Moving house can be a difficult time for both people and pets. We’ve brought together some tips to make the move as stress-free as possible for your cat.
Keeping things as familiar as you can will help your cat as you prepare to move. You can dedicate a specific room just for them with safe spaces to hide and places to perch up high. Make sure to put their food, water, litter tray, toys and bedding or blankets there, too.
This room should be used on moving day to keep your cat safe before finally moving them to the new home. The items in this room can then be moved with them, helping them feel safe.
Avoid washing your cat’s beds and blankets before the move. Having items that smell strongly of them will help them to settle.
You can use products like Feliway* or Pet Remedy* that help relieve stress. These can be used before, during and after the move. It’s important to read all instructions carefully.
To avoid causing stress to your cat, where possible, move large items when the cat is outside or shut off in another part of the house.
In some situations, although it will cause some stress it is less stressful to book them in to a cattery or have them stay at a friends for the day of moving. This will entirely depend on how long you have to move furniture and vacate the old house and how your cat reacts to noise and general hustle and bustle. For those that are really struggling, removing them from the home and all the noise is a better option. If you do this, make sure to take familiar scented items with them to the cattery and restrict them to one room, away from other pets if taking to a friend’s house. You can then take them to the new home and follow the above advice once all the furniture has been moved.
There’s no right or wrong time to take your cat to your new home. Make sure to follow the advice in this article and have a separate room for them so they can stay safely inside with the door shut while furniture and people move in and out of the house.
Some cats struggle to be shut in places and will be reluctant to stay in one room. If this is true for your cat, it’s best to move them to the new house once all your belongings are there and all external doors and windows can be shut.
Use a sturdy carrier to transport them on moving day. There are ways to get your cat used to being in a cat carrier.
Dedicate a room in the new house for your cat to settle in. They can use this room to stay safe as you move all items into your new home. Once you’re fully moved in, it can be their safe space, too. Your cat should have access to everything they need in this room, like food, water, litter trays, toys, beds and hiding places.
Some cats will like having you in this room with them, but others will prefer to be left alone to get used to their surroundings. Allow your cat to be in control of any interactions with you. If they want to hide, let them, and leave them to adapt to their new space.
Let your cat explore their new home at a steady pace. Remember, all cats are different and will adapt to their surroundings in different ways and in their own time. Opening up your new home one room at a time will avoid them becoming overwhelmed by large spaces.
Gently encourage your cat to explore new areas in their own time using treats, but never force them to do anything they’re uncomfortable with.
Many cats will choose to explore overnight when the house is quiet and they feel more comfortable.
If your cat goes outdoors, give them enough time to get used to the house before letting them out. More advice on this can be found in our article called How to let your cat outside for the first time.
As long as your cats are happy in each other’s company, you can use the same safe spaces for them as you move. But they’ll need plenty of resources like separate feeding areas, litter trays, water bowls, hiding places and toys. This’ll help avoid any issues with sharing.
Common signs of stress in cats can include:
If you see any of these signs in your cat, you may find the following articles helpful:
Why won’t my cat use the litter tray?
You can also book an advice call with our Behaviour and Training Specialist team if you need help with your cat’s behaviour.
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