Tips for Moving with Cats

Cat don't like change. Period. Any cat owner can tell you that.

Shaking up a cat’s carefully crafted normalcy can be a recipe for disaster and behavioral changes. As a person who moved on a yearly basis for the better part of a decade with two cats, I’ve picked up a few things.

In this article, I’d like to share my experience and a few tips for moving with cats to help you along.

Pre-Move Preparation

Respect their safe places. This area should include their favorite bedding or toys and a place to curl up and hide. This works well to calm them down and is great for keeping them out from under your feet. Distract them with playtime and attention between packing so they don't feel left out and can keep busy. Adding a new toy as a distraction won't hurt either. This safe space should be the last box packed and the first box opened at your new place.

Crate training is not only for dogs. While many cats develop an aversion to their carriers, this can be avoided or trained out of cats with practice. Start by putting the open crate in one of their safe areas. You can entice them with treats or catnip spray but let them get used to it in their own time. Encourage them to use it as a bed and a place to hide. This way, there will be less panic when the time comes to move them as they will already see themselves as safe and hidden away from danger.

By doing this, you should have all your essential cat supplies and their crate ready to go together. It’s less stressful for everyone and tidy to boot.

Moving Day

As if moving day wasn't stressful enough, now you have cats screaming their heads off or hiding behind boxes and running around movers.

Do everyone a favor. The morning of your move, find a nice quite room that is out of the way and already packed. Make sure you have a litter box, their food and water, and some bedding or towels. Then lock the cats out of the way where they can't hurt themselves or anyone else. If you are moving a large house and it takes a while, check on them once or twice to make sure they are still doing okay. Once the movers are out, you should be able to start getting them ready to go with minimal fuss.

Moving Them by Plane or Car

For transporting animals, the devil is in the details. Make sure you have a checklist to start with and your vet on speed dial. Talk to your veterinarian several weeks before your move. They can give you good advice for anything that needs to be done before or any medications that may be helpful depending on the type of travel.

Flying with Cats

If you are transporting your pet by plane, you have to start early. You will need to call the airline to get the full run down of when they will be able to do it and all the steps you need to take to do it safely. This may be the fastest way to transport them for very long moves or the only way for international moves. Have a game plan in place for finding a new veterinarian and transferring their previous medical records.

• Can your cat travel sedated or not?
• Is your cat travel carrier airline approved?
• What vaccinations are required for international relocation?
• What is the quarantine process if any?

Nowadays, many airlines will let cats travel in the cabin with their owners instead of in a separate area. Having you close may offer some solace to cats. However, it is akin to flying with a baby. Plan for the worst and hope for the best. Bring some extra treats and things to calm them for the flight.

Driving with a Cat in a Car Long Distance

This is the most common option. It may or may not be more stressful for your pets but it can certainly be more stressful on you! Traveling cross country with a cat is especially not fun if you're cats are anything like mine because they spend the whole car trip screaming to the high heavens. Here are my general rules of thumb when it comes to taking them on trips.

• Keeps cats in carriers with a blanket or towel that smells like home
• Keep them in the backseat facing each other if you have more than one
• Cover the cages or block the view of the window so they don't get carsick
• Make sure you have all their essentials in the car with you

Pit Stops

Traveling in a car with cats long distance is a challenge all its own. For long drives, your cats will benefit from taking small stops. You can offer them food, water, and access to their litter boxes during these times. Don’t worry if they refuse any of these as they may not feel comfortable enough to use them in a car. A good stretch and some much-needed attention will help to tide them over until the next stop.

If you need to stop overnight, make sure your motel or hotel accepts pets.

Set the cats and their litter boxes up in the bathroom area while you move necessary items into the room. Before letting them out, do a quick sweep of the room. Check for anything they shouldn’t get into or eat. While searching, take note of any areas they can climb into that will be hard to extract them later. Trying to excavate cats from under the bed the next morning won’t be any fun, so plan ahead for the next departure.

There are several options that may be recommended for your pets during high stress situations. My vet recommended the following to me which includes two medications and a non-medication alternative. Here are my experiences with them.

ACE - This prescription sedative worked well for multi-day moves with no apparent side effects. The calming influence greatly helped my cats deal with car rides that routinely make them sick and terrified. It made them so quiet in fact that I was constantly reaching back to make sure I hadn't killed them!

