Whats wrong with my cats after I moved?

Question

I brought two cats with me to my new apartment, and they are acting extremely strange. No matter what I do to make them more comfortable, they whine and moan. They also hide everywhere, under the couch and in the shower are their favorites.

The one cat went in the litter, the other went on the carpet. This is another problem.

They don't seem to be eating or drinking much, I used the same bowls for familiarity. Doesn't seem to be working out.

What can I do to make them be like before I moved?

Answer 1

nothing they just need time to adjust

Answer 2

cats are weird like that. they may never be the same.  

Answer 3

im having the same problem now....

Answer 4

I think your cats are a bit scared and feeling strange to be brought to a new place. They don't know it's your home and also their new home. They feel uncomfortable and unsafe.

Don't worry ... you need to give your cats time to accustom your new home. At the same time you can spend more time with them ...

play some interesting games with them and hold them close to you and make them feeling safe and comfortable.

I hope your cats will become normal soon.

Answer 5

They're just missing home :(

let them get used to it, might take a few weeks

Answer 6

They just haven't adapted to the new environment yet.  I have had an old cat who, after we moved, would only sit in his litter box for several hours, refusing to come out because that Fresh Step clean litter was the only familiar scent he knew.  Try smudging a little bit of butter on their paws and just let them roam around the new place.  Making their "scented mark" that way should help them more easily associate with the new environment.  Once they are able to leave that scent in places other than their hiding place, they would be more willing to come out and explore their new "territory."

Answer 7

At your previous home, they would have chin rubbed furniture, paintwork, doorways in the home to mark it with the scent from their facial glands.  Cats rely very heavily on their sense of smell for identification purposes and the new place just doesn't smell like home.  For some cats, unknown scents can be very intimidating and they'd prefer to avoid them than investigate them.  If your cats don't mind being handled, you can try wiping a soft cloth against their cheeks and forehead and then rub that cloth on doorways, paintwork etc., at cat head height to help reinstate their scent.  Anything from the old house, that has their scent on it, will also help them feel at home.   A Feliway plug-in diffuser may be useful, as they emit an aroma that cats find soothing.  

Sometimes it's a good idea to start off by keeping them in one room (with their food, water & litter) until they feel confident enough to explore the other rooms.  (This obviously depends upon the personalities of your cats.)  I moved house 4 weeks ago, and our male cat was fine from day one, but our female cat spent the first 24 hours refusing to leave her pet carrier.  (By the end of the first week, both cats were back to normal). Try offering your cats smaller, frequent meals to tempt them to come out more often.

Being creatures of habit, moving house can also be stressful for them because of the upheaval involved, so try to minimise any changes in daily routines etc.

Be patient, it may take a couple of weeks for your cats to settle, but it's better to let them adapt to the changes at their own pace.