Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Preparing your cat for the relocation process
• Part 2 of 3: Moving into the new house
• Part 3 of 3: Acclimate your cat to her new home
• Tips
• Warnings

If cats had their way, everything would always be the same. They don't always adapt well to change, so just imagine how they feel when you move into a new home! Their fear and nervousness about the move can cause them to express it in a variety of ways, such as hiding, trying to escape, and urinating and defecating all over the house through fear. It is very important for you to do everything you can to reduce your cat's anxiety before the move, during the move, and after the move.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Preparing your cat for the relocation process

1. Check your cat's ID tag. While you will do your best to keep your cat from being startled and running away during the relocation process, she can still find a way to run. Proper identification can be very helpful if someone finds her. Make sure her ID tag contains your mobile number, as your landline will change after the move.
   • If your cat hasn't been microchipped yet, take her to the vet to do it. A chip is a small device that is inserted just under the skin. If someone finds your cat, they can take her to a vet or animal shelter who can scan the chip, revealing your details, as her owner.
   • Preparing "lost cat" flyers is also helpful. These flyers should include a picture of your cat, your cat's profile, the address of your vet and local cat shelter, and your contact information. If your cat actually runs away, if you have already prepared the flyers, you can quickly start hanging the flyers in the area.
2. Take your cat to the vet. Make sure your cat is up to date with vaccinations and parasite control. Moving is a stressful process for your cat, so you want to make sure she is as healthy as possible. Your vet can administer any necessary vaccinations and provide you with additional parasite control agents.
   • If you do visit the vet, get a copy of your cat's medical records right away. This is especially important if you have to change your vet after your move. Having a copy of your cat's medical record can make it easier for the new vet to know her full medical history.
   • Talk to your vet about anti-anxiety medications. Depending on your cat's temperament, she may need medication to ease her anxiety during the move. Your vet can discuss what medications are available and how to administer them, if needed.
3. Find a pet-friendly hotel. If you move to another country with your cat, you will likely have to spend a night in a hotel. Finding a hotel that accepts cats can be challenging as not all pet-friendly hotels accept cats. Even if the hotel accepts cats, they may not have pet-friendly rooms available during the period of your move. In addition, pet-friendly hotels may charge an expensive surcharge.
   • When you arrive at the hotel room, make the room as cat-safe as possible before letting your cat out of the basket. The room will not be familiar to her, and she can easily find a place to hide or crawl under (under or behind the bed, under a chair).
   • It may be best to keep your cat in the bathroom of the hotel room, and arrange the room the way you did when you moved out of your old house. Leave her carrier in the bathroom with her.
4. Get your cat used to her carrier. Start getting your cat used to her carrier a few weeks before the move. You can use a travel basket with a hard cap or one with a soft top. The hard cap travel basket is more robust, but you may need one with a soft top if you are traveling by plane to your new destination and want to keep her with you on the plane.
   • Make the carrier look inviting by leaving the door open and putting her own basket and treats inside.
   • Encourage her to spend time in the basket by putting her meals in the carrier.
   • Place a blanket over the carrier to give it the appearance of a safe hiding place, which can come in handy on moving day.
   • Reward her with a treat every time she puts in the carrier. By doing this you create a positive association with the carrier.
   • Take her for a ride while she's in the carrier. Start by putting her in the car without driving. When you see her staying calm in the car when it's not moving, take her on short rides, then longer rides. Every time she stays calm in her basket while she's in the car with you, reward her with a treat.
5. Get your cat used to the moving boxes. The sight of moving boxes can be enough to make her very anxious. In the weeks before the move, set out a few empty moving boxes for her to explore and get comfortable with. If she seems extra suspicious about the boxes, try spraying some cat pheromones on the corners of the boxes (available at the pet store); the scent of these pheromones can encourage her to explore the boxes.
   • Giving her time to explore the boxes can result in playtime for her, which will help ease her anxiety about the move.
6. Keep your cat's routine constant. Preparing for a move means you'll be busy packing boxes and running errands. Even with these changes in your routine, make sure to keep your cat's routine as constant as you can to lessen her fear of the move. For example, keep playing and feeding her at the same times every day.
   • If you see her getting more and more anxious despite a constant routine, you can try playing with her more.

Part 2 of 3: Moving into the new house

1. Create a cat-safe room. On moving day, people will be constantly moving from room to room and going in and out of the house. This amount of commotion will make your cat extremely anxious. Keeping her in a separate room will protect her from the commotion. Put her food bowl, water bowl, litter box, toys and basket in the room to make her feel comfortable.
   • Put her in the room before you start the actual moving process. Once it is comfortably installed in the room, put a sign on the door to warn people to keep the door closed.
   • The bathroom is a good place to place it as people do not have to go in and out of the bathroom.
   • You could also put her travel basket in the cat-safe room, as she'll be comfortable with that by then.
   • If you are not moving far away, consider taking her to a guest house on the day of the move. Discuss this option with your vet.
2. Give your cat a small breakfast. Your cat will likely be anxious on move day and may not want to eat. Even if this is the case, you should offer her some food at her normal feeding time so that her stomach doesn't get upset later in the day.
3. Put her in her carrier. You can do this in the cat-safe room or when preparing to put her in the car. Make sure to keep the door of the carrier closed until you are in a locked room in your new home. While it may be tempting to open the carrier door earlier to reassure her, her fear and anxiety can lead her to run away.

