Moving house - tips for cats not escaping
Posted by: zabatz
16th Mar 2012 09:51pm
I am moving to the country next month and I am very concerned how my 2 cats will cope! How do I keep them calm while travelling and more importantly how can I settle them so they do not freak out in their new surroundings. I realise I will have to have them indoors for a while, but I feel very unsure about the whole transition. Some one suggested I give them a sedative, what do you think? Any tips will be mostly appreciated.
Drew (extreme animal lover)
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Comments 11
Leanne6
Try peanut butter on their paws.
They lick it off and it helps then to find their way home.
jjdrer
Your cat might find somewhere in the house to hide for the first week or so and only come out to use its litter tray or for food & drink. If you are making more than one trip between places see if you can take them on your last trip and they don't feel you are leaving them behind. Most importantly they must be kept inside for at least a week otherwise there is a huge risk they will try to back to their previous home. Put your cats in cat cages and cover them over on 3 sides so they won't see strange places while travelling also block any glare. If possible let them travel facing forwards. They may be less likely to be car sick. THey may get too hot and scared if you cover the entire cage. I would speak to a vet (if possible your regualr one) about sedatives. They are not suitable for some animals
Anonymous
I got some pet valium from the vet which makes them very sleepy and happy. Depending on the cat, sometimes its best to keep them inside for a whole month, letting them out finally when you are there to supervise.
Anonymous
When we moved my I had 3 cats and only one of them was loud because he had just been to the vets. The other 2 where really good because my little sister was just talking to them and patting them.
When we got to the new house we just kept them in 1 room for abit so they can get used to the smells, and they where fine.
freckles21
We have moved house a few times with a cat and a dog. Usually we leave the cat inside for several days until they get use to the new house. Slowly introduce them to different rooms or let them wander about the house. Dont let them outside immediately as we found it took a while for the cat to get used to the new surroundings. Keep familiar things like the places the cat likes to sleep as similar as possible. If puddy sleeps on your bed and you usually have a fav doona cover on it put that on so she/he feels safe. My daughter now has her cat and recently moved from a townhouse to a house. Her cat now also has 2 little dogs to contend with so this is a challenge too if your cat is moving into an environment that already has established pets. The cat handled it well and now is the boss of the two dogs.
chequers
I recently moved to the country with my extremely stress-head cat. To keep them calm in the car, cover their carriers with a blanket or towel. Don't feed them before the drive.
Once at the new house, keep them locked in one room, with food, water, litter, some toys, and bedding. When they seem a bit more settled, let them out to explore the house. Make sure they have somewhere safe to hide.
My cat was completely settled within a couple of weeks. Good luck !
Blossom
I hope your move went well. A relative of mine has had to move a cat a few times. He prefers to be inside part of the time so he permanently has a litter tray and that part of it wasn't an issue. He always hides in one spot for a few days after he is moved. If there is a lot of people about he also normally either hides or goes outside. last time they moved he went under a corner shaped computer desk behind the leg in the corner. As he is friendly with people he really knows, I crawled part way under the desk and he came out towards me, far enough that I was able to pat him which he loves. Many cats get very scared and meow a lot when travelling if their cage is not "level" and covered up.
zabatz
Thank you to all of the cat lovers out there that have given me some advice on my dilemma regarding my two cats. I would like to inform you all that our move went extremely well. My vet kindly gave me a card which she sprayed a special 'calming spray' and I placed one in both cat carriers. Although they were a bit 'put out' being locked up, they soon calmed down while travelling. I had them in a beautiful Cattery for 4 days while we were packing & cleaning and settling down, so as to avoid further confusion for them. That worked well, because when we brought them home, they adjusted to the familiar furnishings of the house. I am keeping them indoors for at least 3 weeks just to be on the safe side. They cheerfully sit on the window ledge and watch the world pass by, particularly the birds.
By the way, I made sure that every door had a Bold sign
reading "Shut Doors - Cats on Remand"
Drew - extreme cat lover
Anonymous
hi there when we moved house i would put any butter under the cats paws just when you take tha cat in the vehicle and when you move into the you put some more butter under the paw in some weird way it carms down the cat and let it walk around the house for sent it has always worked for me.
Thunderful
my cats have moved house a couple of times. i usually put a familiar towel in their crate with them (something i've let them lay on for a coup[le of days beforehand, and, if your cats are clingy, an old shirt of yours that smells like you.)
Be aware though that if you are driving them yourself, chances are they will complain loudly most of the way (i have very talkative cats).
If you are really worried, rather than a sedative, perhaps giving them a bit of Bach Flower Rescue Remedy to keep them calm.
Once at the new house it is best to leave them in a quiet room (with the crates, familiar towels, their toys/ normal bedding etc.) and let them slowly acclimate to that for a day or two (depending on how they adjust) before introducing them to the rest of the house. It also keeps them out of the way while you unpack the rest of the house.
Good luck with the move!
KJ
I'm not sure how to keep them calm in the car but if you arn't travelling alone my family and I have found it helps to put them in a box or basket with a towel over the top and someone patting them or distracting them with toys and food.
To keep them in the house, a good idea is to put butter on there paws... This will give them the urge to clean it off and keep them distracted long enough to get used to the new surrondings. People suggest locking them in a room but I'm not to sure this wil help as it will stress them out alot... They need to feel comfortable and safe.
Hope this helped and good luck! :)