Hi all,

How do you all go about moving properties with your cats? I am in the process of selling my property to relocate to a different county about 2 hrs away. I have two cats who only really know my property as they have grown up here from when they were kittens. They are both indoor cats apart from the occasional venture out in the garden in the summer. Any advice on what to do?

thanks
Jo

Plug a Feliway in a few weeks before the move date, this will make them much calmer. Try and plug one in the new house before the arrival if you can.

Good luck!

Ok thanks very much I will give it a go Im really dreading it though as one of my cats get really stressed at the slightest thing!

You can also get a Feliway spray - not AS effective but may help in the car on the journey to your new home and also in the new house whilst waiting for the plug-in to kick in.

Rescue Remedy is also good.

Try to put one room aside at your new house just for the cats and put their stuff in there immediately. Also, if you have a bigg'ish rug that you could put down, this will give them a scent that they are used to and it will help them to relax.

Once you are a bit more settled yourself, and the removal men have all gone, you can let them roam. The more timid one may choose to hide somewhere but will eventually come out to explore. Just give it space and don't try to force it. He/She will do it in their own time.

If you have any problems, or questions, we're all here to help.

__________________
.

good luck on the move two of my kitties have had experience of moving i actually think after a while they begin to see it as normal
when you get to your new home they will soon make it theirs

__________________


banner made by smudgiesmummy thank you

Thanks very much for all your help. I cannot wait to move but am really worried about my cats. Im going to take a week off work to make sure that I can be with them when we do move.

Jo x

My cats that I haven't had that long go with me to my boyfriend's on a regular basis.

They show no signs of stress at all. I'm still with them and really I think that is all they are bothered about.

__________________

when i moved there was no long journey to contend with just a short walk in the carrier. once in the house i just left cheeky to have a wander about himself and he was absolutely fine. think he enjoyed exploring.

the only reservation he had was the stairs, as we didn't have any in the other house. it didn't take long for him to be running up and down them with the lightfootedness of an elephant.

I have moved too many times with my 5yr old cat but never with my kitten.

The best adivce I can give is, don't go washing all the old scent of your old house away................ in other words,take the curtains if you can, don't wash the bedding for over a week each side no one will know don't go having rugs dried cleaned etc... the more familiar smells they have in the new house will help settle them.

I learnt this the hard way and had all my rugs dried cleaned before putting them down in the 2nd house we move to...loulou wee'd on all 6 of them and she wee'd on the duvet and bedding..in protest...a very expensive mistake.

The 3rd house move I just plonked all my bedding into bags and plonked it straight onto the bed in the new house... loulou jumped up on the bed had a good old sniff and went to sleep no wee's

So try and stick to all your old ways and smells, ( I don't even empty my dyson!)

feliway helps to keep them chilled before and after the move

good luck and wishing you a smooth move

Brilliant advice. I used to move house on a fairly regular basis (OH in forces) and my cats were perfectly happy as soon as I'd made up our bed in the new place and thrown a smelly blanket on top. Their blanket plus the proof that I was obviously intending to stay seemed to do the trick.