Part 3 of 3: Acclimate your cat to her new home

1. Create a cat-safe room in your new home. Do this before you start unloading and unpacking your things.Make this room just like you did before, but also put her scratching post in the room with her. Open the door of her carrier and sprinkle some treats around the room to encourage her to get out of her carrier and explore the room.
   • Even after the hustle and bustle of the moving day is over, keep her in the cat-safe room for a few more days. She will likely need those few extra days to calm down and feel more comfortable in her new environment.
   • Spend some extra time with her in the room. You can play with her and make contact with her, but you can also do something quiet in the room, such as reading.
2. Make your new home "cat-safe". While your cat is in the cat-safe room, make sure the rest of the house is safe for your cat to explore and get used to. Make sure there are no vermin traps, as these traps contain poisonous pesticides. Tuck away electrical wires, make sure fly screens are secure, and cover any corners where your cat could hide and get trapped.
   • Place multiple litter boxes around your home, especially if your new home has multiple floors.
   • Spread her scent around the house. You can do this by pulling a clean sock over your hand and gently rubbing the sock against her cheek so that her pheromones are attached. Rub the sock against the corners of furniture at her eye level. Do this a few times before letting her out of the cat-safe room. When she comes out, she will recognize her scent as if she has already marked her new territory.
3. Place scratching posts and toys in different places. Your cat may be tempted to mark her territory in her new home. If there are familiar scratching posts and her favorite toys scattered around the house, she will be encouraged to scratch and play with what is familiar to her and not look for new places to scratch or mark.
4. Establish a regular feeding schedule. Your cat may feel too anxious to overeat while trying to adjust to her new environment. Even if she doesn't seem to feel like eating, feeding small meals on a regular schedule will help her feel a bit of normalcy and routine in the new home. In addition, the regularity of the meals will increase the amount of time you spend with her, which will also help reduce her anxiety.
   • Feed her these meals in the cat-safe room.
   • Establishing regular play and sleep schedules will also help her get used to her new home.
5. Let your cat out of the cat-safe room. Give her plenty of time and space to explore her new environment. Even after a few days, she can still be anxious, so let her adjust at her own pace. Offer her treats while she's exploring and give her access to some of her favorite toys.
   • Provide her with hiding places or resting places, such as cat tunnels, that she can go to while exploring.
   • It can be helpful to let her explore one room at a time, instead of letting her explore the whole house at once.
   • Keep a litter box in the cat-safe room until your cat is comfortable around the house. That room will be her safe place for a while, so give her the chance to use the litter box in that room for a few more weeks.
6. Keep your cat indoors for a few weeks. This is important if your cat was a partial indoor / outdoor cat, or was always outside. The outside environment will be as unfamiliar as the inside of your new home, so letting her out too soon can cause her to run away. If you want to let her go outside, consider giving her a cat harness, which you can purchase from the pet store.
   • You can also buy a cat-safe run for your cat, which she can enter when she is outside, and which protects her from predators.
   • It may be helpful to spread some of your cat's litter around your house before letting her out. This will help your cat feel in a familiar environment when out and about and let other neighborhood cats know that there is a new cat.

Tips

• Moving with your cat requires a lot of thought and preparation. However, the extra time and effort you put into preparing your cat for the move will help make the process a little smoother for both of you.
• If possible, avoid buying all new furniture. Your cat will acclimate to the new environment more quickly if it feels like she's in familiar territory, so keep your old furniture if you can.
• If you have to fly with your cat for the move (read the article on how to transport cats by air on WikiHow), call the airline in advance to check requirements. Also find out who is responsible for feeding and drinking. Before the trip, remember to put something familiar in her carrier, such as a favorite blanket. Make sure to pick up your cat as soon as possible after the flight.

Warnings

• Be prepared for loud bellowing during the car ride; most cats find car journeys extremely disorienting and scary and will make it loud. This can be very distracting for the driver and upset everyone unless everyone is prepared for this noise. You can reduce the likelihood of mooing by getting your cat used to the car for the weeks leading up to the move.
• Do not give your cat more sedative medication than what your vet has prescribed. You may be giving too much to your cat, which could become a serious medical problem. If your cat doesn't seem to be responding to the prescribed dose, contact your vet to see if you can give more.