The Purrfect Move for You & Your Cat

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of flickr

Cats are like people in that they have their likes, their dislikes and no two are exactly alike.  Unlike dogs, that are more subservient to people’s wants and desires, every cat owner knows that when it comes to getting your way with them, your feline friend isn’t going to fetch, roll over or lie down on command.  Cat’s do pretty much what they want when they want.  What they don’t want is to have their routine interrupted.  When it comes to moving with cats, this can present a few issues, which I will cover this week.

Boxes Everywhere

From the moment you start packing, your cat will know.  More tellingly, your cat may decide that the growing pile of boxes is the perfect place to hide, or worse, to use as a scratching post.  If you have an unneutered Tom, he could very well decide to mark the boxes as his territory.  Any of the above can result in shredded or soiled boxes, not to mention broken dishes or glassware, and torn clothing and linen.  If you have an indoor/outdoor cat, don’t be surprised to find one of kitty’s treasures buried in one of your boxes.

Since boxes are like Christmas trees to cats in that they are an irresistible lure that’s likely to get them in trouble, your best bet is to keep them out of your cat’s sight.  What I suggest is you relegate a den, unused bedroom or the garage to warehouse your boxes, especially in the early stages of packing.  While your cat will see you going back and forth with those all too interesting boxes, he or she will not be able to gain access to them.  Just make sure kitty doesn’t slip by you as you carry yet another load into the storeroom.

Herding Cats

Image courtesy of flickr

If you want your cat to stay calm while you prepare to move, you need to make sure you do everything in your power to maintain your cat’s routine.  This means you not only have to make sure your cat gets fed on time, you also have to make sure you provide your cat with the normal amount of affection and playtime.  Just as with people, cats react to sudden changes in their routine by getting stressed. 

While every pet owner should schedule trip to the vet at least one week prior to the move, this is especially important if you plan on moving long distance.  Not only can your vet make sure your cat is in tiptop shape before you hit the road, the vet can also prescribe anti-anxiety meds that will help keep your cat calm.  While you’re there, it’s also a good idea to request your pet’s medical records, including the immunization passport.  This will make it much easier to register your cat with your new vet once you get moved in.

Moving Day Mayhem

By the time moving day arrives, you will have enough on your plate.  Therefore, the last thing you want to have to worry about is your cat.  To keep your cat from stressing out or getting out, I recommend asking a friend or neighbor to cat sit while the movers are loading the truck.  This will keep kitty out from underfoot and it will ensure that it doesn’t run out the door unexpectedly.  It will also be a much more pleasant environment for your cat who won’t understand what is going on during a noisy move. 

If you don’t have a friend or neighbor to help you on moving day, Plan B is to put your cat in a room that is as quiet as possible.  The hustle and bustle of movers toting your belongings in and out can be frightening to a cat.  As a precaution, place a Do Not Disturb sign on the door and tell your movers what’s inside.  It’s also a good idea to assign one of your kids to keep kitty company if at all possible.  If not, make sure you leave plenty of food, water, cat bed, scratching post, litter box and toys in the room to help your cat while away the hours until the movers have gone.

Here Kitty

Image courtesy of flickr

Whether you are moving across town or across the country, it is vital that you keep your cat safe.  This means putting it in the transport carrier and making sure the carrier is secured.  By secured, I mean seat belt the carrier in the backseat.  Above all, don’t let your cat roam around loose in your car.  There’s no telling what a stressed-out cat is likely to do.  Depending upon the level of anxiety exhibited by your cat and/or the distance involved in moving, this is a good time to give kitty either a toy or some anti-anxiety meds. 

If you are traveling cross-country, use the Internet to search for pet-friendly hotels.  Make sure you pack a travel bag for your cats that includes, food, water, bowls, toys, cat bed, litter box and anything else that will help make the ordeal more tolerable for them.  With the exception of short meal breaks, never leave a cat unattended in a locked car.  By short, I mean 10-minutes or less.  Depending on the weather, the temperature inside a car can fall or soar to dangerous levels in less than a half hour. 

Dealing with Your Cat After the Move

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

Just as you sheltered your cat from the mayhem of the move, you need to do so again it is time to unload.  Once more find a quiet, empty room where you cat can stay and play while everything is unloaded.  Just make sure the room you choose has no residual evidence of precious pets.  This works even better if a member of the family can spend some time in the room with your cat.   

Above all, do NOT let your cat loose in the house or outside of the house until well after you have moved everything in and the movers are long gone.  Your cat will need some time to explore the new surroundings inside your new home before it will feel at home.  Outdoors can be even more stressful since cats are extremely territorial. 

As long as you take the time to gradually reintroduce your cat to it’s accustomed routine, give it plenty of TLC and keep a weather eye on it for the first couple of weeks, moving with your cat doesn’t need to be a cat-tastrophe.

With over 4,000 moves, Scott's Discount Movers  has handled moves of all sizes, including local and cross country. If you are looking to move your home or office, you can depend on Scott's Discount Movers to provide a stress-free relocation.