how long for cats to 'settle' after a move? (kittens, smells, dogs)
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I moved from FL to ME recently and have 7 cats. None of them like to ride in the car. I have also moved from Seattle to Texas some years back with three cats in the car. I then moved from Texas to FL with two cats in the car.
I'm illustrating some experience with moving and cats.
None of them like it. Some howl for hours. But they all eventually stop and deal after awhile. Some adapted quickly, some carried on longer than I thought necessary but you're going 12 hours. You can do that in a day, easy. I personally am against medicating animals to move them but I'm not going to debate that with you or your vet...if you think it's ok, well...best of luck.
As for adjusting...each and every time, what I've done is take them out first. I open their crates, they dart off. (Naturally) As I move stuff in, I always make sure the doors and windows are closed so that in their panic, (if they dare come out from hiding (ie: stove, fridge, w/d, whatever), they don't bolt out the door in confusion.
First thing that gets set up is their stuff. Things they are familiar with. Their scratching posts, their cat trees, their toys, water and food dishes...anything of theirs to make them feel at least a little more familiar. (Oh and litter boxes!!)
If you have a feeding schedule, keep to it. It helps.
Then, I just let them be. I let them explore, I let them peek their noses out of their hiding spots, and if they do come out, slinking the whole way, I sit down, talk to them very quietly and get them to come over. No sudden movements, no loud noises...and I pet them and talk to them. They'll still be a bit on the nervous side but it tends to warm them up a bit.
In every move I have done this, the cats have adjusted very well within a week. Some adjusted by the end of the day.
I moved three times in a year. I was rather surprised at how quickly my four cats adjusted--I thought it would be much worse. The first time was about five miles--they howled a bit in the car to varying degrees, and when they got to where I was going, they all mostly hid for a day or two. The longest hider was the blind one--it took her a while to come out from under my bed and even longer to leave the room. Within days, though, they were mostly in charge of the place. Four months later I moved sixty miles away. That was pretty much a little taste of hell on earth--there was a ferocious thunderstorm going on, driving alone with four cats in a Jetta down the Garden State Parkway, the boy cat sh** ten minutes after I left, all but the blind one were howling (the blind one doesn't seem to mind the car so much), then about halfway there the smart one broke out of her box and started flying around the car yelling until she caught sight of the ever-so-fascinating windshield wipers, which she stared at for a while, breaking in with howls intermittently. When I got to that apartment, they all ran around like nuts except the blind one, who hid in a closet as soon as she found it--of course, the boy was covered in diarrhea and I had to catch him and clean him, but they seemed to adjust again pretty quickly to the new place. Seven months later I moved into my condo, which was only a ten-minute ride. The howling and crying went on, but it was short. Amazingly, this time the blind one went under the couch for about forty-five minutes, and then that was it. She came out, did her Helen Keller figure-out-where-the-walls-are thing, and was at home. The couch, table and chairs and some of the other furniture and household items had been in storage for that year while I did the temporary moves, and they seemed to recognize those things from where they had lived for most of their lives. Maybe that helped. That was a year ago, and they own the condo now.
Anyway, I shouldn't have to move again for a long, long time.
It really depends on the cats. Some are fine, have no adjustment problems, others...I would set up a "safe kitty room" for the first day. Then, let the kits out, while you watch them. You need to check your new house pretty throughly. Beau once "found" an extra air duct behind a dryer, that I did not know about. You just don't know what these guys will find...
I pretty much agree with what everyone has said. The longer you have "your/their stuff" in the new place, the better (so the scents will settle/linger). It's definitely a must to have any favorite blankets/beds/scratch posts/ etc set up for them. We just recently moved and Odysseus was uncomfortable/curious for maybe 6 hours and was completely fine after that. I think that is probably more on the unusual side, but I think the scents and familiar objects were a huge help.
I think it depends on the cat's personality. I have 2 cats. One is high strung and other one is very laid back but very curious. He may be freaked out but his curiosity rules him. He adjusted after a day. My other cat took a week.
