Moving house with very nervous cat. Advice needed!?

Question

Hello, Im moving soon from my bungalow to a house and have 2 cats (both neutered), one male, one female. Furby is 2, and Bo, the male is 16 months. Hes a very aggressive cat and constantly attacks her,which dosent help her nervous disposition.

Im 20 weeks pregnant, and to be honest Im more worried about Furby and how shes going to take to the move. I dont want her to get stressed, sick etc...and its a big change for both of them. Has anyone got any tips on how to make the move less stressful for her? How do I get her scent into the house, how do I keep her from becoming stressed etc...Thanks, from a very concerned cat owner.

Answer 1

you need to move her in a crate with things that contain scents of things that make her calm (her toys, her blanket/bed, your sweater, etc.) Try spraying some Feliway onto a cloth and leaving it in there. Feliway mimicks natural "feel good" hormones a cat would give off by rubbing a chair leg or wall with its chin. It should help your cat a lot and is very safe for her. if extremely necessary your vet may be able to prescribe you Acepromazene pills which works as a sedative. She will be kind of groggy but really not stressed at all. Its the medication they use before putting an animal out for surgeries.

Feliway is the spray you can get at the vet.. or online.. or at the petstore..

Answer 2

Do you have a carrier that you can put the nervous one in - I think if it had some time separated from the other cat, perhaps it might get used to the new place.

Sometimes the nervous cat will go hide and come out when things seem okay- so you don't need to do much. Have you had both since kittens?

I found this info on a website (listed below):

1. Place a cage or kittening pen in a quiet corner of a room. Ideally the pen should be positioned in an elevated position with good views of all areas of the house. It can be covered on all sides except the front with a rug or blanket and should be large enough to accommodate a bed, food and water bowl and litter tray. Your cat should feel safe and protected here.

2. Put the cat in the pen first of all during a quiet period so that it can get used to it and relax. Rewarding your cat with treats when in the pen provides a positive experience. From the safety of this pen, the cat can see and hear all the normal household goings-on. Remember to walk around normally to get your cat/kitten used to the normal sounds and movements of adult humans. Creeping around can create an air of tension rather than reassurance. (source: purrfectcatbehaviour.com)

Answer 3

You can't avoid a cat getting stressed at a change of house, but you can make it easier...........

When you get the cats to the new house, isolate them to one room containing food, water, a cat litter tray and some familiar bedding. Keep them in this room overnight so that they start to feel safe. The next day, open the door so that they can start to explore in their own time. Eventually they will have the confidence to roam around the entire house.

If you decide to move the litter tray once the cats are confident, make sure you place them in it a couple of times after the move so that they know where it is. If you move the food bowls, they'll soon learn where they are!!!

I hope this helps. It will only take a few days for them to settle in!

Answer 4

You can call 1-800-PET-MEDS and order "Be Serene".  It should be safe for a pregnant cat - but it depends on her general health to begin with.  As long as she is healthy and not in her last week or two, she should be fine.  I moved 4 cats over 800 miles with no issues except a lot of meowing.  If you are calm, they are calm.  Make sure when you get to the new place, you put them in a quiet room away from all the hub-bub of moving.  Put in their litterbox, food and water - I put on a little calming music for a while, then the TV for a bit more.  This way they are out of your way, and there is less of a chance of them getting hurt, or running away while moving in your stuff.  Try to stay out of the room until you are done with the moving truck and opening and closing the doors (and make sure ALL the doors are closed).  When your main furniture is where you want it, THEN let the kitties out and give them treats or a good petting (something positive to them)....then move in the furniture where you kitties were.

The "Be Serene" can be put on their ears, face and bedding - and in their water to keep them calm.  It's basically baby-kitty-prozac.  It worked for me - and so did putting them in the separate room.

Answer 5

In addition to the above advice, also try putting a little bit of butter on your cat's paws. I've heard that cats can become so preoccupied l*****g said butter off their paws that they forget to be nervous in their new environment.

