Mistakes when moving with cats
Whether you are moving long-distance or locally, it is always a very complex process. You need to be on top of things if you want everything to go smoothly. One of the very important things is dealing with a reliable moving company. Be careful with your choice of movers if you want everything done professionally and on time. Things that might complicate your move a bit is if you are moving with pets, whether it is a cat or a dog. Like children, pets can sense changes in the house and can get annoyed or frightened. Also, if you are moving to your new home in a car, your pet will be with you. But if you are flying you will have to put your furry friend in a carrier, which may trigger them to become hysterical. We will now talk more about common mistakes when moving with cats.
One of the mistakes when moving with cats is not introducing the carrier on time
No animal likes to be trapped, so you can only imagine how much will your cat like being in a carrier. Especially as it might remind them of a trip to a vet, which is always traumatic. This is why you need to introduce a cat carrier on time and not last-minute. If you are about to have long-distance movers in and out of the house during the move, you will need your pet contained. The best way to introduce the cat carrier is to start putting the food there and their favorite toys. It will take time to gain their trust, but better start on time. They need to be comfortable in the carrier, as they might spend hours and hours there during the move. And they will need to be in there while movers are taking out stuff unless someone will babysit your cat.
Book your cat into a cat hotel or a cattery
Checking in your cat into some sort of a cattery does impose an additional cost. But trust us, it is worth it as your house will be a mess during the moving and packing process. Also, it would be good not to bring your cat with you on the move, but take a few days to settle in. After you assemble your furniture and unpack the essentials, you can go and pick your feline friend. One of the mistakes when moving with cats is thinking it your cat will not be frustrated from all the boxes and mess in both your old and new home. You will have enough things on your mind, like moving insurance and getting everything in one piece. Free yourself from at least one worry, by putting your cat into a cattery. In order to find a reliable one, ask friends for a recommendation.
Update the ID and chip if you do not want to make mistakes when moving with cats
You might think it is best for you to update the chip once you arrive at your new place. That would be a mistake that you might very well regret in case your precious tries to escape. If your cat never traveled, you have no idea how will it react during the moving trip. If it is prone to being scared and does not like to be in a confined space, it will most certainly try to break free. And if that happens, it will be more difficult reuniting you with it, if the old address is still on the chip. Take a morning off and visit the vet to complete this change, you will feel calmer. The last thing you want is someone else having your cat adopted, as there was no information about your new address. Do not miss this important step for you and your pet.
The time required for your cat to adapt to a new space
We know that you will be pretty busy during the move, having to think about each little thing. You might have to oversee movers moving a piano, or moving some other very valuable things. It might happen that the last thing you will pay attention to is your furry pet. It is quite possible that you will just assume that your cat will adapt quickly to the new space. If you bring their food, toys, and a basket or a pillow they sleep on, what else is there, right? Well, as you know pets can sense and smell things we cannot. If you bring your cat to a place it has never been before, it might be overwhelming, due to all the new smells. Some cats will go and sniff each corner of the house to get to know it, but some might just freak out and start acting strangely.
Conclusion on the subject of often made mistakes when moving with cats
After reading the above article, we hope you have gained some new knowledge and will accept some of the advice we gave. What we can draw as a conclusion from the above are a few things. First of all, do not neglect your cat during the packing and planning process. If you need to take it out of your way, find a familiar face to babysit it. By all means, visit the vet before you embark on a moving journey. Take all the necessary vaccines and meds for your pet. Also, make sure you update the chip and change your cat’s ID info. If possible, admit it to a cattery for a few days until you settle down and unpack. And last, but not the least important is accepting that adaptation might not go smoothly. Each cat is different, so be patient and carrying towards your feline friend.