What to do with the cat while moving house

[annavc]

I'm going to be moving house in a few weeks, just to a few streets away and I'm wondering what is best to do with the cat while we're actually moving all our stuff. I thought he would probably be ok if we just confined him to one room with his food, water, litter tray etc while we moved everything out of the house and got it all into the new house and then only take him to the new place once everything is in and he can again be confined to one room with all his stuff while we unpack and he gets used to his new surroundings.

I'm worried though that this may all unsettle him a bit and whether it would actually be kinder to put him in the cattery for one night so we can get everything moved and sorted before bringing him to the new place.

What do people recommend? Or indeed, any other ideas appreciated! Thanks.

[alijangra]

I put my cat in a cattery whilst moving, she is very sensitive to noise and people so I thought it would be kinder. She was unsettled in our new home for a while but after a week or so she was good.

[Catso]

We've never actually done this, but your plan sounds very good to me. Personally I wouldn't want to cattery-ise him just for one night, as I'd think this would be even more stressful (being apart from you, surrounded by strange smells and cats). Doing what you suggest means he will have a lot of familiar stuff around him during the upset.

[annavc]

That is kind of what I think too Catso. I've only had him about 10 months and he came from Battersea. He hasn't been to a cattery since I got him and I'm worried it would remind him of his time at Battersea! Or am I projecting on to him too much?!

[Ms.Hijinx]

ive done your plan many times with my 4 mogs and they are always ok in fact they are usually the least stressed of any of us!!

[pagey3]

i think either way he'll be unsettled, but if you do your method then at least you can pop in and see him/fuss him at regular intervals.

I put max in a room with his stuff whilst we moved, then in the new place got the landing area all neat and prepared with his food, litter box, basket, toys etc,and once everything was actually moved in, we brought max in and whilst we unpacked we were able to leave him to explore and find all his things.

Plus he very much enjoyed exploring all the empty boxes and jumping in the wrapping etc whilst we unpacked which I think helped settle him a bit!

catso is right that even though he'll be a bit unsettled, keeping him close will stress him out a lot less.

happy moving - i don't envy you in this heat!x

[annavc]

Thanks everyone. I feel better about it now. I think being there and being able to go in and out of the room and make a fuss of him will help. I know he'll still sit behind the door shouting his head off but he does that whenever there is a closed door anywhere - he just has to get to the other side no matter what!

Your right pagey3 he will love playing in all the boxes - he does have a bit of a box obsession!