moving...

G'day!

This site has been sooo helpful since I've gotten my kitten. He's now a 4.5 month old Russian Blue/Siamese mix kitty. He's pretty well behaved, although doesn't get along very well with my sister's cat.

Anywho, in September I'm going to be moving to a basement apartment, Winston is allowed to be there, but my main concern is how he's going to react to the move. I've heard a lot of horror stories about this and have been considering getting a little girl kitty to keep Winston company while I'm at school during the day, he's used to having my sister or brother-in-law around. Winston will be neutered on September 15. And he's going to stay an indoor cat, there is apparently a lot of wildlife around the new place.

Any suggestions on how to help Winston get adjusted to the new apartment. The landlady has 2 cats upstairs, is it best to keep a towel at the bottom of the door to try to keep the other cats' smells out. I really don't want Winston to be whining at the door to the landlady's house.. he tends to do this sometimes where I am now.

Thanks!

First off, if you get a female, he HAS to be neutered first. Or else she has to be spayed. At 5 months he can be capable of reproducing. Is there a reason you are waiting so long to get him done? He may start spraying by then. Now for your question, it shouldn't be too bad. You can buy some Feliway Plug ins to help the transition. I would move him last unless you are doing it all in one shot. Start with him in the bathroom or a bedroom or even a large crate so he doesn't get out while you are moving in. Also to gradually introduce him to the new place. Only you knwo your cat though, depends on how you think he will do. Is he skiddish? Is he brave and wanting to go explore all the time? He looks very active and alert in the photo. He is hansome too!

If she's a kitty person, she probably won't mind a little kitty noise.

Getting a companion might be good idea, just be careful to read through the introduction threads before you get him/her so you know how to do the intros as smoothly as possible.

When you move into new place, make sure to confine your kitty to one room so that he can't escape during the move, and let him get used to that room first before introducing him to the rest of the apartment.

my vet won't do the neuter any sooner. she wanted to wait until October, but I requested sooner, I don't want him spraying in the new apartment. I'd definitely wait until he's neutered until i get a new kitty.

This lil guy likes to explore, he's very brave/active. The new apartment is pretty open concept, so the only room would be the bathroom and bedroom. I'm not moving too far, so he'll probably be the last of the items when moving out. I'll make sure I introduce him to his litterbox and food/water dishes so he knows where everythign is. Also make sure I pay lots of attention to him when we first move in.

Originally Posted by omg.lisa

my vet won't do the neuter any sooner. she wanted to wait until October, but I requested sooner, I don't want him spraying in the new apartment. I'd definitely wait until he's neutered until i get a new kitty.

This lil guy likes to explore, he's very brave/active. The new apartment is pretty open concept, so the only room would be the bathroom and bedroom. I'm not moving too far, so he'll probably be the last of the items when moving out. I'll make sure I introduce him to his litterbox and food/water dishes so he knows where everythign is. Also make sure I pay lots of attention to him when we first move in.

Click to expand...

I recommend that you close him in the bedroom then, or if you must, in the bathroom, but make sure he has a warm comfy place to sleep.

You are aware that by that time he could very well begin to spray... I would honestly find a new vet, yours is rather old fashioned. I would not want a vet that cannot even do something as simple as a pediatric spay or neuter. Cats can get done at 2 lbs. 6 months is ridiculous to wait for. Plus you might be able to find a low cost clinic near you which will do it for under $50.

A lot of vets (including ours) just won't do males til they're 5+ mos old, and I don't think you need to call them old fashioned etc. because of it. There are different opinions about it, and not all of them are invalid. Just because many cats are done early without problems doesn't always mean it's the only or best way to do it. Ask your vet to explain .. say you're just curious and would like to understand, and I bet you'll be surprised at some of the reasons she gives you (that may make sense after all).

while looking for a vet i went through many steps to find the right one for Winston. I called and asked about pricing and when a cat can be neutered. Out of the 9-10 that I did call, not one vet said anything under 6 months, and this was the least expensive out of them all. I don't know when a cat is going to spray or not.. this is my first kitten.... How would i know?

We just moved out of state, so I can appreciate this thread alot

Oliver had a little more of challenge besides just moving; he had to go from being an outdoor cat to an indoor cat. He went in the carrier a little bit before we left in the truck and he had a long drive (4 hours). When we let him out, we let him out in the bathroom so it was a little more confined and it would not overwhelm him. We let him out when we were able to devote time to him to help him adjust.

Oliver lost some fur in the beginning to over cleaning himself, I am sure due to the nerves. It did grow back.

Giving him alot of attention will help him. Play and petting will certainly help until he feels more like its HIS territory