rehousing cats

[hobsonbear]

as my sister is moving to france for a few years, she has given her two cats (stan and drew) to my parents to look after who live 250 miles from their original home.  what is the best way to ensure that they get used to their new house and don't disappear when they are let out? they will be the 'undercats' in the area and will have to gain confidence.  extra points as to why they are called stan and drew considering my family are scottish!

cheers

h

[dmsjps]

Please don't let the cats out for at least 2 weeks after they move - and preferably a month - or they will search for miles to find their old home. During the introductory period your parents will have to do everything they can to make them feel welcome, loved and 'at home' until the cats actually see the place as their home for real, otherwise they will still try to go. They must be fed inside and have a litter tray inside to begin with. I know it sounds mean to the cats, but it's not if you don't want them to run away because during the time they only have the space of the house to roam in, they will become used to being fed by your parents instead of your sister, select their favourite places in the house, etc, so that it will become home to them. Some cats will stay wherever they're homed without any incentive, but they're few and far between. You don't say how old the cats are, but the older they are, the harder it will be for them. I hope your parents will be patient with them. I'm sure they will, or they would never have offered themselves as foster parents.

[gen2]

Stan + Drew = St  Andrew (patron saint of Scotland).

[hobsonbear]

thank you, dmsjps, very good advice.  i will pass that on to my parents.  one of my own cats disappeared when i moved as i forgot a litter tray and let him into the garden never to be seen again.

yes, gen2, it is st andrew.  this took me ages to work out when i was first told what they were called!

h

[camille79]

Yep - dmsjps is spot on.  The only thing I would add is not to stick to a set time-frame, all cats are different.  I've had cats that are settled and happy and can be let out after a couple of weeks or others who have taken months before I was confident to let them out.  Wait until the cats seem relaxed and come when called to get fed.  If they're hiding under the bed or desperate to get out then don't open the door!

For the first few excursions, let them out into the garden before feeding time for half and hour or so - then call them in and feed.  Gradually increase this time until they are allowed to come and go as they please.

[hobsonbear]

first catch your cats!

this is what happened when mum and dad went to collect stan and drew, as emailed to me by mum:

"We didn't get the cats. what a sorry 'tail'. As you know we were waiting for Stan to come home. When he did about 6 pm Alison asked me to shut the catflap with the slot down part and enticed him into the kitchen while she went for his box. Whether he heard Drew in her box or he heard his box I don't know but suddenly he went berserk and rammed the catflap breaking almost clean through it. I grabbed his tail and shouted for help. the children started screaming and when alison came to try to push him back he bit and scratched her so we had to let him go. He's not been seen since. We decided to leave Drew as well and we'll have another try next weekend."

better luck next time!