Tips for Moving With a Cat

Moving Prep

Tips for Moving With a Cat

Deciding to make a change in your life by moving from one home to another is never a bad thing. For humans, this change is easy to adapt to as we can make any new place our home as long as it is filled with the right people. For our pets, on the other hand, this change is not as easy. 

This is especially true for cat owners who are looking to relocate. Having cats makes the moving process even more stressful than it already is. The simple reason for this is that cats don’t like change. They get more and more familiar with their owner’s place over time, and once the owner decides to move houses, cats don’t want anything to do with it. 

For anyone who owns a cat, they know that even if their pet is slightly unhappy, it makes them unhappy. This is why you can take these steps to make the moving process easier for yourself and your cat. You should set a simple goal to keep your cat calm and collected at all times, even if it’s uncomfortable. Once your cat knows that this change is for the better, you’ll find your moving process going smoothly; without any aggressive behavior or attempted escapes from your cat. 

Moving Your Cat

When the day finally arrives when you decide to start moving. It’s important that you keep your cat locked in a pet carrier when he or she is being transported. Whether you’re moving in and out of your current home, never leave your cat open in the vehicle. It doesn’t really matter if the move requires a long road trip or a small one, once you ensure your cat’s safety by locking them in a carrier, they’ll be more comfortable. It might even be tempting to pet your cat while traveling, but you should never open the carrier. Cats can make a dash once they come across unfamiliar territory since they aren’t used to it. 

It’s super important that you keep your cat locked and protected in a carrier when on the road. It doesn’t matter if you’re moving or not. A cat that isn’t in a carrier is an unsafe one.

Even a small accident can result in fatal consequences when traveling. You shouldn’t take this risk. No matter what your medium of traveling is, whether it be a car or a train, you should always keep your cat locked in a carrier to ensure their safety and the safety of others. Here are some additional steps you should take, to keep your cat happy when moving:

Keeping Your Cat Comfortable When Moving:

A great method used by many cat-lovers to keep their cats calm and collected throughout the moving process, whether it’s before, during, or after the move, is by applying facial pheromones to their cats. This helps in keeping the cat calm, in the same way, a human calms down with the help of a scented candle. Although it doesn’t work with all cats, it’s still worth giving a shot to. The alternatives are to get spray bottles in your car so your cat, even if locked in a carrier, can be calm and collected throughout the trip. 

The best way to get your cat to adjust to your new home is by making it familiar to what your cat was previously used to. If you move to a smaller living space or a bigger one, make sure your cat knows what’s going on. If moving to a smaller place, you can offer vertical adventures for your cat to mess around with, to keep themselves occupied while you settle in. You can get cat trees, window perches, and even bird feeders to make sure your cat is comfortable with your new place and is still as playful as ever. 

Taking It Slow:

Another thing people don’t necessarily pay attention to when moving their cat from one place to another is their comfort level when meeting new people. When someone moves to a new home, they have to fit in with the rest of the people in the area. Whether it’s a roommate or their neighbors, it’s important to introduce any new person to your cat slowly. You shouldn’t rush your change in lifestyle to your cat’s lifestyle. Cats are not like humans, they need a lot of time to warm up to new people. This is why cats often get overwhelmed when their owners move to a new house. Adapting to new voices and scents isn’t as easy for cats as it might be for humans. 

Leaving Your Old Place Behind:

Tips for Moving With a Cat - Bin it

Leaving your home and moving to a new one can be a complicated process. People use all kinds of resources to make this process easier. While some go for moving companies to help them out, others opt for a more reasonable and better approach by renting moving bins. These bins were designed specifically for the purpose of diminishing the prevalence of cardboard boxes. These bins are reusable and are safe and secure, allowing you to put them beside your cat’s carrier when moving so your pet isn’t taking up half the space in your trunk. 

Cats On The Move!

While a cuddle or stroke of reassurance can calm your cat down, it’s not something you can constantly do when in between the moving process. However, the steps mentioned above should help cat owners get their furry friends to their new home in relative comfort and ease. 

From calming pheromones to moving bins, make your cat adapt to your new home faster while also making them comfortable with the moving process.