Moving House With a Cat: How to Help Cats Cope With Change

So, you're moving house - congrats! But what about your furry friend? If you're like most people, you probably assume that your cat will automatically adjust to their new environment. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case.

Along with death and divorce, moving house is one of the most stressful things that you can do. Moving house with a cat, however, dials that stress level to eleven.

Cats are notoriously fussy about change, and moving to a new home is a hugely stressful event for them.

When our furry felines are suddenly uprooted from their home, it's incredibly confusing. Everything they've ever known has suddenly gone, not only their home but their whole backyard territory.

It's no wonder your cat can feel just as stressed as you.

If you're planning to move house with your unsuspecting moggy, you'll want to make sure that they feel relaxed and safe during the transition. If the move becomes traumatic for your cat, it can lead to all sorts of behavioural issues, from litter box avoidance to full-blown anxiety attacks.

Moving with cats can be challenging, but it's totally doable.

We've compiled our top 5 tips for helping your cat cope with change when moving to a new home. Follow these handy suggestions, and your kitty should enjoy a smooth transition.

Be patient

When moving a cat to a new house, patience is essential. Allow your cat some time to get used to their new home before introducing them to new furniture, smells, or sounds. Once you arrive at your new home, try not to make too many changes. 

If possible, settle your fluffy friend in a bedroom or other small area to hang out in until they get used to the new environment. Make sure that their feeding and littering routine is as normal as possible. Remember to keep your kitty's food and water bowls in the same place so that they always know where they are. 

This will help them feel calm and secure while acclimatising, providing a safe area until they're ready to explore the rest of the house.

Introduce your cat to one new room at a time and let them explore at their own pace. This will encourage them to feel more comfortable and avoid being overwhelmed.

Help your cat feel at home by furnishing the room with their scent

Moving is a stressful time for everyone, especially cats. One way to help your cat feel happier in their new surroundings is to make the house smell like their previous home.

Whether you're moving with a kitten or moving an older cat to a new home, all cats identify their territory by smell, so furnishing their new room with items that have their scent will make them feel more at ease.

You can do this by rubbing a blanket or item of clothing on your cat and leaving it in the room or by buying a plug-in diffuser or spray that emits synthetic pheromones.

Natural pheromones are chemicals that cats produce to calm and reassure themselves. By using a pheromone diffuser, you're essentially creating a 'cat-friendly' environment that will feel safe and relaxing for your kitty.

If you've got access to your new property before moving day, plug in a diffuser before your cat arrives. They will quickly benefit from the soothing effects when they enter the house.

Making the house smell familiar to your fluffy friend will also reduce the temptation to spray and mark their territory. This is the last thing you need to deal with in your lovely new home.

Create a safe space

As well as spreading their scent around to ease their transition, it's important to create a safe space for your cat. This is a secluded place for your cat to hide or escape from stressful situations.

A suitable cat carrier or pet carrier can provide an excellent place for your kitty to hide. It already contains their scent, it's small and enclosed, and they can feel protected from the outside world.

However, if your cat doesn't like carriers, you can create a safe space with a cat bed or box. Make sure it's somewhere they can hide under or curl up in, and locate it in a quiet, stress-free corner of the house that's easy to access and away from their litter tray. This will help with their sense of security.

Include some familiar toys. If their favourite jingly mouse or scratching post is with them, it'll feel much more like home.

Introduce the outdoors gradually

Moving house with cats isn't just about the indoor issues, the outdoors is a new environment to also take extra precaution. Once you are in your new home with your cat, you'll need to give them at least a week to adjust to their new surroundings before you let them go outdoors.

During this time, continue providing them with their regular feeding time and play times. Sticking to normal times for dinner and keeping their food bowl filled with their favourite food, lots of fresh water, and also toys will help the cat to adust and feel safe.

When you think your feline friend is ready, you should let them go outside, but do it gradually.

A few practical things you can do to support your cat:

• Leave the door to the garden open and increase the amount of time your cat spends outside.

• Section off a small part of the garden to begin with until they build up the confidence to go further.

• Go outside with your kitty for the first few times. Just being there will provide some much-needed comfort and security when exploring somewhere new.

• Don't close the door behind when they leave. Your cat needs to know they can easily come back inside if they get scared.

• Make the garden more appealing by adding areas that they can shelter in if they feel vulnerable. Cats enjoy climbing and may feel safer higher up. Try providing something to climb on.

The more kitty-friendly you make the outdoors, the happier your cat will be when exploring their new environment.

It's very important not to force your cat to go outside. If they seem scared or awkward, immediately bring them back inside. You can always try again some other time.

Although it may take a while for your kitty to become used to their new surroundings, eventually, they'll feel confident enough to explore on their own.

Stick to the old routine

Once you've finally set your kitty's safe area up, it's a good idea to stick to old routines as closely as possible. This familiarity will comfort your cat and reduce the amount of stress they're under.

If your cat is used to being fed at 7 am, continue feeding them at 7 am. If they like to play in the evening, make sure you set aside time for that same activity.

Deviating too much from their old routine can lead to stress and confusion.
Long term, your cat could develop behavioural problems or even suffer health-related issues.

Reducing stress is key when it comes to moving house with a cat, so stick to the things that make them feel comfortable and secure.

The more you can continue doing the old routines, the quicker they'll adjust to their new home.

Here are a few ways you can make moving home as safe as possible for you and your cat:

• While your kitty is getting used to the new house, make sure all the windows and doors are closed to prevent them from bolting outside.

• Make sure their identity tags and microchip details are up to date in case your cat does escape.

• If you have other pets in the house, keep them separate from your cat until they've settled in. This will avoid any needless confrontations and stress.

• Let your moving company know that you have a pet, so they are aware. This is for your cat's safety during the packing and moving stage.
  

Moving house is always a stressful experience, but it can be even more complicated when you're moving home with a cat. By following the tips in this article, you can help your cat adjust to the move more easily.

Be sure to keep their old routine as close to unchanged as possible, and provide them with plenty of familiar toys, food, and routines.

Most importantly, be patient and understanding. It may take a while for your kitty to feel comfortable, but eventually, they will adjust to their new home. Good luck!