Moving houses is a stressful transition and it can be ten times more stressful for your cat. In order to make it as easy as possible for your feline family, make sure you have explored all of the options in making the transition smooth and stress-free.
Tips for Moving with Cats:
Keep Calm: our furry family members feed off our feelings—they sense anxiousness, sadness and everything in-between. Speak calmly to your cats, reassure them and try to remain calm so they don’t feed off of your emotions and start acting out.
Keep Cats Calm: Keep your kitty in a separate room while the preparations last (moving furniture, packing, etc.) are underway. This way you will protect the feline from all the people moving back and forth in the house with heavy boxes and from the constant noise surrounding these actions. If you cat is an explorer, keep this in mind when leaving boxes out in case they want to hide (and get lost) inside boxes.
Babysitter:If you can, provide a sitter for your cat, a friend or a member of the family for the day of the move. This will ensure that cat is not in harm’s way with the commotion, will prevent potential anxiousness and will prevent the possibility of your cat being scared into running away.
Something Familiar: If you are traveling long distances by car try to keep you cat as calm as possible by having familiar items on hand such as: their blankets, favorite toys or items with familiar scents. You can also try to loosely place the blanket over the carrier to help with them feeling more secure.
All the Necessities: Don’t forget to provide a sufficient amount of water and food for the trip. Cats should never be loose in the car and should always be safely secured in a pet carrier. Confirm that your animals are microchipped and that they have the appropriate/updated tags on their collars.
Consult a Vet: If your cats are easily frightened, you can consult your vet about some prescription ant-anxiety medications or sedatives. Have all pet’s medical records and license information on hand (not packed away) so they are easily accessible. If possible, interview/meet your new veterinarian before you arrive at the new home—it will be one less thing to worry about when you are getting settled in.
The New Home: Keep a close eye on your kitty right after the move. Allow them to explore in a controlled environment. If your cat is an outdoor cat, we recommend that you wait the better half of a month before you allow them to explore outside the house. Refrain from washing all of their bedding or favorite items—having the familiar items around them in the adjustment period will help with the transition.
For all of your moving needs consult with the expert movers at Priority Moving and get on the road to a stress-free moving experience.
