moving

Sierra and I are moving at the end of this week. When we first moved here, she was a nervous wreck! It was at that time that her holistic vet recommended Rescue Remedy, and we found it to be quite a miracle worker. I know to move everything first and to set up a special room for her with all of her possessions. Any other suggestions to make this transition easier? Anyone know anything about Feliway? Also, they just repainted the entire place and put in new carpet. I've had the place ventilating with all of the windows open for several days, and I can nolonger detect any smell. Any possible dangers for Sierra?

Im interested in this as well. Me and Miik are moving into our very own place within the next couple weeks. The house has been completely renovated and remodeled. Is there anything I can do to make the move easier on her?

Another question involves how to allow her to get used to the fact that it will be just me and her (as my parents are empty nesting in their own house now)...

Hopefully someone will have some good answers for us!

Okay, the most important thing to remember when moving or travelling with cats is to REMAIN CALM AT ALL TIMES! Your cat can quite easily pick up your emotion as to how you react in a strange situations. After all, you are Alpha cat and they will be taking their lead from you. Sressful You = Stressed Out Kitty.

A few weeks before the move, get out the cat carrier. Put a blanket in, along with toys and some treats for your cat to find at their leisure. Place it somewhere out of the way. This will allow your cat to come and go from the carrier and not get stressed when placed in it for the move. Note: This only works for cats that do not fear the cat carrier. If your cat fears the cat carrier, do this well before the move, you may need a few months rather than weeks.

Depending on the personality of your cat, you may wish to board your cat during the removal and unpacking stage of the move. For some cats and owners this is the better option.

Firstly, decide what room of the house that you are now in that you will place kitty in when the removalists arrive. This room ideally, should be away from most of the noise and movement of the move and must have a door and windows that close securely. Pack this room first and empty it of all boxes and rubbish. You don't want to be retrieving a frightened kitty from a tight corner. Do provide food, water and plenty of toys. And if you have Bach's Rescue Remedy and Feliway on hand, use it. Although kitty may not see the strange going ons, kitty will smell unfamiliar scents and hear the going ons.

Once everything has been taken, let kitty out of the room and let kitty explore the house. You know that the furniture has been taken along with your belongings, but your kitty doesn't. Let them explore to their content. Do not make any sudden movements during this stage as you kitty may be stressed and wary of the strange environment. Do this only if you are not moving immediately after the removalists have left.

Decide at your new residence where you can place kitty while you unpack and position furniture. Again, choose a room away from the bulk of the action. Provide plenty of toys, food and water. Once you have sorted out the furniture, it should be fine to let your kitty out of this room as now it's only the small items that need to be moved. So no worrying about a scurrying cat while moving a sofa.

Keep your kitty's routine as close as it was to the last place of residence. If kitty was fed at 6:00AM, then kitty is still fed at 6:00AM. If kitty was punsihed for a particular behaviour, then kitty is still punished for that same behaviour. After moving with my cats, I've found that in a new place of residence, teenagehood comes out and the boundaries are tested. This may not happen with your cats but I'd rather make you aware of it rather than unaware.

During the settling in period, monitor the bahaviour of your kitty closely. Make sure that they are eating, drinking and pooping as normal. There may be an initial loss of appetite but this passes withing three days and is regained after kitty learns that this is now the new home and things will be okay. If kitty does not seem to regain appetite or kitty is peeing and pooping in all the wrong places, a vet visit is required immediately.

And I cannot push this factor enough! Play time is VERY important during this time. This allows kitty and you to spend time together in a positive manner in your new home. This shows kitty that good things happen in this new home just like the old place.

Other Things to Watch Out For

1) Has another animal lived in the new place? If so, get hold of a UV light, (blacklight), and switch all the lights off. Any evidence of pee will show up. Mark these spots with chalk or a lead pencil. Trace the outline. Check EVERY room. Then bring out a cleaner with enymes, Nok-Out is a good one, (available in USA so if you live elsewhere do a search for one in your local shopping centre, or better yet, ask your vet for a solution), and clean. Then whip out the UV lamp again to make sure all of the urine has been removed. Being in a new environment with past territory markings can cause your kitty to stake out territory as well.

