Cat advice wanted: moving house

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I'm moving house next week, and it's the first time I've moved since having a cat. Does anyone have any suggestions for helping him acclimatise to his new home?

What I was basically thinking was: a) keep him in my bedroom for the first day and night b) let him explore the rest of the house for the next two or three days, but not let him outside c) let him start to explore outside when he seems reasonably settled inside, but wants to try and go out. This is just off the top of my head, though - does anyone have any better suggestions?

Also, is there any truth in the put-butter-on-their-paws thing, or is it just a Big Myth that leaves you with butter trodden into the carpet?

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 22 May 2004 09:09 (twenty-two years ago)

(i-i-i-i-i-imagined this thread was started by a mouse)

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Saturday, 22 May 2004 09:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Squeak

― caitlin (caitlin), Saturday, 22 May 2004 09:55 (twenty-two years ago)

My cat FREAKS every time I move house. But what you outline above seems pretty right really. Show him where his litter is, let him sniff around - he'll probably hide in a corner and refuse to come out at first (well my cat did anyway). Not letting him outside for a while seems wise too otherwise maybe he'd run off looking for "old" home.

― Trayce (trayce), Saturday, 22 May 2004 11:22 (twenty-two years ago)

What is this butter on the paws thing? I have never heard of it.

I don't think you need to confine the cat to the bedroom (except of course while you're moving stuff in so he doesn't slip outside). Just make sure you show him where the food and the litterbox are and let him sniff about and explore. Eventually he'll settle in.

We just moved recently with a cat and she seems a lot happier with this place than with the last. Only took her a few days before she seemed to know where everything was too. (i.e. favorite chairs to sleep on, nice corners for hiding, etc.)

― martin m. (mushrush), Saturday, 22 May 2004 17:54 (twenty-two years ago)

The confinement strategy has always worked well in my experience. It gives him a smaller space so he can start to feel comfortable there and then use it as a home base for exploring the house while not feeling overwhelmed. I don't know anything about outdoor cat husbandry though.

Putting butter or Vaseline on the tops of the paws reduces hairballs by lubricating the digestive tract -- does it do something for acclimation too?

― Paul Eater (eater), Saturday, 22 May 2004 18:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Putting butter or Vaseline on the tops of the paws reduces hairballs by lubricating the digestive tract

Hm. I've lived with cats most of my life and have never heard this. Curious.

When I was a kid I used to put a small piece of Scotch tape on the bottom of each of my cats' feet and watch them dance about. Perhaps a little cruel to the cats but funny as hell.

― martin m. (mushrush), Saturday, 22 May 2004 18:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Martin, in Hell you will have fleas and a bell on your collar.

― Michael White (Hereward), Saturday, 22 May 2004 19:35 (twenty-two years ago)

<kinky>I wouldn't mind a bell on my collar</kinky>

What is this butter on the paws thing? I have never heard of it.

It's an old wives' tale I heard years ago. You're supposed to butter its paws as a distraction, to stop it being quite so frightened. The idea is that it forgets all about being scared because it needs to clean its paws (and likes the taste of the butter too), and by the time it's finished it will have settled down a bit.

― caitlin (caitlin), Sunday, 23 May 2004 09:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Cats define themselves and their homes by the sense of smell. So when you move house, think 'smell continuity' and 'routine' for the cat. Try and set up at least one room, before you move the cat in like the bedroom, with things that are familiar to you and the cat - if your cat likes to sleep on your bed, make sure you set up your bed with your duvet so it still smells of you ( don't wash your duvet til you've been in the new place a few days). Take the cat's blanket and litter tray and toys and scratching post and make sure when you unpack the cat it can find them straight away. Feed her usual stuff at the usual time.Rub the cat's blanket and toys on the furniture in the new house, so she can smell 'familiarity'. Keep her inside for at least a week- she will need that time to scent her new environment by rubbing her chin and kneading her paws ( there are scent glands in these places) on all the stuff in the new pace. When you move the cat in, transport her in her box with her blanket over it, she will feel safer in a dark, familiar-smelling container. If she travels on your lap and can hear your voice she will feel more secure too. Once you have unpacked her, spend a little time being quiet with the cat, letting her expolore and talking to her in a familiar soothing chilled out voice rather than tearing about unpacking your stuff and playing louds music. She will probably want to hide for a bit, but if you maintain a calm environment, after a few hours will come and hang out with you ( how can she resist all the boxes to climb in?).

― badger Kitten (badger Kitten), Sunday, 23 May 2004 10:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Hereby I'm honoured to forwrd the fishest wellwishes from my(ex)cats-in-the-country, Sinse and Rosin, to Caitlin's about-to-move-house cat, whatever its wonderful name may be.

*bows*

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Sunday, 23 May 2004 15:38 (twenty-two years ago)

i've only moved from one small place to another with my cat, i generally have just let her run around and freak out a bit and in a day or two she's cool as a cat.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 23 May 2004 15:43 (twenty-two years ago)

You can buy this hormone spray from vets that smells like happy, well-adjusted cats and is supposed to make them feel more at home straight away. I don't know if it works.

― isadora (isadora), Sunday, 23 May 2004 22:21 (twenty-two years ago)

i;ve never had trouble and my kitties have moved everywhere. but i also don't ever let them out.

i put some stuff i get at the pet store (forget the name) on their paws for hairball reduction.

― Ask For Samantha (thatgirl), Sunday, 23 May 2004 22:41 (twenty-two years ago)

It's "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter".

― Casuistry (Chris P), Monday, 24 May 2004 04:28 (twenty-two years ago)

He doesn't actually have a blanket, and doesn't play with toys either. He is going to be travelling in a cat box on my knee; I'll put a towel or something over the top of it.

t\'\'t: thank you. I'm sure he sends his best wishes back :-)

(cat photo; I think I've posted it before though)

― caitlin (caitlin), Monday, 24 May 2004 09:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Cat update! The move was today.

Getting him into his box was hell - I got several deep scratches - but once he was in he was very quiet. I tried covering his box with one of my cardigans, but after about 90 minutes or so he was clearly overheating and short of breath - in fact, he started panting like a dog. I uncovered his box and arranged him so that an air vent was pointing into his box, and he seemed OK after that.

Once we arrived, I released him in the bedroom; he hid under the duvet and stayed there all day. At first he wouldn't come out at all, even though he was hungry and I tried to lure him out with food. Now it's dark, though, he's come out of the bed and is exploring the bedroom.

― caitlin (caitlin), Friday, 28 May 2004 21:38 (twenty-two years ago)

this thread made me smile

― don (don), Friday, 28 May 2004 22:05 (twenty-two years ago)

he's come out of the bed and is exploring the bedroom

he done the bed'loring now?
moved on to kitch'loring, perhaps?
eaten a mouse yet?

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Friday, 28 May 2004 22:18 (twenty-two years ago)

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