I moved from FL to ME recently and have 7 cats. None of them like to ride in the car. I have also moved from Seattle to Texas some years back with three cats in the car. I then moved from Texas to FL with two cats in the car.
I'm illustrating some experience with moving and cats.
None of them like it. Some howl for hours. But they all eventually stop and deal after awhile. Some adapted quickly, some carried on longer than I thought necessary but you're going 12 hours. You can do that in a day, easy. I personally am against medicating animals to move them but I'm not going to debate that with you or your vet...if you think it's ok, well...best of luck.
As for adjusting...each and every time, what I've done is take them out first. I open their crates, they dart off. (Naturally) As I move stuff in, I always make sure the doors and windows are closed so that in their panic, (if they dare come out from hiding (ie: stove, fridge, w/d, whatever), they don't bolt out the door in confusion.
First thing that gets set up is their stuff. Things they are familiar with. Their scratching posts, their cat trees, their toys, water and food dishes...anything of theirs to make them feel at least a little more familiar. (Oh and litter boxes!!)
If you have a feeding schedule, keep to it. It helps.
Then, I just let them be. I let them explore, I let them peek their noses out of their hiding spots, and if they do come out, slinking the whole way, I sit down, talk to them very quietly and get them to come over. No sudden movements, no loud noises...and I pet them and talk to them. They'll still be a bit on the nervous side but it tends to warm them up a bit.
In every move I have done this, the cats have adjusted very well within a week. Some adjusted by the end of the day.
We're moving 24 cats to Illinois on July 20th. How you described your routine is EXACTLY how I planned to do it - We'll get the herd in the house, unpack their stuff and calm them down, let them explore, and begin the wait for the moving truck with MY stuff!!!!!!! They've been watching me pack for weeks - I know they know something's going on!!!!! BTW - I like your new moniker!!!!!
thanks everyone! the move process is likely to be very unusual. there's a good chance either I (and the cats) move up before all the remaining furniture & stuff, or it may come up before us - not sure.. having Christmas involved just makes a hash out of plans! I plan on putting them in some room or other with the door closed while stuff is being brought in, so they don't get underfoot or escape!
Just not sure if I should give them litterboxes & food in the same room (they aren't big rooms!) or put things where they will ultimately stay and bring the cats around to the different stations?
none of them are much into toys, but we will definitely keep to their schedule!
thanks everyone! the move process is likely to be very unusual. there's a good chance either I (and the cats) move up before all the remaining furniture & stuff, or it may come up before us - not sure.. having Christmas involved just makes a hash out of plans! I plan on putting them in some room or other with the door closed while stuff is being brought in, so they don't get underfoot or escape!
Just not sure if I should give them litterboxes & food in the same room (they aren't big rooms!) or put things where they will ultimately stay and bring the cats around to the different stations?
none of them are much into toys, but we will definitely keep to their schedule!
I'd give them a litter box in their safe room even if it won't ultimately be a room there is a litter box in. Better than having a mess, or worse, a cat feeling stress because s/he has to go and there is no bathroom.
Once they are situated they'll know where the litter boxes are. If there isn't one in the original safe room they'll forget there ever was. If they soil in there though, you may have repeat soiling problems.
(when a new cat comes here she spends two weeks in my bedroom, with litter box. When she is integrated the bedroom litter box is removed. No cat has ever had a problem adjusting to using the permanent litter boxes after integration)
I'd give them a litter box in their safe room even if it won't ultimately be a room there is a litter box in. Better than having a mess, or worse, a cat feeling stress because s/he has to go and there is no bathroom.
Once they are situated they'll know where the litter boxes are. If there isn't one in the original safe room they'll forget there ever was. If they soil in there though, you may have repeat soiling problems.
(when a new cat comes here she spends two weeks in my bedroom, with litter box. When she is integrated the bedroom litter box is removed. No cat has ever had a problem adjusting to using the permanent litter boxes after integration)
ok. I think they're going to have to be in the guest room - which is fairly small. litter boxes will definitely not be staying there! we can put a couple in the upstairs bathroom, we've got a fancy one that looks like a giant plant which will probably be in the mudroom off the kitchen, and I have no idea where the other two will go.
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