Moving can be stressful for everyone in the family – especially your feline family members. Indoor cats are especially likely to be affected by the stress of a move.
Here are some tips for moving with your pet cat.
10) A few days before the move, put your cat’s food and water dishes, scratching and climbing posts, and litterbox in a room with a door that closes. This will get her used to being in that room on moving day. Leave the door open so she can go in and out as she pleases.
9) Keep your cat in that one room, away from the movers, on moving day. Too many strangers walking in and out the house can be stressful for your cat, especially when those people are moving out familiar furniture.
8) Make sure the movers know not to open the door and enter the cat’s room.
7) When that room is the last to be packed, put your cat in a carrier and move her to your car. Bribing with cat treats is always a good idea to keep your cat calm and happy.
6) Pack up all the cat items in one box and keep it in your car. You don’t want any of those items to get misplaced during the move. Your cat’s belonging’s should be the very first thing you unpack when you get to your new home.
5) Make sure your cat is safe in the car during the drive to your new home. Strap down the cat carrier with a seatbelt or wedge the cat carrier snugly behind the seats.
4) When you arrive at the new house, your cat should be your first priority. Do the same as your did before the move – put the food and water bowls, litterbox, etc., in one room. Let your cat get used to being there first.
3) When your furniture is unpacked, put the furniture back into your cat’s room first. It’s one way to help familiarize your cat to the new house more quickly.
2) Let your cat explore the new house on her own terms. Picking her up and putting her down in a new room is not a good idea. Let her wander around on her own until she gets used to the place.
1) Don’t forget to give your cat lots of pets and snuggles after making it through such a ordeal – but only if she enjoys that sort of thing!
