Moving House with Cats – Planning and Preparing
How to Make Moving to a New Home Easier and Safer for a Cat
Oct 17, 2009
There are a number of things that should be done before moving house to make the transition smoother for cats.
Change is traumatic for cats, and moving house is particularly difficult, given the intense way in which cats bond with their environments. The following should be done in advance of a move to ensure a cat’s safety, health, and peace of mind.
Cat Loss Prevention, Health, and Safety
Cats often hide or run away and become lost either during the chaos of a move or shortly after arriving at a new home. To reduce the risk of losing a pet during a move and to keep her safe and healthy:
- Update identification tags and make sure that the cat wears her collar regularly. Microchipping is also recommended
- If the cat is already microchipped, call the company to inform them of the new address and contact number.
- Purchase a harness and leash if the journey to the new home will be a long one. Having this equipment will make it possible to let the cat out of her carrier for food and litter box options at some point without worrying that she’ll jump out of a window and become lost in a strange area or get hit by a car.
- In the case of a nearby move, provide current neighbours with the new phone number so that they can call if the cat returns to the old neighbourhood.
- Let the new occupants of the old home know that the cat might come by; provide contact information so that they can call if the cat shows up, and ask them not to do anything that would confuse the cat and encourage her to stick around, such as feeding her.
- Take some good quality photos of the cat. That way, if she goes missing during the move, there will be a much better chance of getting her back using posters with her picture on them.
- Learn where the nearest veterinarian is in the new neighbourhood, or update contact information with the current veterinarian if moving somewhere nearby.
- Make sure that the cat’s vaccinations are up to date.
Cat Stress Reduction Prior to the Move
To reduce stress during the time leading up to the move:
- If possible, pack belongings slowly over the course of weeks rather than all at once. Gradual changes are less frightening for the cat than seeing all of her owner’s belongings frantically hurled into boxes at the last minute.
- Either arrange to have the cat boarded at a good cattery or with a friend or family member for a couple of days, or prepare a room (preferably the bedroom) where the cat will stay while furniture and other belongings are loaded into the moving van. A few days before the move, start feeding the cat in that room, and bring more and more of her equipment, such as her bed, litter box, and cat carrier in there.
- Don’t throw away the cat’s old familiar items. It’s best to start at the new home with the original food dishes, cat toys, and other beloved objects. Even if it’s tempting to discard that ratty old blanket or chipped bowl, if the cat loves it, bring it along as a comfort item. Old items can be swapped for new later on once the cat has grown accustomed to the new environment.
- Help the cat grow comfortable with car travel in advance to make the journey to the new home less traumatic.
- Use a cat pheromone diffuser product such as Feliway to reduce stress in the time leading up to the move, and particularly on the day of the move.
For tips on making the actual journey less stressful, how to help cats settle in once they’ve arrived at the new home, how long cats should be kept indoors after a move, and ways to encourage post-move harmony in multi-cat households, see Moving with Cats – Tips and Tricks for a Feline-Friendly Move.
References:
- Cat Protection Society. (17 July 2008). “Moving House with Your Cat.” CatProtection.org.
- Feline Advisory Bureau. (November 2008). “Moving House with Cats.” FABCats.org.
- Maloney, F., Best Friends Animal Society. (n.d.). “Moving House.” BestFriends.org.
- Miller-Smith, S.J., Darwin Veterinary Centre. (2009). “Moving House with Your Cat.” DarwinVets.com.
- SaferPets. (2009). “Checklist: Moving House with Pets.” SaferPets.co.uk.
The copyright of the article Moving House with Cats – Planning and Preparing in Cat Care is owned by Jennifer Copley. Permission to republish Moving House with Cats – Planning and Preparing in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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