Moving With Your Cat? Here’s What To Do Before The Big Day

Whenever you look on the internet for advice about moving home, you will ALWAYS be told first and foremost this is one of the most stressful things anyone can do. However, if you have cats take a moment to imagine what it must be like for them!

Cats are curious creatures (which is possibly why they’re such popular pets), and if you don’t already know it’s not actually the “material” things in life that make them feel comfortable. In fact, you may have noticed that if something doesn’t smell the way it should your cat will head straight out the cat flap!

So, if you’re about to move home and you have a cat there are a few things you should consider. OK, this will add to your stress levels but then you have a pet because you love animals so making sure their moves goes as smoothly as possible kind of goes with the territory.

When it All Get’s Going

You may have noticed (depending on how seasoned a cat owner you are), that if you move even the smallest piece of furniture in your home to a new place your cat will immediately give it the “once over”. This is because they map out the area in which they live, or as they would probably term it “their territory”. The minute this changes in any way it sparks a sign that all may not be well with the map (so to speak).

What’s the first thing that happens when you start to move home? That’s right, you move stuff! There are items coming out of cupboards your furry friend may not have encountered before. Boxes, packing tape and bubble wrap are all over the place: In short, you’ve REALLY messed up your cats comfortable surroundings. 

Your Cat’s Reaction

This will depend on your cat’s personality. After all, every cat is different and they will all react in their own way. However, there are a few universal signs to look out for. Males especially will probably treat all the upheaval with nothing more than disdain, and just head for the great outdoors for a while.

If you have a young cat, they may not have developed their “homing” signals yet and will just get under your feet, or create a fair few laughs by getting tangled up in the packaging or hiding in boxes and cupboards. Still yet another reaction is the one of impending disaster! Every time you look down at your little furry friend, you’re met with a stare that really doesn’t need verbalising and makes you feel incredibly guilty. 

How to Make It Easier

If you can, make sure you leave their favourite places to sleep untouched. If this isn’t possible, at least move that cushion your cat cannot do without when taking a nap to the new place they’ve decided it’s safe to go.

Toys are also important (even if there are a lot of other things around to play with right now).

The place where your cat normally eats should also be left untouched wherever possible. The trick is to make sure you at least don’t disturb the most important things to your cat before you move which are: Sleep, eat and play. If you have a dog, and want to know more take a look here http://www.theroadahead.co.uk/blog/post/2013/08/23/Tips-on-Moving-With-Dogs.aspx Oh, and don’t forget all that extra fussing!