we are going to be moving soon; we take possession of our new house on Monday and hope to be fully moved in a couple of weeks (have a couple of projects to do before we move in). my question is how can I make this transition as stress free for Kitty as possible? she is approx 7 yrs old (we got her from a shelter 5 1/2 yrs ago and they thought she was 1 1/2 yrs old when we brought her home) and I just had her in for her physical and shots-- vet said for a 7 yr old cat she was in very good health. this new house is about 65 miles away, and I am concerned about how long she will be in her carrier or locked up in a room to keep her safe while we are moving things in. this is a cat who freaks when we rearrange furniture now. the vet thinks she will be ok during the move, but I am just looking for other opinions...
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moving
- Thread starter judi k
- Start Date
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
right now, the plan is kind of a mixture of both. we won't have her at the house when we are painting (don't think any of us will sleep tbere while we are painting!), but I would like to give her a chance to get used to the house before we are all moved in... not sure if that will help or if it will confuse and stress her though.
I average a move about every 14 months, so I am an old hand at this. I have found this to be the least stressful way to do it. I notice you said it was only 65 miles, this is the one day version. I have moved cross country with them twice.
On the day of the move, confine kitties to a room that has been emptied. Feed them early and make sure they use the litter box. When you are ready to actually leave with them, place them in their carrier.
Reserve the room in the car for the carriers. The fewer stops, the better, especially this time of year. I have used prescriptiom sedatives and have found it best is to NOT use them. They can be very unpredictable. I put mine in the carriers, and after the initial crying and whining, they settle down and sleep.
When you get where you are going, put them, in the carriers, in a quiet room, away from as much of the activity as possible.
When you are in for the night, release them and let them explore their new home.
I hope this helps you. Good Luck on your move.
On the day of the move, confine kitties to a room that has been emptied. Feed them early and make sure they use the litter box. When you are ready to actually leave with them, place them in their carrier.
Reserve the room in the car for the carriers. The fewer stops, the better, especially this time of year. I have used prescriptiom sedatives and have found it best is to NOT use them. They can be very unpredictable. I put mine in the carriers, and after the initial crying and whining, they settle down and sleep.
When you get where you are going, put them, in the carriers, in a quiet room, away from as much of the activity as possible.
When you are in for the night, release them and let them explore their new home.
I hope this helps you. Good Luck on your move.
In addition to Krazy Kat's good suggestions, I tape up a big sign that says "DO NOT OPEN DOOR -- CAT INSIDE!" -- outside of the room that kitty is confined -- both at the old house and at the new house so that the movers don't accidentally let her out. My kitty is both timid and an indoor only kitty and would freak out if she saw all the commotion, not to mention the risk of her escaping out the front door. Additionally, I use low tack painting tape and make a big X to block off the door -- just in case.
"I would like to give her a chance to get used to the house before we are all moved in... not sure if that will help or if it will confuse and stress her though."
I wouldn't bother trying to acclimate her to the new house prior to the actual move. If she is a nervous sort, she might associate the new house with all the car rides, stinky paint, ladders, etc.
On the day of the real move, try to choose the room that will be hers (her future safe spot) to confine her in. Then after all the stuff is moved in, if kitty is fairly calm you can let her out. Sometimes my kitty has been very fearful and so we'd just sit in the room with kitty to let her know it was ok and let her roam the next day.
Good luck!
"I would like to give her a chance to get used to the house before we are all moved in... not sure if that will help or if it will confuse and stress her though."
I wouldn't bother trying to acclimate her to the new house prior to the actual move. If she is a nervous sort, she might associate the new house with all the car rides, stinky paint, ladders, etc.
On the day of the real move, try to choose the room that will be hers (her future safe spot) to confine her in. Then after all the stuff is moved in, if kitty is fairly calm you can let her out. Sometimes my kitty has been very fearful and so we'd just sit in the room with kitty to let her know it was ok and let her roam the next day.
Good luck!
Cat's are really funny about excepting change. So, in the move you want to consider what is going to stress her the least. I would pick one room to keep her favorite things in, weather it's a cat bed, scratching post or a small chair she likes to sleep in. Keep her litter box and food in this room. When it comes time to move the rest over to the new house for good, pick one room to put all of these things into and once it's all in place, I would put her in there.
If you keep moving her back and fourth and the things in her room keep changing, it's going to be hard on her. Once the new house has everything in place, you can let her free to roam and explore.
If the move is not going to take more than a few days to a week, you can also check into boarding facilities. They have some really nice ones these days. She can stay there, and then when the new house is set up, there won't be as much caos.
If you keep moving her back and fourth and the things in her room keep changing, it's going to be hard on her. Once the new house has everything in place, you can let her free to roam and explore.
If the move is not going to take more than a few days to a week, you can also check into boarding facilities. They have some really nice ones these days. She can stay there, and then when the new house is set up, there won't be as much caos.
Maybe bring a small rug or a piece of clothing that has been in the NEW house to the kitties in the old house before the move so they can get used to the smell of the new place? And it makes sense to keep them in a closed room away from all the moving commotion when you
arrive in the new house/or on moving day. Good luck!
arrive in the new house/or on moving day. Good luck!
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- #8
well, thought I'd give you an update on how Kitty did. my original plan was to spend our first night there before everything was there. so the kids and I loaded up the car and put her in her carrier and away we went. before this her only car trips were to and from the vets, so she was a little confused; after we were in the car for awhile she started meowing nonstop! even with her carrier covered she was standing and being really loud; when we got to the house, I took her in the bathroom where we set up a litterbox and food dish before she was released; when I put her carrier down she was hissing at the wall, but stopped when she got out. after a little while we left the bathroom and she started exploring; every new room was greeted with a little hissing, but she was having a ball exploring... she was not left alone in the house for the first 36 hrs, there was always someone there with her. now she seems perfectly at home here; she's acting like she owns the place! all is right with her world...
