moving house and cats
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Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=24965
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Topic: moving house and cats
Posted By: myfullhouse
Subject: moving house and cats
Date Posted: 03 March 2009 at 8:28pm
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We are moving on Friday and I am not sure what to go about the cats. I don't particulary want to leave the cats locked up in the new house for days/weeks till they get used to the place, they will likely use the whole house as a litter box.
So I was wondering if buttering their paws works, does anyone know? We are borrowing a cat cage so I thought to take them out of the cage in the bathroom at the new house and butter their paws then, I would probably leave them in teh bathroom for a few hours or overnight. Any other ideas? ------------- Lindsey 
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Replies:
Posted By: ellen
Date Posted: 03 March 2009 at 8:33pm
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We've just locked our cats in the bathroom/laundry/garage with a litter box for the first night and then they've been OK to go outside.
I think the buttering paws works - can't remember if I did it or not. Good luck with the move. |
Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 03 March 2009 at 8:35pm
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Is the new house near a busy road? If so, I would be leaving them inside for a while until they get the bearings. We left our cat inside for 2 weeks, only taking him out on a lead, as we moved from the country to the city. And unfortunately he still got hit when we finally let him out but only slightly so is OK.
I think you'd probably need to expect them to be housed for a good few days or up to a week, I guess it depends on how close you are to them and if you think they could hurt themselves by being scared/running away? 
Another thing we've done in the past (our cat is a great traveller now, we take him camping every year and even took him to mums for a week when we stayed out there lol) is put food everywhere. Our cat comfort eats and will hang round the vicinity if he knows there's food so that's another option. Good luck though, it's hard not to worry about them but locking them away is probably the best bet for the first few days. Sorry don't know about buttering the paws, I'm pretty sure my cat would claw me to death if I tried that one. |
Posted By: hannibal
Date Posted: 03 March 2009 at 9:09pm
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I would leave them inside for a few days and try and move them till last - probably a good idea to not feed them in the morning so they will be ready for the food when you are ready to move them. Sorry not sure if buttering the paws works. Good luck.
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Posted By: KH25
Date Posted: 04 March 2009 at 7:53am
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My cats are well used to moving now, we have done it enough times. I normally leave them till last to bring over, then lock them in the spare room until we go to bed. The seem to feel safer exploring while its dark. I just have a litter tray for them and they don't have any accidents. I let them out after a day or 2 although this last time we moved, it took about a week of hiding in our walk in wardrobe for them to be confident enough to come out. Not sure why though... ------------- Kelly, mum to DD, 19Jun06 (26wks 1lb15oz) DS1, 24Oct10 (32wks 4lb11oz) and DS2, 31Dec11 (32wks, 4lb11) http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Bubbaloo
Date Posted: 04 March 2009 at 8:23am
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When we have moved I have always left the cat to last and left them inside for up to a week just to be on the safe side and have just had alitter box and have never had any accidents either. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">  Was danni-chick Mum to James My Angel 28/07/08 |
Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 04 March 2009 at 8:33am
| The biggest thing I've found, is for the cats to be moved last, so that when they get to the new house, all of your belongings are already there so then there is a familiarity with the house and it's not totally new to them. We never kept our cats inside longer than a day (with a litter tray) and never had any problems, but they were well used to moving. |
Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 04 March 2009 at 11:00am
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I heard buttering their paws is a myth but I've never tried it. We always leave Cirion inside for at least 2 days and keep him confined to one room the first day. So we put his litter box and food etc all in there.
The next day we open up the house so he can explore and then the third day we let him outside around the middle of the day. Some things to do before you let the cat out. 1) Make sure you have a collar and tag with your phone numbers on it 2) Make sure you have a recent picture incase you need to post 'lost cat' flyers. -------------  
 
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Posted By: myfullhouse
Date Posted: 04 March 2009 at 12:04pm
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I think we will leave them inside for the weekend but no longer. SIL who is pg as well told me that I am not supposed to handle kitty litter while pg so they will be outside once DH goes to work on Monday.
Will try buttering their paws anyway, just in case it works ------------- Lindsey
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Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 04 March 2009 at 1:12pm
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Couldn't your DH handle the kitty litter after work if you wanted to keep then inside for a bit longer?
I've buttered paws on new kittens before, and they stayed, but I don't know if they would have stayed anyway! My latest kitten ripped her claws into me when I tried it on her, but she was a captured feral kitty. I just kept her locked in for a week or so, then let her out the first couple of times while I was around to keep an eye on her. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: myfullhouse
Date Posted: 04 March 2009 at 7:05pm
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Yeah DH could do the kitty litter but I am sure that the cats would turn their noses up at having to use it anyway. Will see how we go and play it all by ear. ------------- Lindsey
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Posted By: littleLittle
Date Posted: 04 March 2009 at 8:26pm
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I tried the butter on the paws thing and my cat just ran straight onto the damp grass so it all rubbed off!
I think we kept our cat inside for a couple of days and then just spent time walking round with her outside so she got used to the place and knew we were still nearby. Our cat tends to stick pretty close to home though so that helped. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: BeLoved
Date Posted: 04 March 2009 at 8:44pm
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If they stress out about the move you can always give them rescue remedy! It has worked for my cat on many occassions (he is a bit of a stresser!) ------------- http://alterna-tickers.com"> 
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