The good old "I'm moving" question

ollyextra05

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 14, 2005
Messages
2,520
Purraise
3
Location
The Windy City
Well, hubby and I are moving at the end of August to our first real home--mortgage and everything! It is twice the size of our current apartment and even has a spare room that will be solely a kitty room (well, and a bit of storage as well).

Right now, in terms of moving the kits, I have two options:

Option 1) At the beginning of the day, before the movers show up at my current apartment, move over the kits and lock them in their new kitty room with a big old sign on the door that says "open and die" so the movers get the point
We'll have moved everything except the furniture over ourselves the previous day--we're just going to have the movers do the heavy lifting, so their cat tree will already be there, as well as their favorite toys, litter boxes etc.
This would mean they'd be "alone" in the new room while we moved stuff in.

Option 2) Lock them in the big bathroom at the current apartment with the same "open and die" sign (no furniture in the bathroom so they wouldn't need to get in there anyway) and leave them alone in the bathroom while we supervise the movers moving to the new house. After all the furniture is unloaded and everything is moved into the new house, take the cats over with the last load of stuff.

Fortunately my parents will be helping us with the move, and my mom can't lift anything heavy due to bursitis in her hips and a pinched nerve in her lower back, so I'll have her on "kitty duty" checking in on them periodically to ensure them that the world is not ending!

Oliver has already moved twice in his short life, once across the country, so I'm not worried about him adapting--but Emma is a rescue whom we've only had for a few months, so she might be a little more freaked out by the whole process. Fortunately, the two of them are the best of friends, so even if meowmy isn't around for a few hours dealing with movers they'll have each other to commiserate with.


Anyways, what do you think is the best option to keep their stress level (and mine) down (if that's possible)?

Thanks in advance for the help!
 

laurelism

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
May 8, 2005
Messages
225
Purraise
1
Location
Washington
Hmm, I'm thinking go for Option 2. Your kitties may get scared and nervous (especially Emma) if they're in a room with people shouting and clanking things outside of the room they're locked in... a new room that they know nothing about. It might be better to get everything in your new home situated before introducing them to their new environment. Good luck with the move, and congrats on the house
 

babybee

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 3, 2005
Messages
200
Purraise
1
Location
Toronto, Ontario
Congratulations on your new home!

I would go with option 2 as well, and if your mom can keep an eye on them that is even better. Then just move the kitties when you guys are going over to the new place.
 

momofmany

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jul 15, 2003
Messages
16,249
Purraise
70
Location
There's no place like home
I moved with option 2 once and one of my cats freaked out terribly. She left an 8 inch slice in my forehead - the blood flowed so hard it hit the floor before I was on my feet after she landed on my head in total fear. I chose move the kits first.

They are going to be scared by any relocation. If you get them there first, once all the noise dies down, you open up the door to their room and they have a new space to adjust to. If they hear all the noise at the old location, you scare them more by putting them into a cage, transporting them, then letting them loose into a completely new space.
 

nano

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Mar 11, 2005
Messages
719
Purraise
13
I'd go with Option Two.

That approach gives the cats the best first impression of their new home -- calm, quiet and contained to one room.

If worse came to worse and a worker clumsily allowed the cats to get outside, I'd rather that happen on familiar territory than in a new neighborhood where the cats have no point of reference. Wait for all the workers to leave, then move the cats into the new home when you have full control of the situation and nothing is left to chance.
 

coaster

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
May 28, 2005
Messages
5,174
Purraise
7
Location
Wisconsin
Don't take the cats to the new place until everything is moved in and settled down. That way they get a good first impression and get to explore their new territory in peace and quiet.
 

ash_bct

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Messages
2,352
Purraise
1
Location
Alberta, Canada
Originally Posted by Momofmany

I moved with option 2 once and one of my cats freaked out terribly. She left an 8 inch slice in my forehead - the blood flowed so hard it hit the floor before I was on my feet after she landed on my head in total fear. I chose move the kits first.

They are going to be scared by any relocation. If you get them there first, once all the noise dies down, you open up the door to their room and they have a new space to adjust to. If they hear all the noise at the old location, you scare them more by putting them into a cage, transporting them, then letting them loose into a completely new space.
I agree, this is the way I will be moving next summer
 
Top