The Ultimate Guide to Moving Home for You and Your Cat

So you’re owned by a cat, and you want to move home. With the cat. Prepare yourself!

Some decide to come willingly. Others won’t. It is your job to make sure the Queen (or King) of Sheba wants to move with you. Despite that the fact that cat owners are well aware that their cat owns them, not the other way around, it IS possible to persuade kitty that he or she wants and enjoys the change and is prepared to allow you to keep attending them. This is mostly about you attending to their every whim or bribing them (mostly with treats).

While you’re packing to move, little Poppy the Kitty cat may be in her element – all those paper balls to chase, all that bubble wrap to claw, and all those boxes to climb in (and scratch).

‘And therein lies the rub’, as Shakespeare once coined it.

Whilst Poppy is in full sight, all is manageable - but once exhausted, she may well curl up in a dry, safe, comfortable box. And if it has all of your things in it, even better to hide in.

Which leads us nicely to our tips.

Top Tips for Moving Home with your Cat

Getting ready to move

1. Check every single box before you seal them unless you know exactly where the cat is/cats are (ie not inside!).

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Guilty looking cat hiding in a cardboard moving box

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2. Plan your move well for you! If you’re calm, the cat will sense it.

3. Speak to your vet. If your cat needs something to calm them for travel, they may be able to help or offer advice. Ensure you have a copy of the cat’s full health record if you are moving out of the area and need to change vet.

4. Find a new vet before you move. (Your current vet may be able to recommend someone.) https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/health/finding-a-vet

5. Pack your cat's things last of all. It will reduce their distress.

6. If your cat is staying with you throughout the move, set up a moving day ‘haven’ at least one week before moving, allowing them to familiarise themselves. It needs to have their favourite things, as well as a clean litter tray and fresh water as a minimum. But move your cat's things in slowly, bit by bit – cats are incredibly sensitive to change.

Moving Day Tips

1. You know your own cat(s) better than anyone else. Consider whether a cattery might be better for them and less stressful for you whilst you are loading up and shifting out.

2. If they’re not boarding somewhere else, shut them in just one room - their haven (see above) - making sure they have familiar things, a clean litter tray, fresh water and ensure they’re fed as close to their normal routine as possible (unless they get car sick, in which case advice is usually not to feed them for four hours before moving).

4. Put the cat in their carrier when you’re ready to go, ideally not before. But have it there all day– if you’re lucky the cat may just curl up in it. (We can always hope!)

Regarding the cat carrier:

· There’s some great advice here from The Cat’s Protection league if you don’t already have a cat carrier: How to choose and use a cat carrier

· If you only produce the cat box just before a journey to the cattery or vet, your cat may quickly associate it with being constrained/something stressful. The further ahead you can plan and familiarise, the better.

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Owner holding cat carrier with looking out the back door

Settling in

On a more serious note than we began with, cats are incredibly sensitive and may struggle more than the rest of the family to settle in:

1. When you arrive, unpack the cat’s things first.

2. Set up a room in their new home for the cat, with their familiar toys, bedding etc. Take the carrier in, open it up, and let the cat take its own time to emerge. A smaller space (single room, under stairs cupboard) is cats’ usual preference.

3. They will need clean water and a clean litter tray, and to be fed as close to normal routine as possible to give them a sense of security – maybe even of control if they’ve been the one demanding food. (As we noted, you know your cat best.)

4. Keep the cat in their new room for several days until he/she has settled. (Good unpacking time for you!) Make sure they still have their favourite toys and things to do, and that you visit them regularly. Imagine you were shut in – you’d want things to do!

5. Some people recommend pheromone diffusers to calm cats. (Experienced cat owners know that however tough keeping a cat calm may be, it’s far easier than trying to calm an already stressed cat.) This may sound odd, but some experts also recommend rubbing a soft cloth around your cat’s face, and then onto furnishings and corners at cat height to spread their scent.

6. Once ready, give them the freedom of the house, leaving the door open to ‘their’ room, which needs to be seen as their safe space. However, if the cat is normally an outdoor cat, they could get confused, so keep them indoors for longer – experts recommend three to four weeks.

7. Cats are fastidious, but expect a toileting accident or two during the change over. Be patient. Don’t tell them off, just show them where you want them to toilet in future. Keeping litter trays clean and fresh will help.

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Emerging into their new home for the first time

1. When you let them out for the first time, do it coming up to feeding time – cats know where they’re fed. (Cupboard love!) IT will make it easier to call them back.

2. Don’t make them go out – they’ll go out when they’re ready.

3 . For their first outing, let them out for a short time, calling them back for food. Repeat daily, gradually letting them out for longer each time, until they let you know they are happy being outside alone.

4. When letting them out, leave the door open for them to scoot back if they feel afraid - and watch over them carefully.

5. There may be a cat flap, but they may need time to work it out, even if they've previously used one. It will smell and work differently to ‘theirs’. If you’ve moved with your cat, it’s unlikely they will use it on their first time out. But the advice here from the Blue Cross contains some great advice on getting them used to a new cat flap: Blue Cross information

6. Don’t forget to reward your cat when they do use it (usually treats, but you know your cat best). Although the new noise may put them on alert, the treats will eventually help them associate that noise with ‘good – treats!’.

7. If your cat is used to a lead or harness, you could use that to take them out in short bursts to begin with, although most cat charities don’t recommend leads/harnesses.

8. Remove any harmful items from the garden.

9. To help them to establish their territory, sprinkle some soiled litter around the perimeters of your garden.

Don’t panic if your cat escapes over a fence, or strays further than YOU want. Remember that cupboard love rule above? Make sure that when they do come back, they’re greeted with treats and as much attention as they want.

Cats have a strong homing sense. Many try to return to their familiar home, especially if your move isn’t far way. Give your old home’s new owners your details. Not only will they be able to forward stray mail/let you know when surprise visitors arrive (or that Amazon parcel you’d given up on): if your cat does turn up there, they can let you know.

And don’t forget:

Update your kitty’s microchip a day or two before you move.

And if their collar carries contact details, don’t forget to update that too.