Xanax – Xanax is used for relaxation, but my results were not good. The dosage instructions call for the first dose to be administered 12 hours in advance. This does left one of my cats so sedated that he was unable to walk and ended up laying in his litter box unable to use it. The other ended up rolling off a chair onto the hardwood floor. Before moving day, I was unable to sleep for worry.

I halved the dosage again the next day. The result was better, but still much stronger than I would feel comfortable with and couldn’t help them entirely. It also took much longer for the effects to wear off which was worrisome for me.

Feliway – Feliway is a natural alternative to relaxation medication. It uses synthetic pheromones to encourage cats to feel safe and mellow. It comes in a variety of forms including plug-ins, sprays, wipes, collars and more. My vet gave me the wipes and collars for moving.

The wipes are great for using inside carriers and the collars work for before and after a move to help them settle down. I have also successfully used plug-ins for acclimating newly adopted cats into my home. Going forward, crate training and Feliway is my preferred method for traveling with cats as the medications made me nervous.

Typical plastic carriers are good for several reasons. They are light and portable. You can unsnap the lid for easier storing as well as remove the doors. They are easy to clean if there is an accident. The hard shell is useful in any situation where there is danger of the cats being stacked or any pressure put on the cage from outside. Plus, you can write your name and even emergency instructions on the outside. They come in several sizes, but the best carrier will always be the one your cat prefers.

For home use, your cat may prefer a cloth bed inside. This can stay in the carrier with them while they travel to keep their scent. Alternately, you can add your own clothing with your scent to keep them calm. Pheromone wipes and sprays are also a good alternative for relaxation.

I’ve been trying for years to teach my cats human speech. So far I haven’t made much headway, so I can’t explain to them why I’m uprooting us for very good reasons. All they know is that I’m stressed and so are they.

Upon arriving at your new location, get the cats situated first before the chaos starts. Put the contents of their safety box and your cats in an out of the way location where they won’t be disturbed. A bathroom, closet or spare room works fine. Supply them with a litter box, food and water and let them decompress.

After the main event, there will be lots of extra work to do around the house. Don’t forget your furry family at this stage. Extra playtime and cuddles can make all the difference now. Or perhaps they prefer to be underfoot and curious as you move around. You know best how to comfort them when things are changing and now is no different.

It may take some time for your cats to get used to their new home. Settling into normal routines they already know helps them to establish themselves back in your life. And don’t worry if it takes a few weeks for things to calm down. Patience, love and familiar things will help calm them as you feather the new nest.

One main reason for fear and anxiety after a move is the uncharted territory. No matter the size of the new home, it is a lot of space without their scent. Even worse, scents from previous animals may lurk where your human nose can’t detect it.

Cats need to claim their territory to feel in control. Unwanted scratching, marking and aggression can signal that a cat’s dominance is threatened in their own home. To avoid these negative behaviors and positively ease the transition, there are several things you can do.

The first is the safe space. You should already have this set up for them – at least temporarily – from moving. You can start to move these around the house as your cat explores and finds their new safe spaces. These things are soaked with their scent and will make them feel at home. You can also add personal items like worn shirts that have your scent to these locations for added impact.

Empty moving boxes may be cat nirvana for some. For others, they may prefer something softer and easier to hide away inside. Cat beds create a snuggly nest that both look more attractive and can be chosen with your cat’s personality in mind. Creating comfort spots like these around the house may help calm them as they claim their new territory.

Prevent unwanted scratching by providing them with both old and new scratching posts. Place them in locations they like as well as any they are prone to scratch. Citrus scented sprays can deter scratching and marking on unwanted areas as well as double sided tape and plastic. Encourage good habits by gently stopping them from unwanted behavior and immediately providing them a good alternative.

With patience and planning, the stress of moving with cats can be greatly alleviated. Help them settle into their new space and you’ll have your happy kitty back in no time.

Several companies now make pheromone plug-ins for the home. These work in a similar same way popular scent plug-ins do. The heat from the unit diffuses the synthetic pheromone throughout a space. Cats do this naturally by rubbing and scratching their territory, so the plug-in makes them feel more calm since it smells like the area is familiar and claimed. Feliway is the most common brand, and if you tried the wipes or collars with good success, you may find the plug-in useful as well.