Trying2Fly

Off-topic, but since I pick your brains for so many things on this forum (and appreciate the answers I receive) , I thought I'd pose this question as well:

What's the best way to make a move to a new place the least stressful on your feline friend?

I'm moving to a new place in a different city (about 20 min. drive from where I currently am), and though it's not far, I want to make the experience the least stressful I can for my cat. My cat has a nervous personality, and she's also only lived in one place, so I'm a little concerned that she'll be very stressed at being in a new place that she doesn't know is "home". I've read up on bringing items of hers to the new place + items that smell like "her person" as well and setting her up in a quiet room at first. Any other advice?

Freedom1990

When you talk about setting her up in a quiet room, are you talking about isolating her in that room?

Impurrfect

Before I got "lost" in my addiction, I was a travel nurse. I had 2 indoor cats and I'd consider one a "nervous" cat. Though they did NOT like the traveling (in a car, in carriers), once we got into the new place (with rented furniture), I'd pull out my comforter, pillows, things that had "our smell" on them, and they quickly calmed down. We did this for 2 years, every 6 months or so, and they adadpted well. After that, we even lived in an RV for a while, and as long as they had ME, and something that was "ours" they were fine.

I always had their food bowls, their scratching post, toys, etc. It was one of the first things I put out, along with the comforter...they always slept with me, so I guess that made them feel at home?

Hope this helps.

Hugs and prayers!

Amy

Trying2Fly

Quiet room= a room separate from all the moving chaos, in which she could be safe while we moved things in. After all the moving is done, I would let her out to explore (it will be an apartment). I'm mostly concerned with her staying safe during the actual moving day so she won't bolt.

Thanks!

Ceres

Warning. :-)

When I moved with my cat, he decided to hide in the teeny spot inbetween the refridgerator and the wall. The next day, I was worried about him, so I reached in there to get him....

Stitches ensued. Lesson learned! Let kitty get cozy on his own terms.

I'm a dog person now. :-)

dollydo

My dad died in Feb, he had this great cat Romeo. There was a tremendous amount of work to be done to his house, so, I had to move the cat to the hotel with me. I moved his cat tree, his toys and his litter box. Plopped his butt in the room, zip, off he went, hid under the bed. The next night out he comes, he used his box and was fine. We spent 3 weeks in the room.

Then I loaded him up again and drove him 1200 miles to Fl. I took my time and we stayed in several motels...he was a trooper, I lugged his stuff in the room every night and he was happy.

I found that he needed his stuff, his bowls, his tree, his toys, he didn't want anything new, he just wanted his personal belongings--just like we humans.

Romeo is doing fine in Florida, loves to watch the birds from his cat tree!

Impurrfect

((Ali)) - good point! My "nervous" cat got behind the dryer in one of my first apts. I just left her there, called for her and put out her food and water bowl. After I got out her toys, the comforter and started settling in, she came out. I learned, after that, to close off the laundry room

I did keep both cats in my bedroom while I was moving stuff in. Since I moved into furnished places, it wasn't the same, but I think as long as you put "your/their stuff" in there and keep checking on her and giving her lots of TLC, she'll be fine. A little break for YOU to get some kitty-love will be good for you, too

Hugs and prayers!

Amy

bookwyrm

All of my 4 cats are indoor cats and 2 are nervous ones - 1 of which is very nervous. I was moving house and decided to stash them in a local cattery for 2 days so they could miss out on the upheaval and I could get everything kinda settled (and the huge cat towers rebuilt) before bringing them back. They were in a pen together with heated bedding (!) and they had some of their own bedding with them. I also used Feliway diffusers and a handspray in the cattery and in the car. It didn't take them long to readjust and they've been going from strength to strength, becoming even more settled and calm than they were before we moved!! Not living with XAH seems to have helped them a lot! 3 of my cats are now visiting outside in the garden while I'm there, now that the warmer weather is here. And my 'upstairs' very nervous cat has become a bit of a bossy boots and has come downstairs on occasion (usually to nag since there is no one upstairs to pet him or play with him...).

Linkmeister

When I moved my dog cross country, (we flew) as long as I had some of his blankets, toys, and a nightshirt with my scent in his crate, he was fine. When we got to our new home, we had to stay in a motel until I could move into the new place and he adjusted quite well - in fact, he didn't want to leave when we moved into the apartment.

Our pets whether they be feline or canine, crave the security of having their people and familiar belongings nearby and will do just fine. Since we moved cross country, there has been another move to a new place and once again, things went fine-my pup is happy as anything in his new yard watching the birds, being spoiled by the neighbours and meeting lots of new girlfriends!!

Thumper

When I recently moved I moved everything from the old house to the new house (leaving the cat at the old house). I then went back and got her once everything was unloaded into the new house. It seemed to work. Ideally I was going to bring her back with me at 5pm when I went back into town to get the kids but my dingle dork xah brought the kids to me so instead of doing a turn around trip with them I waited to get her until the next morning. She had to spend the night in an empty house (just her food/water/box/bed) which I felt bad about but she was OK.

She stayed pretty much hid for a couple of weeks. We saw her but when she slept she was hid away. Now she lays all over like the Queen she is.

TakingCharge999

There are homeopathic and stabilizer floral remedies in vet shops you can start putting in the water to ease tensions. I have used them in the foster cats I got and now and it has made a difference.

For the road trip I'd advise to put some valerian on her water or "ask her" to inhale a bit. My cats get very calm/sleepy after that. (Sold in nature oriented shops, aromatherapy, soy, vitamins etc)

I have moved 3 times from apartment to apartment and my cats enjoyed exploring the boxes, hiding in them, jumping,etc.

MY smallest one Gabana is more nervous and afraid of new people and things, but she has coped well. She also hid but I just put wet whiskas (more smelly..) and let her adjust at her own time.


Listening to my same music/voice and sleeping together helped! good luck. Remember the valerian but be careful not to smell it yourself or you'll get sleepy too!

Trying2Fly

I already use Feliway diffusers, which work wonders for her nervousness, so I think I'll definitely use those in the new place, too.

Thanks everyone!