Moving house with a cat
How to help your cat prepare for a house move
The key to success is preparation. If you have access to the new home before moving day, take some of your cat’s things over to the new place to introduce familiar smells to the space. You can also use pheromone sprays and diffusers to create a calm atmosphere for them.
While packing up your previous home, keep their things in their usual spots for as long as you can to try and maintain a sense of normality for your cat amongst all the change.
If you usually leave your cat at a cattery or with a friend when you go on holiday, you may want to consider organising this for a few days while you move to minimise stress and upheaval for your cat.
Tips to keep them calm on the day
On the day of the move, ideally your cat and their things should be the last thing you move out of the old house and the first thing you move into the new house.
Whether you’re using movers or packing up yourselves, keep your cat in one room where they won’t be disturbed while you load up the moving van. Be careful about closing doors behind you in case they run away or try to hide.
When you get to the new house, put them in one room with familiar items, food, litter tray, and water and ensure everyone knows to stay out of this room. If possible, try to have this room set up with some of their stuff before you arrive to minimise the time they have to wait in their carrier.
If you have a long car journey to the new home, or if they are a very nervous traveller, you can ask your vet for a small sedative to help them stay calm throughout the process.
What to do when you get to your new home
You will want to introduce them to your new home in the same way that you introduced them to your previous home for the first time.
We recommend that you keep them in one room for at least the first few days to help them decompress and get used to the sounds and smells of their new surroundings. Spend time with them relaxing and playing in this room to help them adjust and feel more secure.
As with when you brought them home for the very first time, you can use the rule of three.
How long should you keep an outdoor cat inside in their new home?
There’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to letting your cat out to explore from their new home, but our cattery staff recommend keeping them inside for around six weeks.
Shortly after a move is the most common time for a cat to run away, they may try to go back to where they’re used to. Before you let them out, the most important thing is to update their microchip details. This can take a few weeks to update so make sure it’s one of the first things you do!
When it’s time to let them out, start slowly with supervised time in the garden. As when you were first introducing them to outdoor exploring, keep a routine of feeding them inside the house, and let them out before breakfast or dinner the first few times.
Update their quick release collar if there are any changes to your details, and let the neighbours know not to feed them when they’re out and about.
Signs that your cat is struggling with the change
If your cat isn’t adjusting well to their new home, they may show signs of stress like:
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Toileting outside of the litter tray
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Not eating or drinking
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Other behaviour changes like hiding away, or becoming more aggressive
Help them adjust to their new life by keeping a consistent routine, feed them in the same place at the same time every day, and try to engage in playtime consistently too.
Take a look around your new home and make sure you’re providing enough enrichment to meet their needs. We recommend one litter tray per cat plus one, if you have multiple floors in your home, it’s a good idea to have a litter tray on every floor.
Make sure they have plenty of quiet, safe places to hide away where they won’t be interrupted and make use of pheromone sprays and plugins to help them stay calm.
If you’re still worried about your cat’s behaviour, we recommend that you speak to your vet to rule out any health or pain related issues.
More advice
Helping your cat decompress
Enrichment for cats
