How To Move to a New Home When You Have a Cat

ByAndrea Heckler, 08/30/2017

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Moving when you have a pet is completely possible, but you need to know what to do to make the transition smooth, for you and for them. Here are some helpful tips!

As nearly all of us know from personal experience, moving is a lot of trouble. When you have pets, though, that challenge becomes even greater.

Cats especially are known for sticking to what they know, and change is not something most felines will adapt to easily. So how can we make this easier for them?

Here are a few tips to make the transition easier for both them and you:

Prepare Your Cat Ahead Of Time

The transition period for your cat should start days before the actual movers show up. Get their carrier out ahead of time and leave it open and inviting, so that they can go in and out when they want. Get out the moving boxes so that they get used to seeing and smelling them.

All of these things will allow them to adjust slowly and gradually, which will help reduce their anxiety the day the big changes all start taking place.

Keep Them Away From The Action

When it actually comes time to start packing things up, it might be easier on your cat if they are kept away from all the busyness and commotion. Consider confining them in a separate room, along with a comfy bed, food, water, and a litter box, so that they don't get nervous watching you packing all their familiar things away.

This is extremely important when movers are coming and going. Even if your cat won't normally try to escape, they might act differently if they are nervous, so make sure they are kept in a closed-off and safe space.

Get The New House Ready For Them

Before you let your cat out of the carrier in your new home, set up all their things first: food and water dishes, litter box, bed, playthings. This will give them a touch of familiarity to cling to among all the new, which will make them feel calmer.

If your cat is especially reluctant or skittish, you might find it easier to set up all their things in one specific room, someplace calm and quiet, and leave your cat there for the first several hours or even a few days. This will give them the chance to adapt gradually to a small space before going on to explore the rest of the house.

Know Your Cat

Ultimately, every cat will respond to moving a bit differently. The best way to make this transition easy on them is to watch them carefully and act according to their response. If they adapt quickly, give them their space to explore. If they're more anxious, then take the process step by step.

The most important thing is that your cat feels safe and supported, so don't forget to pet them, speak calmly, and try to maintain as much of their eating, playing, and sleeping routine as possible.

With all those extra boxes lying around after the move, you might start wondering...why do cats love boxes so much, anyway? Find out here!

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