advice re moving cats to new locale

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dan glenn - 22 Jun 2004 20:55 GMT

I posted this message at another cat newsgroup and got two
helpful replies. I am posting it here (much larger) to see
what else I can learn.

I'm moving from my apt to another place across town in a week
and will be taking my two cats, Dan-Dan (male, at least 12yrs
old) and Whitey (female, around 7yrs old) with me to a new
home where there is one cat (5-6 yrs old). Both my cats are
'fixed'. My cats are used to going in and out of my apt, which
is in a nice neighborhood, and the neighborhood I'm moving to
is nice also, but they might have to stay out all the time now,
as I'm moving to a room.

So that's the situation. What I'd like is any helpful advice about:

1. getting them physically to the new place (my cats
have never been in a car). I have a 'cat box' I got
at a vet's once (cardboard box with air holes), but it's
cramped and neither of my cats are going to 'go quietly'
into such a thing, I'm sure. What's best way of
transporting them to the new place?

2. introducing them to the new home - I'm worried they
might run off the first thing, trying to get back 'home'
and I'll never see them again. There's no chance they
could find their way back to my old place, and it would
be dangerous for them to try. So how to make it as gentle
on them as possible and most likely that they'll adjust
quickly to the new home? Should I have food out for
them at the new home when I take them over so they get
the idea that this is 'home' quicker? Should I make
sure they're good and hungry when I take them?

3. how to introduce them to the new cat - my cats aren't
'fighters'. (Dan-Dan would flee at the first sign of a
mouse, but Whitey chases mice and birds, and has gotten
into scrapes before, but not many.) The other cat is
probably a little younger than Whitey, and I'm told not
a 'fighter' either.

thanks,
-dg

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m. L. Briggs - 22 Jun 2004 21:57 GMT

>I posted this message at another cat newsgroup and got two
>helpful replies. I am posting it here (much larger) to see
[quoted text clipped - 38 lines]
>thanks,
>-dg

IMHO If you move to a new place and make your pets stay out all the
time, I am sure you will lose them. If you could keep them inside for
a month, you m,ight have a chance. Have you thought about re-homing
them?MLB

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Tracy - 23 Jun 2004 06:06 GMT

You have to keep them inside for an acclimation period. How can they
possibly know that this new place is home? For a cat, familiar
territory is home and you can bet they WILL go looking for it. Keep
them inside, even if it's only a room, for at least a week and then,
if you can talk them into it, try buying a cat harness and taking them
out one by one to explore the new territory with you tagging along
behind. After that's happened several times, then you can try letting
them out. Make the mealtimes very consistent, so they know when to
show up for food and really, they shouldn't be outside all the time.
Can you take them in in the evening, at least?

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Luvskats00 - 23 Jun 2004 00:59 GMT

"dan glenn" dan_danboy@yahoo.com
writes

>I'm moving from my apt to another >place across town in a week
>and will be taking my two cats
>home where there is one cat (5-6 yrs old). Both my cats are
>'fixed'. My cats are used to going in and out of my apt....but they might have

to stay out all the time now,

>as I'm moving to a room.

If your indoor/outdoor cats are now to become outdoor only cats, perhaps you
can find a better home situation for them. Can you set up anything in the
garage or a heated area so they don't have to face the dangers of the outdoors
24/7? If not, as difficult as it may be, it might be best to have them go to a
home where they are indoors. Just a suggestion. Good luck on your decision(s).

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icarus - 23 Jun 2004 13:11 GMT

they will feel very threatened by this move. If they are out all the time
they will just go home or die trying. its not a good situation for them to
be out all the time. You have to put their wellbeing first and either decide
that they can be house cats some of the time (all the time to begin with) or
try to rehome them.

