Moving to a new place doesn’t just happen with a snap of a finger; many things are needed to be done even more so if you‘re a cat owner. Cats are not precisely adaptable to change. Typically, the process can get even more stressful for you. Thankfully, there are ways to help ease your pet on the changes that are coming their way. Read on as we share with you some tricks and tips that will help you and your cat smoothly adapt to your new home.
Why Do You Need To Prepare Your Cat?
Things can get messy if you don’t prepare your cat ahead of time. No matter how harmless or adorable you think your cat is, it won’t change the fact that cats are not adaptive to change. Once your cat has felt the stress, frustration and anxiety, chaos will ensue. A good action plan can help you and deliver you these following benefits:
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Reduces The Risk Of Fear-Based House Soiling
Fill your new home with fresh new memories, not fresh cat poop. The last thing you want to do after a long day of moving in is accidentally stepping on something other than the floor.
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Avoids Excessive Meowing And Crying
Excessive meowing can be your cat’s cry for help as it feels lost and confused in your new home. You would want to prepare your cat and avoid this situation as it can be quite distracting especially if you are trying to get a good night’s sleep.
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Prevents Your Cat From Secluding Itself
Your cat may recluse itself because he does not understand why things are not the same way they used to be. Cats tend to develop a strong bond with their environment, and a house move could be quite devastating for them. As an owner, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want that. What you want is to enjoy this new beginning together with your cat.
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Avoids Escape Attempts And Aggression
You can’t blame your cat if their coping mechanism involves running away and going missing or worse, being aggressive with you. It’s a natural way to express dissatisfaction with what is happening. If this happens, sooner or later you would start feeling defeated and annoyed instead of happy and excited about your new home. -
Ensures Your Cat’s Overall Wellness
Stress, frustration or anxiety is not good for anybody, even your pets. Your cat’s health may be affected and would start to deteriorate if your pet continues to get stressed out. Be on the lookout when their behaviour or even appetite changes.
Take Charge
A new beginning can be daunting, but at some point, we have to get used to it and embrace it. Also, during this moment of your life, you need to take the wheel because if you don’t, you’ll end up crashing.
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Organise Your Thoughts & Take One Step At A Time
Train yourself to be a disciplined individual, then create a plan and be wise enough to anticipate that not everything will always go as planned. Prepare ahead of time as much as you can, don’t let fear rule over you; do not be afraid to ask for help. Don’t overwhelm yourself with all of the tasks you need to do. Make a list of all the things needed to be done, and you’ll be surprised at how you can quickly tick them off one by one.
Preparation Needed Before The Move
First, start with the basics, planning and preparing before the move is very beneficial because you will be able to visualise the scenario that would take place during the move.
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Make A List
When moving to a new home, you will be doing and thinking a lot of things all at once. That is why it would be best to get organised by making a list in order not to forget anything important. Start listing down everything you would need. Then categorise them in order of importance. Doing this will help you work on the tasks at hand without being overwhelmed.
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The Things You’ll Need
– The first thing you need to record are the important things that you absolutely must not forget such as important documents, your pet’s ID tag or your cat’s favourite toy that would keep them calm.
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Anticipate What Might Go Wrong
– You may not be a fortune-teller, but you can draw in from your’s or other’s experiences and learn from that. Otherwise, you can always learn from the most common mishaps that could happen when moving, like your removal company not being reliable, traffic jam, breaking furniture, valuables getting misplaced, schedule going awry, your carrier breaking or your pet going crazy are just some of the possible things that could happen and that you should prepare for.
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Train & Condition Your Cat
Your cat does not understand the concept of moving to a new home. If you have decided to spring it up on your cat, then your cat would most likely be disoriented which would inevitably end up resulting in a huge mess. So before the move, slowly start easing your cat in before the big move.
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Stick To A Routine
– Make your cat feel like everything is normal by sticking to a routine. Cats get nervous easily, and by doing this, you are reassuring your cat that not much will change even if you will be moving to a new location.
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Make Your Cat Comfortable Staying In A Carrier
– The best way to take your cat on the journey is by using a carrier. Moreover, if you are planning to put your cat in a carrier, you would first have to let them get used to it and make them think that it as a safe place. Otherwise, your cat will feel anxious and lash out.
Consider The Duration Of Your Travel
Analysing the time and distance of your travel helps you to physically and mentally prepare. This will give you a better idea on gauging what items you want to be close at hand and available at all times during the trip. If it’s a long trip, you might want to consider speaking to your veterinarian to ask for a mild sedative to prescribe to your cat to prevent them from being overwhelmed while travelling.
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How Much Food & Water Should Your Cat Consume
– Make sure your cat doesn’t get an upset stomach by feeding the appropriate amount of food. By learning how long you will have to travel, you can estimate how much your cat will be able to take. The rule of thumb is the lesser the food you give, the better. Although, it should still be enough that your cat won’t starve.
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Find The Best Time To Feed Your Cat
-The best time to feed your cat is a few hours before the travel, but of course, that is not always the case especially if it will be a long journey. Figure out what’s best for your cat, and you will be thankful later. Also, note that if your cat seems frightened it is not advisable to open your cat’s carrier in an open area as this might allow your cat to flee.
During The Move
On the big day, expect that your cat might not behave like it usually does. Many people will be coming in and out of the house. This includes the hired professional or your friends who are ready to help you move. All the foot traffic and moving furniture out of the house can sound an alarm in your cat’s head. Let your cat stay in a secure room or carrier before any lifting starts. This will save everyone from scratches on the face, and all you have to focus on is your furniture.
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Reinforce Your Cat’s Safety
– Things would surely get a little hectic once the moving is happening. However, even with all the commotion, you have to keep a watchful eye on your cat and be sure to remain as calm as possible. This acts as a signal to your cat that it is still a safe environment.
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Create A Private Space For Your Cat Throughout The Entire Process
– Provide a private space or better yet a quiet room for your cat while your items are being hauled off the house. Place some food, water, a litter box in the room beside your cat and try closing the window shades to prevent your cat from being anxious. Try to avoid this area as much as possible and let your cat find some peace.
Settling In After The Move
Keep your cat indoors for a while. Allow your cat to familiarise itself in the new environment. Cat-proof your new home, check whether any plants may be toxic for your cat, make sure there are no escape routes that your cat could disappear into and try to spend time with your cat to wash all his fears away.
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Observe Your Cat’s Condition
Your cat’s stress levels are most probably at an all-time high as cats are not a fan of significant changes. Monitor your cat and see whether your cat needs professional help and take appropriate actions if needed before it gets out of hand.
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Try To Relax Your Cat With Scents
Help your cat relax in the new house by spreading familiar scents throughout the rooms. This method helps make your cat feel comfortable and settle in eventually.
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Use Either Diffusers, Sprays, Wipes Or A Calming Collar To Relax Your Cat
– There are also a couple of items that you could use to distribute the calming scent for your cat. Take advantage of the variety of options out there and see what works best for your cat.
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Create New Memories In Your New Home With Your Beloved Feline
Now that you and your cat have settled in, you can peacefully unpack your things. You no longer have to worry about your cat unleashing their fury and destroying your stuff. All of your hard work in preparing your cat has paid off. Now the last thing that you need to do is to create loving memories with your loved ones and your cat in your new home.
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