wondering if anybody who has moved with cats before had any good tips for settling them in to the new house?

We have two cats, one who is very outgoing and social and one who is very timid.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

• Put them in the cattery (or at a friend/relative's house) to cover the packing up at your old house and the unpacking at your new house. The process will unsettle them and the last thing you need when moving is a cat going AWOL. That way they go from one fully furnished environment and familiar furniture to another.
• Feliway plug ins in new house
• Similar routine to bringing a new cat home - confine to one room for at least a day or so and then let them explore. Make sure you show them where the litter tray is, extra trays can be helpful at first. Keep them in the house for a few weeks as you would a new cat, so they don't try to go back to your old house.

Good luck with the move!

Also check the new house for any odd places they might go to hide and block them off if possible. I thought one of mine had disappeared during a move, he was actually hiding behind a kitchen unit and coming out at midnight only to eat and drink 😆Chimneys, kitchen units etc - make sure they are cat-proofed.

Keep them in for 3 weeks when you get your the new house. I then put my boy in his cat carrier and put it in the garden and sat out there so he could get used to the new sounds and smells a few times before I just opened the door. Do t forget to update their chip details with new address

These are great thank you!!

We've just moved house the bank holiday weekend. We put our cat into a cattery while we moved so he couldn't escape. When we picked him up we allowed him to roam upstairs, but he mainly stayed in my bedroom which is where we put his food and litter tray. Eventually he found his safe space (inside the drawers of my teens divan bed) and has become braver and more adventurous as time has gone on. He's now happy to come downstairs for food and toileting and to sit in the window and look out at what's going on. Upstairs is still his safe space like when the bin men come round 🙄 but generally he's settled well.

Best advise is to leave them to it. Don't keep looking for them and calling them. Let them get used to it on their own in their own time etc.

Our cat is the epitome of a scaredy cat so for him to be doing as well as he is in just a week (we collected last Wednesday afternoon) is a miracle.

Good luck with the house move 🏡

Velcro

What we did with all our cats on our many moves.

On moving day, after breakfast they got put in the cat transporter baskets and then all got put into the first empty room along with scratching posts and litter trays and then released and the room door closed.

The last thing we took out the old house would be the cats and their stuff.

After arriving at the new house, we would reverse the process, ie cats into an empty room and left to explore there whilst we moved everything in and then after moving in, let them explore the rest of the house.

The following morning, before their breakfasts, we would allow them out if they wanted. Gave them a bit of time and then serve their breakfasts. They soon came running after hearing the spoon banging on their food bowls.

We wouldn't bother with a cattery / leaving with friends. It's just another alien environment to them plus you would not be around so they couldn't see / hear / smell you.

I think it's a case of knowing your own cats when you decide whether to keep them with you or send them away. One of mine freaks out at strangers in the house so the familiar cattery is probably the lesser of evils for him!

If you don’t do a cattery then put them in the bathroom (assuming a separate toilet is available), nothing needs to go in a bathroom furniture wise so once you’re in at the new house you can set them up with a litter tray and then just shut the door whilst you crack on. With a big note to warn people not to go in.
If that isn’t an option just make sure there are no fireplaces! One of ours climbed up inside at the new house on moving day……

Thank you for all your messages everyone. Some great tips.

I am still not sure whether a cattery would be the best option. One of our cats always goes and he loves it so he will be fine there but the other just usually gets left at home with family to pop in to feed him when we go away as I know a cattery would stress him out. However, the chaos if moving day would stress him and if he gets out he will disappear for a while. It may have to be cattery for one and keeping the other in the bathroom safe.