I relocated my two cats six months ago from one house to another two
hundred miles apart and the process I followed was as follows ....

a. I put the cats into a cattery for two weeks whilst I packed and moved
house. The process of packing up/unpacking disturbs/upsets cats. They had
been to the cattery before so it was familiar territory for them.
b. I went back and got the cats and brought them to the new house in large
plastic cat boxes. I pulled up a few times to talk to them through the cage.
Do not open the cage until you get to your destination.
c. I kept them in the house for two weeks before letting them outside.
d. They were hungry when I let them go outside and I went in the garden
with them.
e. I went inside but left the door open to the garden and made a noise
making up their food. They came in to eat and have relocated OK since then.

Both my cats have been attacked by local cats in the area. One aggressor
came over a mile to attack them. On one occasion this cat came into my
kitchen to attack my cat ! I presume this is because they can smell them
from a distance. One of my cats has required surgery for the damage done in
an attack. They have, however, stood their ground and now there are no
problems with them being alien pussies in town :) It took four months before
these other cats stopped coming over to beat them up. Neither of my cats
fought or had problems in the previous area.

good luck.

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dan glenn - 25 Jun 2004 06:57 GMT

> I posted this message at another cat newsgroup and got two
> helpful replies. I am posting it here (much larger) to see
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> <snip>

Thanks for all your replies. My cats will not suddenly be outdoors. I've
talked to my up-and-coming landlord and it will be OK for them to be indoors
all the time, although I plan on letting them out after awhile. But I plan
to keep them indoors all the time at first.

Many people say as an absolute minimum one should keep them indoors for at
least 2 weeks (2-3 weeks is the range most often cited). Yet I've talked to
other people who have moved with cats, outdoor cats, who were NOT kept
indoors, and they say they had no problems at all. So I don't know what to
believe. I'm sure it depends heavily on the cat.

Someone mentioned a product called Feliway (sp?) - that's supposed to use
cat pheromones that calm the cat and make it much more accepting of new
surroundings. Has anyone experience using Feliway to ease acclimation to new
surroundings for their cat?

Also: I have a nice patio-garden just outside my room. Has anyone tried
using a cat harness with a long tether (fastened high to minimize chance of
it getting tangled up or wrapped around things) to let a cat get outside for
some exploring and familiarizing itself to its new surroundings, with no
chance of running away? (I admit, this may be a real dumb idea, but maybe
not?)

-dg

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icarus - 25 Jun 2004 11:41 GMT

> > I posted this message at another cat newsgroup and got two
> > helpful replies. I am posting it here (much larger) to see
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> all the time, although I plan on letting them out after awhile. But I plan
> to keep them indoors all the time at first.

Well done, this is a very good idea.

> Many people say as an absolute minimum one should keep them indoors for at
> least 2 weeks (2-3 weeks is the range most often cited). Yet I've talked to
> other people who have moved with cats, outdoor cats, who were NOT kept
> indoors, and they say they had no problems at all. So I don't know what to
> believe. I'm sure it depends heavily on the cat.

I got advice when moving like you. I was told six weeks ! It was distressing
trying to keep them in so I chose to risk it after two weeks.
It went fine but you are right, it depends on the cat.

> Someone mentioned a product called Feliway (sp?) - that's supposed to use
> cat pheromones that calm the cat and make it much more accepting of new
> surroundings. Has anyone experience using Feliway to ease acclimation to new
> surroundings for their cat?

I haven't used it but I thought pheromones were a stimulant to encourage
particular activity in any mammal. I thought it was a chemical transmitter
but maybe I'm wrong.

> Also: I have a nice patio-garden just outside my room. Has anyone tried
> using a cat harness with a long tether (fastened high to minimize chance of
> it getting tangled up or wrapped around things) to let a cat get outside for
> some exploring and familiarizing itself to its new surroundings, with no
> chance of running away? (I admit, this may be a real dumb idea, but maybe
> not?)

I haven't used one. The cat would feel odd and stressed out if the first
thing you did in a new place was put a harness on it.
If you do this it may be an idea to use it for a while first at the old
address so its used to it.

The patio/garden will make it easier. Can you fit a cat flap or keep a
window open ?

I hope this goes well for you. At least you know a few options and can try
your best for them.

> -dg

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