2) Frash carpet and new paint?
Well make sure the place has been sufficiently aired out. Your kitty will have a keener sense of smell. Any signs of your kitty having difficulty breathing or redness to the eyes, take a quick trip to the vet and make sure kitty gets PLENTY of fresh air on the way. Then consider boarding your cat until the fumes completely dissipate.

Generally, if you can't detect any smell after the place has been closed up for a while, the fumes have gone. But if they are still faintly present, monitor your cat's reactions and provide plenty of ventilation for you and your cat.

3) Additional cat-proofing?

Does additional cat proofing need to be done? Get down to your cat's level and look for possible escape routes or possible dangers like loose cords and the like.

Thank you so very much from both of us!

I switched apartments within my complex a few months ago. It's a little funny because the new apartment is set up identically to the old one just backwards (if that makes sense). I was impressed with how well Dori reacted with the move at first. I think it helped that there was not much time spent traveling, just a few building actually. But she did have a little trouble adjusting. We moved everything in one day and brought her over to the new place that evening. Since I was still unpacking the place was a mess, boxes everywhere. She did not settle down to sleep for what seemed like 2 days. It was like she just couldn't get comfortable. SHe would lay down and then get right back up again. She also didn't eat much for 2 or 3 days. It seemed like once I had everything unpacked and put away she felt 100% better. This is also the time I quit stressing out and was able to settle down in the new places as well. So I think our emotions really do reflect on our kitties at stressfull times.

I'm happy to report that we finished moving late last night/early this morning. It took longer than expected, but I was determined to do it all in one day. Sierra spent a couple of hours exploring her new territory. She had alot to say about it, too! Thank you, Mags for all of your wonderful advice! Extremely useful was to remain calm so Sierra wouldn't get stressed. That really helped. Also, you were quite right about playtime! We played and played last night and today! I'm not sure which of us it's helping the most! We also used Rescue Remedy and a Feliway diffuser. Squirtle, hope your baby continues to adjust well to your move!

Glad to hear that everything has gone smoothly for you! Best of luck in your new place!

I have been moving items little by little into my new place. Since my parents are still reluctant to have me moving out on my own they are quite content that I am taking a bit longer to move (also saving money by not having to get a moving truck as most stuff fits in mine).

I have decided that I am going to get completely settled into my new place, be able to kitty proof everything that is questionable, create a hospitable environment for Miikka and make sure everything is clean and aired out (still slightly smells like paint). Once that is all taken care of I will bring her over. My mom and dad both love her as much as I do, so her staying at my parents house for a few more days isnt a problem! I will miss her for the 3 or so days that it should take me to get settled in, but I plan to visit with her at my parents place for atleast 4 hours each night!

That's a good idea to get settled in before you bring Miikka to your new place! When I first moved in to the place from where I just moved, I was also being transferred with my job and it was three hours away, so I had a lot of settling in to do, therefore Sierra lived with my parents for a while. It was extremely difficult being away from her during that time. I couldn't even sleep well without her cuddling with me. I'm sure it will be difficult for the both of you when you first move, but it's great that you'll still be able to spend time together! As you said your parents feel about Miikka, my parents love Sierra very much. I feel very fortunate about that, don't you? I would definitely recommend the Feliway diffuser. Maybe plug it in a little while before bringing Miikka so it will have time to diffuse around the house. I forgot to do that, but I could see a difference on Sierra a couple of hours after a plugged it in. Look forward to hearing more about your progress...

I agree, having supportive parents is a very good thing. They are definately my support network (and my babysitters) when it comes to Miikka.

I will definately look into Feliway, I havent heard of it yet, and I am interested in what it does.

You can find lots of information about Feliway on the internet!