Moving House With a Cat: How to Settle a Cat Into a New Home

by Enda

Written by Natalie Miller

As a cat owner, you must already be aware of the fact that cats are really not too fond of change. In fact, there is nothing more stressful for them than big changes. You cannot possibly imagine how stressed they feel during and after relocation. With the familiar environment they are used to gone, there is a great deal of discomfort that your purring friend will have to endure. This can make moving house with a cat difficult.

It is certainly going to be stressful for your pet kitty to go through all of the commotion of house removals, which is why you must be ready to provide support for you while moving with a pet cat. The new home, even if it’s ideal for you, will be foreign and scary for your feline.

Moving House with a Cat: Tips

In order to ensure the comfort of your pet before, during and after removals, you must take these tips into account:

Get your cat used to a pet carrier – if you have never transported your cat in a pet carrier before, chances are the animal will be a little scared of it at first. Luckily, it’s not that difficult to quickly get them used to the item so that they can go in without much trouble. The way to do is to place the carrier near a place where they often visit – feeding area makes for the best choice. Gradually place the feeding bowl near the carrier, before you put it inside. That way your cat will learn to associate the carrier with safety and eventually learn to go inside without a problem.

Get some packing materials and moving boxes early – soon enough your home will be full of those. Every removal service is carried out with a number of boxes, since these are among the most convenient containers. To avoid stressing your cat by moving in a ton of boxes all at once, make sure you introduce your pet to these objects long before the removal takes place. That way your kitty will feel ok around boxes and not get scared when you start packing. Therefore, moving house with a cat can be done in stages, and it doesn’t have to be done all at once.

Maintain the routine of your pet – it is likely that you have a ton of tasks to look into, such as packing, researching possible removal companies to hire and preparing your new home for arrival. But it is absolutely mandatory that you keep the routine of your cat the same as much as possible. This mostly includes play and feeding times. Otherwise you will stress the animal further.

Cat-proof your new home – inspect your new home to see if there are nooks that your pet might get stuck into. Also see to it that any pest-control measures don’t cause further discomfort for your cat and install screens where necessary.

Pay attention to your pet on the day of removal – there’s a high chance for your pet to run out the open door once movers start walking and out with your belongings. This is why it’s a good idea to keep the cat locked in a room, with the entire pet inventory there. Pay regular visits to keep the feline calm. So when moving house with a cat, don’t forget to check in with the pet every once and a while.

Consider a mild sedative during the move – if your cat is far too nervous or doesn’t take travelling very well, you can ask your vet for a mild sedative. That way you know you will reach the new destination, where hopefully your cat will feel better, making moving house with a cat less stressful.

Take it easy the first day – it’s a good idea to allow some time for the pet to get used to the new environment. For this reason, it’s not advisable to let it wander around, and most certainly not outdoors. Allow limited access and let your cat gradually explore the surroundings and get to know the new place.

Every house removal with a pet cat is challenging. Following these tips when moving house with a cat can reduce the stress for your pet and lead to a problematic free move.

Do you need housing? Spotahome can help!

Spotahome offers hundreds of spacious and personally-checked rooms, studios and apartments all over Europe. Moving house with a cat, or just yourself, is made smoother with Spotahome and you can book your perfect home online before you even arrive in the city. Check out all our available houses in and feel free to get in touch with us. You can also find housing in London, Dublin, Paris, Milan, Lyon, and may parts of Spain. We’d be happy to hear from you!

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