Moving House with your cat
First of all is the tricky situation of Moving Home with your feline family members. Along with the advice below you can also have a chat with one of our nurses about ‘Feliway’ – a pheromone spray which has proven itself to be a huge help in making the whole experience as stress-free as possible.
Moving home can be a big deal for cats – much of their feeling of security and ability to relax comes from being surrounded by the familiar sights, sounds and scents of their own territory. However, some thought and careful planning will ensure it is a smooth move for everyone.
Planning ahead
Booking your cat into a boarding cattery
This may be the easiest solution for both of you, but you will need to organise it well in advance and ensure your cat’s vaccinations are up to date prior to moving.
Keeping your cat with you
What follows is just a brief guide please also see more details on our site.
About a week before the big day allocate a small room in your house that can be cleared to only contain his bed, scratching post, litter tray, toys, cat carrier and favourite
blanket. Start letting your cat used to ‘his’ room.
At the same time, pick a room in the new house to put your cat in when you get there.
On the evening before the move, make sure your cat is in his room – you do not want him going missing.
Moving Day
If you are taking your cat to the cattery, do this first thing so he is away from all the
commotion. If he is staying at home, keep him in his room until it is time to leave. Once you have arrived at your new house, take your cat to his secure room with all his familiar bits and pieces. Give him something to eat and make sure he has a litter tray. Then close the door and leave your cat alone for a while.
Settling in
It might be a good idea to keep your cat in his new room for a few days as it can be overwhelming to have access to the whole of the house straight away.
Going outside
It is important that your cat feels relaxed and secure in his new house before exploring the great outdoors. Some cats go missing shortly after moving house because impatient owners let them go outside too soon. Most cats will need to be kept indoors for at least three weeks.
Before letting your cat out, make sure he is microchipped and your details are up to date so if he wanders off he can be traced easily.