Moving with a cat

Contrary to dogs, cats have a strong bond with the place where they live. That’s why moving is very stressful for them and this stress may cause a number of diseases. It’s a good idea to plan everything well, so that you could make the situation of a change of place easier as much as possible. And how did we do?

The cat may manifest anxiety connected to a change of the environment through aggression, by fouling the flat, excessive or conversely no fur care, incessant miaowing, depression, lack of appetite or by hiding into shelters.

I have already moved with my cat three times. Fortunately, she is such a pro that it has never quite touched her, even if the change of the flat also brought along with it a change of the people living there. However, my friend runs a cat deposit and many cats in a new home won’t come out of hiding for over a month, they barely eat and take it really hard, some even get sick.

The cat is a territorial animal and it marks its territory using pheromones – by rubbing against furniture and against us. So when it finds itself in a space full of alien sounds and scents and it doesn’t feel its odour, it may start panicking. You can calm it by means of various products, such as cat pheromones Feliway in spray or Bach’s drops. There are also hormonal collars and diffusers to plug in. Try to remain as calm as possible yourself and avoid unnecessary noise. If your cat is of an extra stressing nature, talk to the veterinarian about the option of a slight sedation for the cat.

On the moving day, clear out one room where you’ll close the cat together with the crate, bed, the toilette, bowls  and toys and leave it there before you move everything out.

Before you bring the cat  into the new home, the furniture should be already moved in. Let the cat explore the whole new home in peace, don’t cuddle with it, don’t pull it out from hideaways, don’t comfort it. It will probably look out for a shelter, from which it will hardly get out for several days, sometimes even for a month. Don’t try to make it inaccessible, be patient, place both the toilette and the bowls nearby.

Don’t forget sufficient supply of drinking water. The kidneys of a cat filter more than the kidneys of other animals and the lack of water can even result in their permanent damage.

Don’t let it go out at least for two weeks, so that it can get used to new environment.

Try to keep the habits from the previous home, this way, you will create a familiar and continuing environment for the cat.

Try to distribute the scent of the cat around the house: wipe the cheeks of the cat and its head with a cotton cloth, and then rub it against the corners of the walls and furniture. Repeat this daily, until the cat starts rubbing it itself.

All these methods can reduce the stress of your cat from moving, but naturally, each cat is different and only you know what its personality is, how to treat it and how to calm it down. That’s why the approach to every cat has to differ and has to be adjusted.

Have you already experienced cat moving? Did it take it well and what helped you the most?