Cat moving home

Rachylou1981

farfromhome wrote: »

Rachylou, thank you for wanting to keep the cat. My husband was never a cat lover (only liked dogs) until we got "our" rescue cats and now wouldn't be without them.

We had one sofa destroyed (literally clawed off everything until the wooden frame showed) and our divan bed clawed because they all loved pulling themselves around the outside (I hope that makes sense!). We found, with a combination of scratch posts in front of the sofa and the bed, as well as coir/sisal doormats, they suddenly stopped scratching the sofa and the bed. No problems since with the exception of the old stair carpet which one of the cats loves scratching. Still hoping she might stop one day so that we can replace the carpet.

We never managed to keep our cats in for more than a fortnight after moving. One actually escaped within a hour of moving into the new place into some playing fields at the bottom of the garden. We could see her but could not get close to her; she eventually returned after a couple of hours (one of us stayed outside all the time) and she was happy to come in then. Very strange, it was as if she knew the place!

Hope everything works out ok.

Thanks. If I had the option of keeping him out of the living room for the work-day period then I would do it but its not an option for this house and would be cruel. I don't mind him scratching the carpets in the house as they are cheap and I have laminate in living room. I will get some scratch posts and maybe some throws to try and prevent major damage. The bottom of the sofa is leather so looks horrific when torn, the top is fabric.

As for going out, I think he will be okay to be honest. He's a tough cat and scared of nothing. However, not sure fitting a catflap will be an easy process anyway as my door is part wood-part glass panes. It's also bigger than the average door so replacing door is also a big task. I'm looking into this over the next week (as this also means that him going out isn't an option unless we are home)

ryecatcher_2

My amazing vet said that moving house is generally very stressful for cats as they're so territorial. I'd say keep him inside for 2 weeks - none of your furniture will smell like him so I hate to say it but some spraying is possible (particularly as he's a boy), you can buy hormone spray pretty cheaply so that might be worth a try before he moves in.

I moved house a few weeks ago, with two cats, and introduced the cats to the house one room at a time. Try and keep him in one room for the first night as he'll likely be stressed from the journey from his old home.

As for furniture scratching, I wish I had some magic bullet advice but mine seem to see the sofas as the most appealing things on earth.

Tiddlywinks

Cats scratch to mark their patch... as the cat will be moving into a place that has very few familiar smells he may well try to spend some time making himself feel at home.

http://www.animalbehavior.org/ABSAppliedBehavior/article-applied-behavior/why-cats-scratch-things

You should get some throws now and put them on the sofas and anywhere else he likes to sleep in his old home... he can get them nice and hairy and smelling of him and then they can come with him to be placed over the new furniture. This'll make him feel more secure and comfie.

The more familiar smells the better.

fluffnutter

Jobseeeker wrote: »

The vet once told me six weeks. Don't know if that was estimate or based on research. The problem is if you let out straight away they will try to find their old home.

I guess vets differ in their opinions, because one told me they don't need keeping in at all. For the first few days let them out when you're around to keep an eye on them and do it when they're really, really hungry so they're inclined to just have a quick explore then back for tea.

BTW, OP, that butter their paws stuff is nonsense apparently and not a good idea at all.

emz118

Our cat came from cats protection, lived with an old lady and had never been out. He has stayed as an indoor cat because the twice he has gone out he's ended up shivering and shaking in the corner of a shed/garage!


However, scratching I can help with! Ollie scratched when he first arrived, but we bought him a HUGE (almost floor to ceiling) scratch post, with various levels and posts, and he doesn't touch anything else! It was from zooplus, and we've had it for 4 years now. I recommend getting the bracket they sell to hold it to the wall. We have replaced the rope on one of the posts that he used most frequently, but it's still going strong! It has a hammock on it that we positioned about 12-18" above a radiator and he loves that too!

hazyjo

Rachylou1981 wrote: »

Thanks. If I had the option of keeping him out of the living room for the work-day period then I would do it but its not an option for this house and would be cruel. I don't mind him scratching the carpets in the house as they are cheap and I have laminate in living room. I will get some scratch posts and maybe some throws to try and prevent major damage. The bottom of the sofa is leather so looks horrific when torn, the top is fabric.

As for going out, I think he will be okay to be honest. He's a tough cat and scared of nothing. However, not sure fitting a catflap will be an easy process anyway as my door is part wood-part glass panes. It's also bigger than the average door so replacing door is also a big task. I'm looking into this over the next week (as this also means that him going out isn't an option unless we are home)

What you need to remember is that, especially in winter, cats can sleep for 23.5 hours a day. My Lottie cat needs a crowbar to get her out of her basket sometimes. I worry it'll start growing into her lol! She'll be like this cat-snail hybrid with a 'furry shell' on her back.

Don't let him even scratch the old carpets. When you do eventually move or replace them, he won't know any different. Always start them as you mean them to go on...

Easy enough to put a cat-flap into glass (so I've been told!). Really need to think about getting one for my two (although Lottie may well get stuck in it!).

Jx

KiKi

When I moved house (turned out I was more stressed about the idea of my cats moving house than they were - they were exploring after 5 minutes), I used a little travel spray bottle, filled with water, to deter my cats from scratching the new fireplace (made of railway sleepers). I gave a quick spray of water when they tried to use it as a scratch post and they've never touched it since. Just don't spray up close or in their face / eyes, and do it immediately so they make the connection between scratch and spray.

I would keep the cat inside for a couple of weeks with lots of attention and treats, unless it's more stressful for him not to go out. Cat flaps can be put in glass panels; just google for suppliers. They usually have to fit a cat flap into a pane of glass, then fit the pane of glass into your door (rather than using the existing glass).

Well done for being kind enough to want to take it in with your OH - you'll be a cat slave before you know it!

Rachylou1981

Thanks again everyone for your lovely comments and advice.

The throws on the old sofas in old house is a good idea - will get on to that.

As is the spray if/when he scratches - will do that too.

madrhino

One of my friends has 3 cats and she puts a small table up against the corner of her sofa so that her cats can't reach it to scratch

kerri_gt

Lots already been said about how long to keep cats in for etc. when we moved about 4yrs ago initially (and I mean just the first evening) our very outdoorsy cat was terrified, OH went for al lie down on the bed and she literally lay on his back as if pinning him down (at that time she wouldn't even have a lap cuddle as she was initially a stray). However, next morning she was desperate for a mooch outside so I tentatively let her into the garden for a little explore. Prob helped there was snow on the ground as after a quick sniff and a wee she was happy to come in. And that was her, happier than in our prev flat and although I worried she might wander esp given her background, she never did. I think she was happy with the garden.

She's not bad at scratching in the house, we have sleepers in the garden she loves and a big chunky paw shaped scratch post in the house which she loves too, a bit like this one

http://www.petsathome.com/shop/giant-play-and-scratch-by-pets-at-home-79805

She had been known to have a bit of a stretch against our sofas and dining chairs but damage seems minimal. With our prev cat (who was a b*gger for the furniture) I used to put strips of double sided tape down the soft furnishings to deter him. It did look a bit unsightly and had ltd success, but it was a rental property so I needed to try and minimise the damage.

Btw, we've never had a cat flap, cats out during the day if we are out, unless the weather is really bad. Ours is like a live wire at night if she's been cooped up all day). And when we are here, she just goes to the door if she wants to go out.