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Moving With Your Cat

Written by: Susie S. Bachman
December 3, 1999
Copyright - All Rights Reserved

Moving from one city to another or to another home in the same city happens to most people in today's world. Due to career changes, family circumstances, or the need for more or less room in a dwelling, most of us will move at least once during our lifetime. To a human, a new home can be exciting and pleasurable, but to cats, a move can be equally devastating. Or, depending on the circumstances of the move, the event can be a traumatic experience for all involved, both human and feline. By far, moving within the same city is the least stressful on you and your cat than moving to another city or state/province.

As a creature of habit and usually resenting the slightest changes, uprooting a cat from the security of the familiar turf he has called home is confusing, traumatizing, and frightening. The cat is already confused and stressed at the hustle and bustle: seeing familiar furnishings being moved around, strange boxes piled high, and accompanying all this, such noise and activity as he has never experienced before. Some cats will totally freak out over the smallest upset within their environment.

People who move leaving their cat behind have committed one of the cruelest deeds which can be done to a pet. The lost sense of security and well-being during a move is extremely upsetting to the average cat, but to also lose the family the cat has called his own must surely crush his spirit and rip holes deep into his soul.

The main thought to keep in mind regarding a move is to remember a cat's emotions and reasoning abilities are equivalent to a two year old human child's. Remembering this one fact will make any moving experience a much smoother transition for both you and your cat. With understanding, patience, and an outpouring of love shown to your cat during this eruptive period in his life, you will both experience great rewards - he will accept the change with less stress and misbehaving, you will get to settle into your new home without extra vet trips due to behavioral or digestive problems, and without stress and worry with a frightened, aggressive cat.

After corresponding with Craig for just over a year on the internet, in 1995 I moved with my original five house cats, Cuddles, Dani, Spook, KC, and Lucky from the Deep South, my native state of Louisiana to Pennsylvania, located in the northeastern part of the United States. Because the cats and I followed Craig and the moving van, we traveled 1,700 miles before arriving at our final destination. Seven months later, we moved to a much, much larger apartment 45 minutes away (in the town where Craig and I married that same year); two years later, we moved to a house 25 minutes away from the apartment. In 1999, the year after we'd lost KC to cancer and brought our little foster Singapore cat Tigger permenantly back into our home, I again moved five cats back to Louisiana (unfortunately, due to Craig's employment, he had to follow us two months later). The following are tips that I used in making the many moves - some seemed like the logical thing to do at the time, some I learned through trial and error, and others simply just happened without any thinking effort on my behalf. Regardless, since I flatly refuse to use tranquilizers on my cats, I did all I could to make life as pleasant and normal for my cats as I possibly could before, during, and after our many moves.

Because of the distance the cats and I had to travel in 1995, the very first thing I did was begin packing up the least used room - in my case, it was my guest room since my other spare bedroom was used as my office. The office had just too much in it that tiny cat paws could rogue through investigating things they'd never seen outside of desk drawers, filing cabinets, and crowded bookcases. The reasoning behind first packing my least used room was to clear out an area for the cats to stay in while the rest of the packing took place. Later, they would still have a comfort zone to stay in while the moving out of household goods was underway. Once I had that one room packed as well as it was going to get, I moved the cats in there, securing the windows and door. This kept the cats out of the way of the packing and moving activities going on in the rest of the house. In this room they stayed with their dishes of food and water, treats, litter and litterboxes, carriers, cat blankets, and toys until each day's activities were done. Then they had full access to the house until another packing day began.

My house cats normally don't wear the collars with their ID and innoculation tags, but starting about a month before I had packed the first item, I placed their respective collars with tags around their necks. I kept the collars on until at least a month after arriving to the new home. This way, had they bolted from their room and escaped outdoors, their identification would be with them.

Should you be traveling any distance to the new home, you will want to make sure that you have plenty of water, food, dishes, treats, litter, plastic bags for waste removal, a spoon for wet food if your cat eats it, a scoop, and a litterbox available at all times for your cat. All these items should be within easy reach within your vehicle. I also carried several heavy bath towels to cover the carriers for additional warmth or during noisy, heavy traffic in large cities. I carried paper towels and baby wipes for any accidents in the carriers en route.

If you have the need to stop at hotels or motels, you will need to check them out in advance to make sure that cats are welcomed. NEVER leave your cat in any vehicle while you stay at a hotel or motel.

You will need to take your cat to see a veterinarian before the move for a Bill of Health Certificate, especially if you cross state lines in the United States. This form will save a lot of hassle and possible detainment in your traveling across state lines should you be stopped for a driver's license check or state inspection. The Bill of Health that is signed by a licensed vet simply states that your cat is free from rabies, has the required vaccinations by law, and does not pose a health problem to humans or other pets.

Oftentimes, traveling cats won't eat or drink very much. This is a normal reaction caused by their anxiety, though water intake and output should be closely monitored. Make sure your cat drinks some water each day of the trip. His appetite and drinking should return to normal within 24 - 36 hours after reaching your final destination. If not, take your cat immediately to the vet to make sure that he hasn't become constipated or has a urinary blockage due to stress. Both conditions, if left untreated, can be life-threatening to cats.

When you arrive at the new home, place the cat in a room that will not be used right away. Bring all his belongings into the room with him. Let him rest with as little activity as possible around him surrounded with articles of your recently worn undergarments and his own toys and bedding. Following the suggestions below for a local move will work wonderfully for the cat who has traveled hundreds or thousands of miles, too.

