Moving with cats can be difficult, but you may not expect to deal with these problems.

Moving with cats. Oy.

To be honest, I knew it was going to be difficult. Misha and Tippy get quite nervous about unfamiliar spaces, car rides, and new people. What I’ve learned during this experience is that you will never be 100% prepared for an event such as this. Still, there are four simple truths about moving with cats that I’d like to pass on to you.

Messes Will Be Made

Your cats are going to break things. They’re going to get dirty. It’s inevitable. Unless you live in a house with no furniture or doors, you’ll experience the frustration of hearing a phantom crash of which you may or may not discover the source of.

Moving with cats requires a lot of patience, especially when it comes to unpacking. Make sure to check each box before you seal it up – cats love to hide inside!

You Will Experience At Least One Sleepless Night

Whether it’s from worry or being awoken by a wet pink nose, sleep will evade you. You’ll get a couple hours of snoozing if you’re lucky. At some point within the first month of moving, you’re going to lie awake, praying for sleep to come.

My experience happened in the wee hours of the morning, sometime around 2 a.m.. I was awoken to the sound of Tippy tearing through the house. Curious, I went to investigate, only to find Tippy downstairs with a bloody nose and tape stuck to her foot. Evidently, she had run into something while trying to get away from the tape.

She was literally shaking with fear, and I couldn’t really sleep for the rest of the night. She’s okay now, thank goodness, but it was super scary for the both of us.

Don’t Get Too Attached To Your New Furniture

Okay, so the couch in our living room isn’t new, but it was inaccessible for Misha and Tippy in the old house. This is not the case in the new house. It’s front and center on the main floor, and I’ve already had to put sticky tape on it. They are not deterred.

The process of moving with cats includes them refamiliarizing themselves with their territory and marking their scent on, well, everything. Cats have scent glands in their paws that they use to do this, so don’t be surprised if they try and scratch everything made of fabric.

It’s Normal For Your Cats To Have Accidents

By “accidents”, I mean the bathroom kind. A new home means new smells, and your cat (or cats) may have trouble finding the litter box. It doesn’t matter if you put it in the middle of the room they’re in; if it doesn’t smell like theirs, they might not use it all the time.

Scent is the sense that a cat uses the most, and almost all of their activities revolve around their sense of smell. One thing you can do to help your cat adjust is to save used litter. Sprinkle it on the new litter in the litter box (about a cup of old litter). This will help your kitty recognize their litter box.

If your cat does have an accident, DON’T GET MAD AT THEM. They literally have no idea where they are. They’re confused, frustrated and lost. Try using these methods to make your cat more comfortable in their new home:

• Pheromones (we use Feliway)
• Put some of your cat’s unwashed possessions in each room so their scent is there
• Let them explore the new house slowly – one room at a time
• Spend plenty of time with them; they need to know you haven’t left them!
• Give them a quiet safe space all their own during the moving process

Have you ever experienced moving with cats? How did you handle it, and what advice can you give to other pet parents? Let us know in the comments!

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