Moving with cats - advice?

Doody

Hi all,

it looks like we could be moving in a few months, complete with the menagerie that has grown up around us.

HELP! Not all of them come in the house all the time and one in particular is a ratty old stray Tom we kind of feel responsible for. Two others are particularly nervous, one of them seems to have another home she visits for long periods.

I'm thinking. Possibly catch them over the course of the week before we go and get them all into a residential place between here and there so they won't be disturbed by the chaos on moving day.

Then get a professional pet mover who has lots of transport cages to move them together for the last stage. Last time we only had one cat and shut them in one room during the upheaval. Now it's around nine and having them all together isn't an option.

After we are in the new place, over a hundred miles away, the plan is to keep them indoors whilst we get the garden secured so they can no longer wander. Keep things around that smell of the old home.

What am I missing?

superlative

Pet calming spray or feliway spray is helpful for the various stressful periods. And yes, things that smell of home, unwashed bedding and so on.

When I moved with two cats (50 miles away), we moved them before moving day, so they (and I) stayed in a empty house for a few days. I basically moved with a few suitcases, and the cats, then came back to the old home for everything else on moving day. Less stressful for them than effectively doing two moves, if it's practical for you.

After we are in the new place, over a hundred miles away, the plan is to keep them indoors whilst we get the garden secured so they can no longer wander. Keep things around that smell of the old home.

If the new garden will be completely secure, by all means let them out as soon as you can, but unless your garden is going to be Fort Knox, I imagine most cats can get out if determined? Cats will usually try to get back to their familiar places, the following is good advice for getting them to stay in and around the new home.

Keep them inside for two full weeks if you can. Then, let them out when they are hungry. Then almost immediately call them back in for food. Repeat this at intervals, gradually increasing the amount of time they are outside. This gets them used to the idea of going out then coming back to the new house, so coming back becomes a habit.

Give them all collars with your phone number on (and the new address if possible) even if they are microchipped (most people won't bother to check if a cat is chipped, but will look at a collar).

Nine! good luck.

UKTigerlily

I can't think of much atm, maybe use Feliway in the new home to help them settle in? Obviously don't take the tom unless he has been scanned & no chip found, and posters etc up looking for an owner (I say this as someone with a currently missing tom I believe someone is feeding, I do wish people wouldn't feed cats that aren't theirs), probably you're already aware of that tho and have checked him.


Make sure all microchips are up to date with the midway home/cattery & the new home. Hope it goes well & others will be along with advice x

Doody

Thanks. Our vet recommended the rolling bars on top of fences. I'd worried about injuries as a cat would fall off them at first attempt to scale the wall/fence but he reckoned not. We do need to try and keep them in. Here, we have a field at the back, a qiet road at the front and tolerant neighbours. I can't inflict this lot on a new neighbourhood that doesn't have the space. Worrying. We're looking for places with big gardens and decent boundaries.

The old tom - he obviously used to have a loving home once but is now very stray looking. He's an old love but I can't imagine anyone else taking on a smelly geriatric. Although, obviously, there are other places he goes but maybe he just hides in the fields at the back and comes back here to say hello and top up with food when the rats and mice run low. With him, and the other who wanders off for a long time I've tried paper collars with messages and notices on telegraph poles to find out if/who else is involved with them. To no avail. The tom had cat flu once and we nursed him through that and he was checked for a chip then.

Doody

Tigerlily - hoping your boy finds his way home soon.

borkid

I think it was this company https://protectapet.com/ my local cats rescue centre used to secure their 4 acres of land. Remember if you have any trees to chop off any overhanging limbs.

Doody

borkid wrote: »

I think it was this company https://protectapet.com/ my local cats rescue centre used to secure their 4 acres of land. Remember if you have any trees to chop off any overhanging limbs.

Thanks borkid. There seems to be a lot of options. Our vet is very keen on this sort of system https://www.katzecure.com/

superlative

Doody wrote: »

Thanks borkid. There seems to be a lot of options. Our vet is very keen on this sort of system https://www.katzecure.com/

Wow, that sure looks effective! I think I'd still be inclined to keep them in for a bit, and do the letting them out hungry, calling them back, routine. Just in case.

borkid

Doody wrote: »

Thanks borkid. There seems to be a lot of options. Our vet is very keen on this sort of system https://www.katzecure.com/

That looks good for garden and would blend in well. Same idea as the protect a pet though with a curved inward facing top.

Doody

superlative wrote: »

Wow, that sure looks effective! I think I'd still be inclined to keep them in for a bit, and do the letting them out hungry, calling them back, routine. Just in case.

Oh, definitely. We couldn't get the work done until we've moved in anyway. It would take a while.

DD265

We're moving next year, and currently trying to work out what's best for the cats.

They're house cats, and we only have two, so I'm thinking shutting them in the bathroom in our current place whilst we do the bulk of the move might be the least stressful option. They'll be able to hear a lot of noise, but will at least be familiar with the room. The alternative is to shut them in a room in our new house, but then they're in a new environment and can hear, but not see, a lot going on.

We're moving from renting to our first purchased home, so we'll have some overlap rather than trying to do everything on the one day. I wouldn't leave them overnight though. We just don't want to risk them getting out whilst the doors are open (at either property) or getting underfoot. They can help us unpack though.

I am not looking forward to the hour and a half drive with them - but I think it's better for them if I do it, so I'll just have to live with the guilty feeling!