A little worried about the move.

I'm going to be moving accross town in about a week. I'm worried about stressing Gorilla out. There are going to be new people, a dog, and (eep!) another cat. The dog is terrified of everything, so I don't think she will bother her, and the cat doesn't seem at all agressive. She's very social with people, but I'm still a bit worried. Are they going to fight to determine dominance?

On a side note, I've been having some litter box issues with Gorilla, and I'm worried that if the move stresses her out more, that her issues are going to get worse. I'm worried that she's going to freak out, and pee all over a roommate's things. I don't want to confine her to my room either, because she will meow, and scratch at the door, and probably get even more stressed out.

What kind of litterbox issues have you been having with her? If you have had problems with her not using it, then she needs to get to a vet. Cats who have UTI are letting you know this by noy using their boxes.

You can get some rescue remedy at the health food store and place some on her paws and her ears the day of the move, to help calm her. Get some Feliway (Comfort Zone) from the pet store. Take it to the new location and plug it in, if possible before you move, so it will have been there a while before you move. This will help calm all.

Get some vanilla and place it at the base of the kitties tails and under their chins and it will help them smell a like.

I know you dont want to stress her, but when you arrive, it will help comfort her to have her in a confined space to adjust to rather than a bigger space. She will know there is a cat there even if she doesnt see her. Confine her to a room and let her get use to the new smells and the new area and then slowly let her adjust to the other areas. If you just put her with the new cat without proper intros, it could scar their relationship, if they dont get along. Take it slow, so they can easily get to know each other.

Here is an article on introductions.
http://www.thecatsite.com/Behavior/4...cing-Cats.html

Good luck, I hope your move goes really smoothly for all involved.

The safest place for awhile is to confine her to one room. It takes time to adjust to things. If you have litter box problems now, it will take longer. She will be more then glad to stay in your room because everything is all new.

Yes the resident cat and her will have a little hissing/growling and swatting as they get to know each other. I suggest you leave your cat in your room for a week. Then put your cat in a carrier and put it in the main room so she can observe and the others can see her but no one can fight.

Sprinkle both cats (and the dog) with cornstarch baby powder and rub it in. This way everyone smells the same. Or use vanilla extract on their chins and base of the tail.

It will take weeks or months for everyone to adjust, you have to be patient. Oh and be sure ALL cats nails are trimmed short before they physically meet.

Pami, it started a while ago, and I DID take my baby to the vet, she did have a uti, and we took care of it. I don't have any solid proof, and maybe I'm just paranoid, but I still have a feeling that she must be peeing somewhere else, because she doesn't seem to pee often enough. There's usually only 2 clumps in the boxes in a 24 hour period. I'm confining her to the bathroom for the next two days, so I can get a better idea of if she's actually just peeing less, or if she's been peeing other places. I searched the house very thuroughly, I don't really smell any pee anywhere, but when she had a uti, her pee barely even had an odor, so I just don't know.

Thank you both for your suggestions. The vanilla thing sounds very sensible. I'd never heard of that before. Gorilla has softpaws, but I'm not sure the other owners will be willing to clip their cat's nails. They seem to have something against it. I think if they do fight for dominance, my baby's going to have some huge disadvantages. 1. no nails. 2. incredibly short legs. Gorilla is a munchkin. She has no trouble jumping around, but she doesn't really enjoy batting at things the way other cats do.

I wouldn't worry if I was you. I moved in January, and I moved 19 cats, 12 dogs, and a lot of small animals! The cats were all confined to a spare bedroom for a month, and then we started letting them have more rooms to roam in, until they had been in the entire house. And then cats picked their favorite rooms, and then we started letting them go outside. And 7 months later, all is well. The cats have adjusted nicely to their new home. (The dogs adjusted quicker.)

I don't see why anyone would object to clipping nails. If we had to move in with someone with other cats, and they didn't clip nails (or were afraid to do it), you'd better believe I'd show them or do their cats myself.

One of the roommates there used to be a vet tech, and he's tried offering to clip their cat's nails, they seem to think that the cat needs them for protection, even though she never goes outside, and the dog never gets within 5 feet of her. Either way, I'm sure clipped nails are erm...enough protection?

Well, worst thing, she stays in your room for a very long time while you do very very slow intros. I hope it works out!

Thank you guys for your suggestions, and well-wishing. I guess the move will happen even sooner than expected. I'm taking her over tomorrow afternoon. I will stop by petsmart in the morning to pick up some feliway, and I will bring some vanilla extract with me. I will have my fiance assist me with the introduction for the kitties, and hopefully everything will be 100%.

good luck! I moved half-way across the country in May with 2 cats, and then moved with them again a month ago (a local move this time). Plus, they had to meet a new dog in this time period. Not the best summer for my kitties, but they are doing fine.