Moving house with a cat

Pack cat food, food bowls, a favourite rug that smells of "home", her toys, litter and litter tray in a box that you personally make sure is the last thing put into the removal van and the first thing off.

Do as already suggested and put cat in a room with her food, water and litter tray and LOCK that door.

Once the removal men have gone, go round the house and check that all doors and windows are closed and the outer doors locked, so no-one can just walk in.

Open the spare room door and leave cat to come out when she pleases.

Before moving, take serveral good photos of the cat and write a description of her with photo and your phone number. Save them on your computer in case she does get out and wander off. Save them to a USB stick too, so if the worst happens and she wanders off while your printer is still not up and running you can borrow someone else's printer to print your Lost Cat notices.

See if you can persuade her to wear a collar with your name and phone number on it, and to take walks on a lead.

If the latter works, you can take her out into the garden before the fortnight is up, so she sees her new domain, but can't run off if she gets scared. Don't use an extendable lead. I made that mistake, and my one cat scared himself silly because he jerked it out of my hand and the sound of the plastic casing bumping behind him freaked him out.

His brother was perfectly happy on the extendable lead, and is the only cat I have ever known who knew exactly which way he had gone round or under things when out on the lead, and just turned round and came out the same way he had gone in. Most cats have no idea and tangle themselves up in bikes, bike-stands, round lamp-posts and anything else you can think of.

She most likely will condescend to use the litter tray as using the floor will offend her sense of what is right and proper. She won't like the tray, but then you and I would rather never need a bed-pan, wouldn't we?

We rehoused a lovely cat 2 years ago, came from a family that didn’t treat her well but we have now built up her confidence. Anyway, we needed to stay near my daughter when she was in hospital so we simply took her with us to my daughters empty house as we knew she didn’t cope well in a cattery. So she was in a new house, we let her out for a short break a couple of times a day with MR B following the cat around with a bag of Dreamies. She didn’t want to go far and doesn’t like using a litter tray.

Buying a crate. I'll eventually put her outside in that to start with as there is NO WAY she would tolerate a lead or collar! Starting her with a litter tray at the weekend. Buying Feliway. Keeping her in for a month. You've all been marvellous - thank you!

My cat moved many times, i never kept her in but i always stayed in the garden with her for a few days then left the back door open until she got used to it.

After keeping mine in for a couple of weeks the first thing he did was go up on the roof! Then over the back fence.He did come back.

We’ve moved a few times and kept our cat in for a month. He’s an outdoor cat but soon got used to it. I put him in a bedroom with all his toys and bedding etc but first went round the room and rubbed doorframes and carpet with one of my old clothes and one of his many blankets (spoilt puss!) so that there was a familiar smell in there. I also did the sitting room etc (before I let him out) but used one of his blankets so that there was a ‘familiar’ smell. It’s so worrying I know but he settled in fine tho the first time I let him out in the forest that was our back garden I was scared he wouldn’t come back! But I had taken him outside a few times in my arms and he was fine.
Good luck ?

I do recommend the Feliway plug in, my cat sleeps in this room during the day and is always very relaxed.

So very sad, I've just been on Fb and a young girl was looking after her Mum's cat in her top floor flat - and 'Hamish' got out of the window. It seems she didn't realise cats are great escape artists, even through the smallest cracked window. No sign now for 48 hours, beautiful cat, unfortunately he has no idea where he is.

If you know where she goes to the toilet, dig a patch up and put it in a tray, on top of some cat litter. Shut her in a small room, in your home, where you live now, overnight. Then maybe let her out of the small room, but keep her indoors. She should litter train quite quickly.

My cats have moved to 2 different countries with me and tolerated three overseas flights, including one from China.

You have lots of sensible advice already on this thread Jack. When my cat was new to our house I let her out in the back garden after a few weeks and I stayed with her and brought her back in with me.
At the front where there are no fences just driveways I would walk with her along our row of houses - a bit further each day, and then walk back towards home calling her.
It worked a treat.
Wishing you the Best of Luck with the move ?

Shandy57

I'd recommend keeping her in for longer JackK, two weeks is the very minimum, there are many many lost cat notices here where people didn't keep them in for long enough. I'd recommend at least a month for her to truly find her bearings.

