Moving home with the furball

Lau2018 · 13 July 2018 at 7:44AM

Hi everyone, happy Friday!
I’m sorry for the long post!

I wonder if any of you would mind giving me some advice on a house move with my cat please.

In 2016, I went travelling for 1.5 years and my parents kindly took my cat in whilst I was away. I came back in January of this year, into an agreement that I’d be living at home until I secured myself a job and new living situation. My mum (diagnoses with severe OCD & anxiety), said she had become attached to my cat and she’d be keeping him (not up for discussion).

The whole time I was away (and unknown to me until I had arrived home, my little one was getting into fights constantly.. we’re talking 3/4+ per month) and having antibiotics - you can imagine how expensive that has been. I paid them back and am continuing to pay for his vet bills, as he’s still losing every fight.

Now I’ve got a lovely job and I’m in the process of buying my first flat. It should be complete in a couple of months, yay!

This morning, after what feels like the millionth time, my mum comes in, exasperated because the cat has another injury. But this time she said, I need him to go to a new home.
So it’s been agreed that I will take him

Annoyingly, my mum won’t keep him in at night (as recommended by the vet) to try to prevent the fights as he cries and obviously needs to use the litter box.. & she can’t deal with that/won’t let me deal with it. It’s so frustrating.

I’m anxious about moving him In with me as the back of my home is fine, I have a private garden then other houses at the back. The front concerns me as it’s a really busy main road.

Should I buy a leash for when I introduce him to the new place? I’m so anxious, any suggestions would be gratefully received!

Thanks!

Robin9 · 13 July 2018 at 8:07AM

It's been very good of your Mum to look after your cat while you've been away. My cats are also fighters - the older one has a boxer's nose.

Others will post how to move house with a cat - I've found it quite straightforward and easier than homing a rescue.

kazwookie · 13 July 2018 at 8:17AM

Has the cat been neutered? if not then, this could be why it is getting in to fights.

I would suggest for the welfare of the cat the vets advise is followed, so if it means keeping it in at night then that is what must be done.

You could try a leash and see how you get on, but it depends on the age of the cat.

Lau2018 · 13 July 2018 at 10:21AM

Hi both,

He has been neutered and he’s 4.
It has been so helpful if my parents to look after him, agreed.

Any tips for the busy road out front? What would you do?

Thanks!

GwylimT · 13 July 2018 at 10:50AM

You can catproof your rear garden, that way he can go outdoors without being at risk of injury, being run over etc.

WibblyGirly · 13 July 2018 at 12:53PM

No tips for the main road I'm afraid. Ours seems to believe cars will move around him and doesn't understand that he should be scared of them!:eek:
I agree with the vet about keeping him in at night, we never let ours at night and during the day we let him in/out as he wishes. He does have little arguments with the cat a few doors down but I think as we're new their just setting out territories. It could be the cats near your mums place are quite aggressive and your new home will be easier for him.

Also on the actual moving house, we just put ours in a medium dog crate and strapped him into the back seat with his blanket. Ours is a good traveller (4 hour move) and slept for half of it. He only really cried once when I started on the motorway.

carlislelass · 13 July 2018 at 1:36PM

Our cat would sleep in the middle of the road, no good for my bp.When we moved, kept him in his carrier until things were sorted then kept him indoors for a week, first times round the garden were using a harness. First time on his own were before feeding

lindens · 13 July 2018 at 1:52PM

carlislelass wrote: »

Our cat would sleep in the middle of the road, no good for my bp.When we moved, kept him in his carrier until things were sorted then kept him indoors for a week, first times round the garden were using a harness. First time on his own were before feeding

I did exactly this too.

My road has residents only traffic really as it doesn't really go anywhere else so no-one else except for delivery vehicles comes down it, but even so my one cat walks round the block and isnt interested in going anywhere else (he doesnt need to cross roads to do this.) The other 2 are afraid of the traffic, will sneak out the front if allowed but once a car goes past on the road they run inside scared of the noise

Lau2018 · 13 July 2018 at 2:30PM

Thanks everyone for all the replies!

I’m really hoping that the move is good for him and the mix of keeping indoors for the first few weeks/using a harness outside until he’s settles helps.
The thought of giving him up brings me to tears every time

I guess with the road I’m just taking a risk, there’s never any guarentee. He’s quite savvy, so I’m hoping he restricts himself to the back area and beyond.
Off to the vet tonight after another fight, so I’ll be talking to the vet too

Thanks all xx

SensibleSarah · 17 July 2018 at 1:02PM

I'd second the looking at cat-proof fencing to keep him in the private garden. My experience of cat ownership is that they NEVER stay safely where you want them to. I have a back garden and a park beyond that and my cats always choose to go to the front and cross the road instead

Fortunately my road has speed bumps and is fairly quiet but it still worries me greatly.

My cats have always coped fine with moving house. I move them into 1 room on the first day with food, water, litter trays etc and get all the unpacking and noisy stuff done, then let them out to explore when things have calmed down a bit. Keep inside until he seems fully settled and then start supervised visits outside. Always leave a way for him to get back in if he's spooked e.g. door or window open if you're unable to fit a cat flap.

I'd also use the opportunity of moving to start a new routine where he stays in overnight.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted · 18 July 2018 at 6:35PM

Mine were extremely unimpressed with the actual moving bit (their life was being packed away around them and then, at the last minute, they had to endure the indignity of being shoved into their carriers and put into a vehicle), but once they were in and the carriers were opened, finding all 'their' Stuff was around them was fine. The most timid one lasted a day looking at me from the kitchen door before she decided she had to join me as I hung some washing out the back, but in general, as soon as they were out of their carriers, they took the attitude 'oh, we're here now'.

Something that could well help is to train him that being called means a treat. I didn't feed them before locking up for the night, either - that way, they knew that they were being called for dinner and didn't really notice that I was locking the back door as they scarfed down their food; dealing with a litter tray overnight isn't that much work - of my current two, one still insists after 8 years on coming back inside to use it for solid matter despite having a whole garden to use in any case.

Moving home with the furball

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