Our feline friends can often seem aloof and uninterested in our comings and goings, but if you’re moving home you are effectively turning a cat’s life upside down. Moving home can be upsetting and disorienting for any animal, but being territorial (especially if they like to roam outdoors) it’s important to try and make the process as easy as possible for your cat.
Take a look at the following steps for creating a calm and stress-free move for your cat and maybe, just maybe, they’ll let you pet them once more.
Before the move
Something many pet owners prefer for their animals during such stressful times is the security of a cattery.
For some cats this is a perfectly acceptable action, but many owners don’t like to be apart from their pet and find a cattery can cause their animal even more stress.
If you choose to keep your cat with you, be sure to set aside a room in your current house with everything moved out – preferably a room away from all the action. You can then place all the things your cat needs into this room, including food, water, toys, a bed and scratch posts. This provides a safe place for your cat while all the packing and moving is carried out.
On top of this, you should also plan ahead and choose a room in your new house in which to place your cat for the first few days or weeks.
On moving day
On the day, shut your cat in the room with water, you may even wish to try a synthetic pheromone product to help keep your cat calm. If you plan on making a journey with your cat in a carrier, you should try to hold back on feeding them a few hours before the trip to ensure they don’t become sick when travelling.
Once you arrive, make sure you place your cat in their designated room with all their amenities. This allows you to get all the unloading and unpacking done without your cat around and allows them to familiarise themselves with the new smell, sights and sounds.
Getting settled
After a few days, when the majority of the mess and empty boxes have been tidied away, try letting your cat out of their room, but be sure to close all access to the outside off. Your cat will now be free to snoop around their new home and explore, adding to their familiarisation of the location.
Once they have access to the whole house, don’t close them off from their room – they may need some space to go and hide in every once in awhile if it gets too much.
Exploring outdoors
If your cat is an outdoor cat and you’d like to let them out in your new location, make sure you take baby steps. It’s important that, if you’re staying close to your previous home, that you inform the new tenants of where you are and to ask them to get in touch if they spot your cat.
Try to keep any initial foray into the outside world short, potentially allowing them out before a meal to make it easier to lure them back. Once you think they’re comfortable, you can let them come and go as they please, but leave the door open on their first trip out just in case they happen to get spooked and need a quick route back into the house.
Never force your cat to go outside by picking them up and placing them outside, it should always be their own choice to begin going out and exploring the new area.
If you’re moving home and would like help with packing, transportation and unpacking, look no further than Two Men And A Truck. We can help with removals services for any size move, simply contact our team today and we’ll be happy to assist you.