...Moving House

Cats are very territorial & sometimes simple changes in their indoor environment can cause them anxiety. They also dislike travel & being confined to carriers. With this in mind - moving home can be extremely stressful for them as well as for you.

Cats regularly go missing in the lead up to & during house moves!

In the lead up to a move things begin to change in the home & our own behaviour patterns alter. Tension & excitement can build as the date nears & your pets will pick up on it.

They may begin to steer clear of their old home as they feel that it has become unsafe, or they may just keep their distance from you until things become secure again. This is obviously a nightmare as they day encroaches as you cannot get near them to put them in a carrier in order to take them with you.

They do not know that their territory will soon be taken over by someone else! (which is probably for the best)

Our growing excitement will create anxiety for cats as will our reasurances, as they may convey to them that there is something that they should be worried about.

Try to leave their secure room/area alone preferably with their carriers as nests. As things develop and especially as the removal begins, confine them to one secured room. If even this is a little difficult, shut them in their carriers for as long as is absolutely necesary, but try to leave them in as much peace as possible.

A confined pet is better than a missing one!

Removal companies will do their best to help but their focus is on moving heavy goods & boxes, clearing one room after another. Opening the next door & surging into a room is how they get their job done.

This is terrifying for cats, so moving them on in advance & giving them a safe/absolutely secure room ahead of you would be preferable if it is possible.

It may even be advisable depending on your situation, to put them into a catterry untill the disruption has passed and you can give them a safe room in your new house to settle into.

It is always better to be safe than sorry & if this means confinement for your cat it is better than going astray.

Be sure that their secured rooms will remain an out of bounds area untill things are settled so the door remains closed & they cant slip out to dissapear.