Moving with your cats

Much has been written about traveling with your kitties. That's why I won't rehash it here. But I did want to share some helpful hits that I learned (some too late...) along the way.

If you have to move, the first thing you should do is face up to it with everyone in your family, including all the pets. Get them used to traveling, especially in the mode they'll be going in (i.e. carrier for airplane, cars, etc.). Make sure tags/license are up to date and their vaccines are also up to date. All the usual travel advice applies. Be prepared for quarantines, especially when crossing international boundaries or moving out of the country.

Routines are one of the most sensitive areas in your cat's daily life. Try to stick to routines as closely as possible. Wake at roughly the same time; feed, play, relax, clean, etc., all at your usual time and you'll reduce some of the stress of being in a new place. During the transition time, we could find no hotel that would accept pets. We hurriedly found a boarding house for them. They only lasted one day there; Van stayed under a blanket and Belle nervously groomed and whined. So, for about 1 week they lived happily in our car. Our car was at least familiar to them and was much more comforting than a cat kennel. We visited them very often and made sure they kept very cool. The car was quite messy by the end, but it was worth it.

After the transit time, moving into the new house can be very troubling to a cat. All those movers, loud noises and strange smells could disturb a cat's sense of place and security. Before the movers arrived, I placed my two cats in a small bathroom with their food, water and litter (on the opposite side of the room - so it didn't bother them to use it near their food). Then I placed a note on the door that read: "MOVERS: Do not enter please!!". And they didn't. The cats came out very curious and even had a blast with the empty boxes when we were unpacking. They checked out every inch of the furniture to see who had marked it last.

If possible, have your furniture moved in prior to introducing the cats into the new house. But that's rarely possible. A little catnip dashed here and there might be encouraging to your cats. The main things to remember are:

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