any advice for moving cats to a new home?

[Hellojosie]

We are moving this weekend to a new home about 2 miles away from our current home. I'm trying to decide what will be the best way to move our 2 cats without completely freaking them out. Is it better to move them first and confine them to a room with some of their "stuff" and food, water, etc...or do we wait til a little later in the day & go back for them at the old place, after all of the commotion at the new place is over? I'm leaning towards option #2- moving them over later in the day.

Anyone have any advice?

[Logan]

When we moved, almost 5 years ago, we moved the cats first. It was the right thing to do. Butter (our stray Siamese boy) moved into a spare room at my future husband's house, overnight. He had his litter box, food and water, and stayed there for at least 24 hours, in a bedroom where there was a bed for him to sleep. Mimi, our precious old lady, who has died since then, came to the new house and went in the most spacious bathroom, the morning of the move, with her litter box, bed, food and water. As soon as the majority of the moving was over, Mimi was let out into the house and Butter came later that day. They both adjusted beautifully. We also had several dogs, and two of them (our Golden Retrievers, Lilly and Honey) went to the boarding facility for a couple of days because we didn't have a secure fenced area for them and Murphy, our very old Lab girl, stayed at my husband's house during that time.

It all worked out, but I think isolating the cats was key in our successful move.

Good luck to you.
Logan

[Fuzzybuns]

We took everything cat related...(their furniture, potty boxes, bowls, toys and towels they'd layed on and so forth), and confined them to one room at the new place. I put them in the office, where things didn't have to go in immediately...then I put a sign on the door "Open and DIE". There were two cats at the time.

It was easier that way, than trying to catch them at the old place when they're already freaked out from the commotion and making them stay in the cages while we got the room they were in packed.

Came back to add that everyone did great! They came out with tails high and started sniffing around.

[catlover4ever]

I did the opposite. When we moved we actually made two moves. We first moved into my mom's house while we were building our house. I waited to move the cats last thing. Then when we finally closed on the new house, we waited until we had most things moved in before getting the cats later in the evening. They adjusted really well both times we moved them.

Good luck and congrats on the new place.

[Felicia's Mom]

I always did the second one. The cats along with litter, water and food were placed in an empty room in the old home or at a friends. Everything was then moved to the new residence. The furniture along with a litter box,water bowl and food were placed.

The cats were brought in last. I would show them where the litter was then leave them alone to explore the new home.

[kittycats_delight]

Option #1 for sure. I have moved several times with different cats and always moved the cats first. Gave them the room that would be put together last and gave them all their things (litterbox, food dishes, cat tree, bed, toys etc) and let them get use to the smell and sounds of the new place while we were moving all the other things in. Once everything was in and all the big things were situated. (basically only boxes left to put away) they were released. It was the best for all involved. They were the lease stressed and adjusted quickly.

[Hellojosie]

Thanks for all the responses! I'm still leaning towards moving them last- the main reason being is because the new place is going to be utter chaos for most of the morning. Plus we have furniture going in every room, and I'm not sure where to "store" the kitties while it's all getting moved in. From what I've read here, it seems that both options seem to work out ok. In the evening, when everything is moved in in the new place and all our helpers have gone, I think they'll be a little more relaxed with just us...we'll still keep them confined to the "kitty" room with all their stuff for a few hours before letting them out to explore their new pad.

[emily_the_spoiled]

I moved my guys first (and had a good friend supervise the movers). I put them in the basement (which is a walk out) with litter boxes, water, and food. There was a limited amount of stuff going downstairs and they ran away when ever the movers came close to the door, so things worked out okay. But it was still stressful for all of us.

BTW, congratulations on the new home!

[Freedom]

I moved from an apartment to my house about 2 miles away.

We closed and spent about a month working on the house prior to moving in. During that time, I brought each cat over with us (one at a time) and let them roam while we were working. Most stayed for a few hours. (we returned to the apartment for lunch.)

We moved lots of stuff ourselves, and put most everything in the home office ahead of schedule. The morning the movers were coming, I took all the cats over with their "stuff" and they went into the office and stayed there with the door closed. When I finally opened the door about 10 hours later, all the big stuff was in place and they just poked about.

If you move them AFTER, I would say put them in their carriers for the day. When I lived int he apartment, I can't tell you how many people moved out and couldn't find the cat(s) when they were done and ready to leave! As things clear out, they find the oddest, tiniest places to squeeze in to get away from all the commotion!

Best wishes!

[catmandu]

I moved the Found Cats all three of them into the house first. Then I locked them in the front room with the food and litter boxes.
It was funny watching them as they wanted to run away , but were frozen as they didnt know in which way to run. Mr Scrappy was frozen in indecision.

[Medusa]

The house I currently live in is only approximately 5 miles away from my old house. Leave it to me to do things totally different from all the other posts I've read. I did it half way through. There was chaos at the old house and new because my son was helping the movers at the old house and I was at the new house. I kept the fur posse isolated in a back room of the old house until it was time to transport them to the new one. And I didn't take them all together, just a couple for each trip, which meant 4 trips. When I got them to the new house, I put them in the basement w/all of their food, water, beds, toys and litterboxes. They were pretty stressed so they stayed down there for 3 days on their own! I thought my RB Peeka was never going to come upstairs. She stayed on the top step of the basement for another 3 days and refused to come up all the way. I guess she got lonely and once she saw the enclosed patio w/all that sun, she made that her permanent spot except at bed time, of course. Sniff. Now I miss my little Peekie. :( Anyhow, the fur posse liked the basement so much that they stay there each night now. Worked out great, gives me my space and they have their own apartment, the little stinkers. :p

[Hellojosie]

Our cats have "their" room at our current (old?) home already, so I figured we would move the one big piece of furniture (a futon) out of there tonight, and then move the rest of their toys, food, water, etc all into that room. That way tomorrow morning before the movers come we can close them in that room with a sign on the door- "Do NOT open!!". That way we won't have to worry about anyone escaping (and Ollie is quite the escape artist- little stinker even knows how to open an unlocked sliding screen door) and we'll be able to find them later in the day no problem when we come back for them. I hope this works and they don't get too stressed out! They already know something is up, we've been packing & moving small things & boxes over all week.