I'm moving with 3 cats . . . any ideas on how to make it easy on my kitties?

You don't say if your kitties are indoor or outdoor.

I guess the first thing that comes to my mind, is if they are outdoor, don't let them out for a very long time. Cats are notorious for trying to return to their former homes. There is a recent thread of this, and the former home is 250 miles away. I would go so far as to say, make them indoor cats. Better to be safe, than very, very sorry.

That being said, I would confine them to one room while all the commotion of moving is going on with familiar things. Put a note on the door so no one opens it by mistake and they get out.

Feliway plug ins to help with stress. If you have a safe place they can stay until you are all moved in all the better. Let them come into a house that is quiet and not full of people and noise. Slowly introduce them to the rest of the house. Give them a tour while they are in their carriers, talking and giving treats along the way. Show them windows available to them. Hang bird feeders outside these windows to disract them from the new surroundings and show them, that yes, there are birds here too.

I hope things go well for you. Others will chime in I am sure.

I agree with every word, above. Be especially sure to keep them enclosed in one room while any moving is going on so they don't slip out a door left open. IN fact, I think I would keep them in their carriers during any moving in and out of stuff. that's the only way to be 100 % sure they won't inadvertently get out.

good luck let us know how it goes, and any tips you have learned along the way that might help someone else in the same situation.

I have moved four times with 3 cats.

Keep them in one room while you move out the old house, with all their favorite things, scratching posts, trees, beds and of course their favorite toys and food bowls, litter box etc.

Move them last! I try and get all the foot traffic out of the house before I pack them in their crates and in the car. Than I try and have all the unneeded people out of the the other house before I bring the cats in the new house. The longer they are out of their crates and around their familiar things I think the better they are.

I try and make sure some things are ready for them at the new house. Like furniture arranged where I am wanting it to go and I have their cat tree in a good window and their litter box and food bowls set down and ready to go where they are going to be for future. So at least they have some consistency while I try and get the boxes unpacked.

I show them where their litter and food bowls are and they roam around checking the place out. You may want to invest in Feliway plug in. I didn't this last time and I notice they didn't settle as well as they have in the past when I had it. In fact my youngest cat is still having anxiety issues...4 months later.

I've moved multiple times with my multiple cats. They seem to do well if confined to one room at first with all they need, then slowly given the run of the house. Like someone else said, make sure they do NOT escape the house by any means.

In my experience, introducing a new animal to the house can be more stressful than just all the same animals moving together to a new place.

Last october I moved with 19 cats. I agree you must have a room for them set up. I gave them my blanket i have been using for a few nights so it has my scent on it. Before I open the cages up I have litter already to go and food/water and treats I would start leaving cages open around house with a towel inside to get them used to idea

I've moved with my two cats... I dont know how many times... 10? 12? 14 times? Something like that. These two have even moved several thousand miles. Is this a long trip? How far are you moving them? I can say from experience that my two no longer get worked up when they see the boxes come out. In fact they just look at the boxes and meow at me as if to say... "I'm coming too right mommy? Don't forget me!"

Feliway is a great product but I've done moves without it. It is less smooth however. When things are being moved out I lock the cats in a bathroom with a note "Cats inside! Do not open and use the downstairs bathroom instead." or something to that extent. This gets them out of the fray and they don't have to experience the foot traffic which will scare them. Keep them together, I find cats move better if you lock them up together. While this is a scary process for them they enjoy having their buddies there with them.

If you have an inside/outside cat you are going to want to wait at least a few months before letting him out to roam. Perhaps Isabell is smart enough to remember her new home but when she would get out she always came back. It is not uncommon for them to go back to the old house though. I would recommend building an enclosure outside for them or cat proofing your fence before letting them outside again. If you do let him outside I would suggest putting a small food bowl with a little bit of food outside of your house. This is a trick that works sometimes the kitty will see it as his food, and will not stray far from it.

Last Dec. we moved our 2 cats 5 mi. away. My husband had Squeak in his car, and I had Dusty. We arrived at the same time. (Cats were the last to go). Dusty pooped on the floor of the back seat, and Squeak threw up! I guess she gets a little car sick!

Dusty is our in/out cat. I kept her inside for a week after we moved. About day 3 I took her outside in my arms so she could smell her surroundings. Her favorite patio furniture was next to the window where she likes to get our attention. After a week I let her out, and she has been fine with the new house.

I wish I found this thread sooner. I just moved my 3 kitties. Midnight Sun took it really hard for the first week. I used the Feliway diffusers and the spray. I think it helped some. Bach's Rescue Remedy helps calm them too.

I made the mistake of moving the kitties first but Midnight Sun freaked out when we tried to take out the TV. He was abandoned as a kitten and he probably thought I was going to leave him there

Vibes for your kitties to adjust well to their new home.