If you are moving within a reasonable distance to make trips back and forth before the actual day of moving the heavier items and furniture, set aside a room in the new home that will not be entered by strangers (i.e., moving people, landlord or real estate agent, housing inspectors, friends, etc.). If you've arrived at the new home from a distant location with the cat, you will still want to give him a room to himself away from the moving-in activity. Make sure that windows and doors of the room are securely closed at all times. Don't place packing boxes in this one room unless it's absolutely necessary. The boxes will be strange items to your cat. Instead, place one of your cat's favorite pieces of furniture in there, such as the chair he prefers to rest and nap in. The idea is to have things surrounding the cat that he is familiar with. The entire purpose of giving him this room is to make a refuge, a safe haven from all the stressful commotion that is going on in his life right now. Another reason is for your peace of mind knowing that your cat is safe while you make take care of the many facets of the move.

If you must store packed boxes in the cat's room, it helps to mask the strangeness of them by placing on and over the boxes towels, blankets, quilts, spreads, and the like - actually anything from his old home with the scent of you and him on the items. Those can be packed at the last minute once the cat has left for the new residence or quickly put away if used in the new home.

The day the cat is to be placed in his temporary room, bring your cat's bed if he uses one to sleep in at night. However, if he sleeps with you in or on your bed, take the stripped off sheets and other linens from the bed for him to rest and sleep on. He will feel more like himself with his and your scents on familiar feeling linens. By making his surroundings feel secure and familiar, calm and comforting, the cat will settle down with very few stressful moments. You will be less stressed as well.

Don't wash your laundry before the move, especially recently worn undergarments. Bring them along and scatter the garments throughout the cat's temporary room so that he will be comforted by your scent.

You should want to bring the cat to his temporary room before the moving day's activities begin, but on the same day. Don't leave your cat alone in a strange environment when his anxiety is at its peak. You should have his room fully prepared for his temporary stay. Make a special trip with only the cat, securely contained in his carrier, to the new home at least an hour before the moving van arrives. During this extra time, you should talk with your cat, letting him hear your voice and feel your petting to ease his anxiety. If you must leave, have someone he knows and trusts stay with him until you return. In the case of multiple cats, if at all possible, bring them all in one trip so that no one cat is left alone at any given time.

With the reference of the two year old child mentality in the back of my mind regarding cats, I personally would never leave my cats alone in a new dwelling, and certainly not with strangers running in and out of the place. Not only is that terribly unfair to an already frightened and confused cat, but I believe it could be a setup waiting for future behavorial problems caused by fear, and possibly, creating aggression under the stress the cat may experience. And, too, the chances of the cat's escape are much higher if you aren't there. As a reminder, remember to make sure that his room is off-limits to everyone, with windows and doors securely closed at all times. In fact, it may be wise to tape a large notice with bold letters stating "Keep Out of This Room" on any doors of his room.

Make sure he has his favorite toys and blankets. I also brought along treats, nail clippers, brushes, and combs. If your cat must take medications, make sure those are with you at all times. Each time I took a break from packing or unpacking, I'd visit the cats, giving them each a treat, soothingly talking to them as I brushed and stroked each cat, letting each know I was still around regardless of all the activity they were hearing outside their door.

The nail clippers come in handy. If your cat should snag or tear a claw while in confinement or on the road trip, the clippers are with the cat and not boxed away in some last-to-be-unpacked box for days, or perhaps weeks or months, after you've moved in.

Make sure he has the same water/food dishes and eats the same diet from the old home. It's extremely important that he continues to receive his normal daily intake of water. If he is used to drinking tap water, begin storing several gallons of water from the old residence. Start giving him the stored water about a week before the move. Gradually, taper off the regular tap water until he is drinking only the stored water. Before you scoff at this suggestion, remember the cat's keen sense of taste and smell. The reason you should begin giving him the stored water before the move is because of the possible "taste" from the storage containers.

Why store the water in the first place? The new water, though perhaps coming from the same source in the same town, will be different than he is used to smelling and tasting from his old home. Even the same water source coming from your next door neighbor's faucets will smell and taste different to your cat since it comes through different pipes into that residence. A couple of days after the move, begin to gradually add to his dish the water from the new home into the water from the old. Before he can determine the difference in taste, he will be drinking tap water from the new residence.

Once all the packing boxes and furniture have arrived, all strangers have left the premises, and when you feel comfortable with your cat milling about, let him out of his room to gradually explore his new surroundings. If he seems reluctant to leave his temporary room, don't push the issue. His natural curiosity will get the best of him. In the case of multiple cats, remember that each cat is an individual. What is safe to one cat, may be frightening to another. Let each cat test his toes and explore at his own pace.

If your cat doesn't seem to want to eat right away once in your new home, that's fine, too. Just closely observe him to make sure he is drinking water and urinating in the litterbox normally. If his appetite doesn't return within 24 - 36 hours after arriving in your new home, immediately take him to your vet.

More than likely, your cat will do beautifully with his beloved people's scents and his familiar belongings around him, with the same water to drink and food to eat as he's always had. He will gracefully make the move into a new home with no problem as you begin to place your furniture and other belongings in their new places. He will have new places to explore and new adventures awaiting that will happily occupy his energy and time. His senses will be highly attuned - anything new to savor by sight, scent, taste, sound, and touch will eventually become as familiar to him as his favorite toy.

Or at the most, your cat will breeze through the transition with the minimal of problems ... for after all, your cat knows home is where love, trust, security, food, good care, and you are.

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