Is she microchipped for your current address? I changed my cat/dog's chip address on exchange.

If you start her on the litter tray now before you move, she will use it, as well as using the garden. I recommend the clumping cat litter from Morrisons, it's great.

When I moved I caught her very early in the morning, and luckily was able to get the keys to my new place before the removal men arrived. I had purchased a very large dog crate, and put her in it in the bathroom, along with her cat bed, food/water and litter tray. I also put a battery radio in there with her. The removal men didn't go into the bathroom at all, as directed, but I had put tape across the door to remind them.

Whilst she was 'confined' to the house I did buy a Feliway room diffuser. I know they are expensive, but my cat had also lived in our house for her whole life and at 15, I wanted to do everything I could to make sure she felt comfortable.

Good luck, wishing you happiness in your new home.

I was just about to recommend a dap diffuser. And possibly a Felliway collar. I assume they do them for cats as well as dogs. So many posts on Facebook where house cats have got out of open windows. You can get crates on marketplace really cheap, they’re always on sale. There’s nothing worse than a cat going missing, it breaks my heart to see appeals on Facebook.

What a good idea. My Mum had a lead for one of her cats which was totally deaf and half blind.

Can't you also take her out on a lead several times to get used to the garden?

Thank you ❤️

JackK if you decide to use the Feliway diffuser, it's most effective in a small space. If you use it in a bigger room the active ingredient disperses across a bigger volume of air so has much less effect.
Good luck with your move ?

I hope you’re both very happy in your new home.

Good idea! She loves her food (and recognizes the rattling sound of the tin opening that her food pouches are kept in! Ohhhh ... and that magic word 'DREAMIES' hahaaaaa!

When she goes out for the first time from her new abode make sure she does not have a full tum- she will be less likely to explore further if she is a tad hungry.

Shandy, did the Feliway work? I'd also considered that!

Thank you all so much for your sensible replies. Yes, she's microchipped - but at my present address, so I'll need to consider that too. I'd already decided to take her to my son's early on moving day (in a dog crate, with her things around her) to keep her out of the mayhem. He lives in a flat, so she'll be safe there for a few hours - then I'll take her to the new home, which should smell familiar as the furniture will all be in by tea time-ish. Perhaps two weeks is a bit too soon, and I should plan for a month. I shall also buy a couple of litter trays and Morrison's cat litter tomorrow! Thank you!

I'd recommend keeping her in for longer JackK, two weeks is the very minimum, there are many many lost cat notices here where people didn't keep them in for long enough. I'd recommend at least a month for her to truly find her bearings.

Is she microchipped for your current address? I changed my cat/dog's chip address on exchange.

If you start her on the litter tray now before you move, she will use it, as well as using the garden. I recommend the clumping cat litter from Morrisons, it's great.

When I moved I caught her very early in the morning, and luckily was able to get the keys to my new place before the removal men arrived. I had purchased a very large dog crate, and put her in it in the bathroom, along with her cat bed, food/water and litter tray. I also put a battery radio in there with her. The removal men didn't go into the bathroom at all, as directed, but I had put tape across the door to remind them.

Whilst she was 'confined' to the house I did buy a Feliway room diffuser. I know they are expensive, but my cat had also lived in our house for her whole life and at 15, I wanted to do everything I could to make sure she felt comfortable.

Good luck, wishing you happiness in your new home.

My neighbour moved with her 3 cats.
Of course she was well prepared; boxed up for the movers.
She put her 3 cats into the spare bedroom before they came.
She very clearly marked the door telling movers not to open.
They were fine while she went back and forth.
When move was complete, she took cats to her new home.
All were litter trained.
Agree with GSM: micro-chip and litter train ASAP.
Good Luck, hope you will all be happy in your new home

I agree, start with the litter tray before you move and I would not worry at present about her finding the great outdoors to do her business. One step at a time.

Can’t help re litter trays as my cats were always shut in overnight with litter trays. I can only suggest starting to do that before you move.
Does she have a collar on which she could wear an identity tag? Have you had her microchipped?