While you understand how stressful moving is for the human members of your family, it’s a little different understanding how this upheaval affects your feline family members. Depending on how old your children (if you have any) are, they can grasp the situation because you explain it to them, but your cat? The poor animal hasn’t a clue what is happening and you can talk yourself blue in the face, but your kitty is unlikely to absorb what you are saying! From a feline point of view, relocation is nothing short of cataclysmic, a complete and utter upheaval of their small world. Here are some tips from a professional mover to help with moving your cat.
�The moment that you begin to pack your cat will know that something is up. Try to leave the area where he spends most of his time udisturbed until the last possible minute to reduce his anxiety. If you can, isolate the cat in a quiet roomwhile you are packing;
�If your cat is unaccustomed to travelling in a carrier, familiarize him with it beforehand by putting it in the room where the cat spends most of his time. Put a bit of food or some of his favourite treats inside so that the cat will get used to it and hopefully, get to like the carrier;
�Place some old towels or rags in the cat’s sleeping area to absorb her scent. After you’ve arrived at your new home you can place these in the new sleeping area to make your cat feel more at ease in his new surroundings;
�You should confine your cat to one room at the new house for a while. Put his bed, litterbox, food and water dishes and a few favourite toys in the room, and restrict traffic going in and out to diminish further stress;
�Even if your cat is customarily allowed outside, don’t let him out until he is settled at the new house, this can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending upon your cat’s temperment. When you do take him out, use a leash so he doesn’t run off. There are endless stories of cats running away from a new neighborhood and trying to make their way back to their old stomping grounds, not always successfully
�Give your cat a little extra tlc after you move to reassure him that all is well and that his place is still with you, safe and secure, and
�Get a new id tag with your new contact info on it immediately so that if your cat does run away it’s easier for you to be reunited.
Professional movers like me have plenty of advice to offer about moving. We have the experience and knowledge that will help your move go smoothly, for every member of your family, even your cat!