Answer 6

I think you should put them in one room at first. Have all of their things in there. (bed, toys, food and water, and even their litter boxes. It might not hurt to put a tv or radio in there as well to keep some kind of normal noise for them.  Good luck.

Answer 7

Just take the cats to the new house on the last trip over. That way the furniture and your other belongings will be inside. Make sure all the doors are closed to the outside and you are all settled in for the rest of the day. Set them down and let them explore every room. Place their litter in the spot where it will remain. Show it to them. They will slink around for a day of two and will settle in quickly. As long as someone familiar is there, it shouldn't be a problem. Enjoy your new home.

Answer 8

I just recently moved also with two cats. I googled almost the same question and was told to take a few old socks and rub them over there face. (where most of their scent glands are) and just lay them around.. Good luck.. i hope it all goes well!

Answer 9

When my cats and I moved to a new place, I tried this, and it actually helped out a lot (although it is a bit pricey):

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.js...

Is it a long trip?  If they have problems with car rides, I'd suggest calling the vet for "kitty tranqs."

Also, to help with the behavioral issues, especially with a new house, put some sort of baby powder on them so they have the same scent, which can help alleviate the need to fight of a "strange/new" cat when in "their" territory.  Brush them with the same brush, etc so they appear to carry the same scent.  I'd also talk to a local vet for suggestions.  

Answer 10

I normally keep them in a carrier until arriving at the new house.  Then close them up in a room with food\water\catbox and keep them there so they don't go dashing out of the door.

Then once completed, I go into the room and spend quiet time with them and then let them wander the house freely.  When unpacking and settling, the smell from the old place will be all over.  Just love them and give them reassurance.  Since it's a short drive (thank goodness), it shouldn't be too bad.  There really is no other way except to be calm around them and reassure them.

I'm planning to move to another state and one of mine does not travel well (big baby), so will be using Feliway and other things to help her.  Plus I've found a net "cage" that will fit in the back seat and accommodate both cats and a litter box.  I'll be playing a cd that has a much higher frequency to calm them down for the trip as well.

Good luck; what a great pet owner you are!

Answer 11

Hi, I don't know if this will help but if you go and see you're animals vet, there is a spray you can buy which calms the cat down alot. I can't remember what it's called but I'm sure if you tell the vet he will know what it is.

Good luck with your cats and congratulations for your baby!

Answer 12

Rescue remedy in the water might help, as well as spraying Feliway inside the carrier while you transport them.  For a 15 minute drive, it may not be necessary.  But rescue remedy might work after they get into the new house.

While there will be a lot of new scents in the new house, they will recognize the scents from your furniture, etc.  But one thing to be sure to do is to not toss out all the kitty litter and do not scrub the litter box absolutely clean.  If you use scooping litter, simply transfer the litter (after discarding the clumps, of course) in a bag, and shake out the litter box so that it is dry, but don't scrub it clean.

When you get to your new house, put the litter into the litter box and they will immediately know where the litter box is, and the familiar scent will assure them.

I hope Bo is neutered, since if not, it could be a cause of his aggressiveness.

I hope they are indoor only, but if not, it is important to keep them inside for several weeks minimum, or they may try and find their way back to their old home.

Answer 13

I'm sure they'll settle in just fine,have you got a blanket you cld give them?put it where they sleep n put it in they're box wen ur moving and somewhere where they'll find it once in the new house.Put them in they're box last minute not long before you leave/keep them covered,Make sure you keep them locked in for at least 2 weeks as they might runaway,wen in ur new house let them roam around and explore (keep eyes on them as they might mark they're new territory!) and give them lots ov attention hope this helps x

Answer 14

keep them in quite room when u get there so they are away from all the fuss that will be going on. Also have heard you should keep them indoors for two weeks till they get used to new place.If you don't they may stray and get lost. Good luck.