Moving Soon...with my babies (long post)

[CatMama78]

Sigh***My boyfriend and I are moving in exactly a week...just across town, about 15-20 miles North. And I am sooooooooooo worried and stressed about the impact it will have on Oreo and Wilber. Wilber is very much a scaredy cat, and I'm not quite sure why. We adopted him when he was about 4 months old, and he never showed any signs of trauma or past abuse (except for his little chipped ear, which the Oper. Kind. people thought was the result of a cat tussle). He was very loving when we got him, to us as strangers.

Over time he's become so TIMID. Whenever people come over, he sprints off to the cabinet and it's so sad cause he looks so scared, I can see it in his eyes...If you come in with company and he's caught off guard, he runs around bumping into walls until he can make his way to the cabinet. As I've started packing very slowly, it's off to the cabinet. It's probably the result of my over protective, sheltering nature, I REALLY spoil and baby my boys. We don't have company too often, so all he knows is me and my BF, and around us he is Love Bug, pesonified, or catsonified (hmmm). But different situations scare the poor guy. Oreo is not so bad, hesitant yet curious, is how I would describe his reaction to strangers and strange situations, so I'm not AS worried about his reaction.

Interestingly enough, at the vet, they are BOTH very well behaved. Wilber doesn't attempt to hide, he seems to have more of a defeatist attitude at the vet and lets the vet do as she pleases. So maybe his reaction ahs something to do with strangeness in HIS territory.

Anyways, we've chosen to board them at the Pet Hotel the night before we move, since the movers are coming before the pet hotel opens on the day of the move. WE plan to keep them there until the movers are done, so probably a total of 16-24 hours. I just think the trauma of being boarded would be less than the trauma of being lcoked in the bathroom, while strangers are making lots and lots of noise. And running the risk of the movers opening the enclosed cat space and the cats getting lost in the move. I would never board if we were merely going on a vacation, I would have someone look in on them. I checked out several inns and hotels and chose the one that seemed the best, which was PetsMart - so if anyone has left their cat a petsmart hotel, please let me know your experience....Anywho, I'm really stressed about leaving them - it's so silly - I even tear up thiking about leaving them for 16 hours - I just imagine what they will be thinking, "What's going on, Is she leaving us?". I'm so worried about how it will make them feel and the stress it will cause them.

Then I'm worried about when we go to get them and show them their new home.....How will they react? Will it be too much stress for them? They are strictly indoor cats and right now they show no interest in going outside, but I'm paranoid that the new environment might prompt them to escape or run. Trust me, I have al kinds of not nice scenarios and "what ifs" about how they will react to the move. I know I need to keep a positive attitude and not worry so much, cause I'm sure they pick up on my vibes and it affects them.

I know, you all must think I'm NUTS.. reacting this way. It's just I'm a first time "meowmie" and I've never had a moving experience with these guys, topped with the fact that one of them has a serious case of the "scaredies" to strange situations.

Sorry for the long post guys, but I had to vent....Any advise you have, I would appreciate....And if not, thanks for lending an ear, errrrrr eye :)

[CatMama78]

It's a bit blurry, but here's Wilber in the cabinet :(

[catcrazylady]

Hold on and take a deep breath! It will all be ok. It will take a bit but I promise they will adjust and be ok. I haven't moved with my whole crew but we did move with Sammy. He was terrified of all the things being taken from the house. Everything familiar to him was going out the door and he had no place to hide. It was awful for him and he was so very happy when we loaded him into the carrier and took him with us. I really think the poor guy thought we would leave him! Your idea of boarding them is the best way you could handle that. It is very fightening to be locked in a room and noise and strangers in their home. I think you have a wonderful idea by taking them to PetSmart.
This is just my opinion and what I would do now that I have more cats. I would take one room and make sure everything is set up there. Put their favorite beds, food dishes, and litter box there. When you bring them home I would keep them in that room for an over night until they calm down. When we moved hubby carried Sammy through each room and let him sniff all of the familiar things. He let him sniff the beds, the kitchen table, while showing him the way around the house. Sammy adjusted very quickly once he realized these were all his usual things just a different house.
It will take the scaredy cat a little while but I promise he will be ok. They will still have their own stuff and their very special and loving meowmie to help them adjust.
Good luck and I'm sure you will have good news to report in no time.http://petoftheday.com/talk/images/our_smilies/biggrin.gif

Congratulations on your new home by the way!http://petoftheday.com/talk/images/our_smilies/smile.gif

[kimlovescats]

Try not to panic .... your kitties will adjust in no time at all!
;)

[CatMama78]

I would take one room and make sure everything is set up there. Put their favorite beds, food dishes, and litter box there. When you bring them home I would keep them in that room for an over night until they calm down.

This is an excellent suggestion and one which I will definitely try.

Thanks catcrazylady !!

Hopefully all will be well in no time. At least now they will have a staircase to run up and down, and a second bathroom to hang out in..heck that's half the reason we chose to move was to have more room for the cats to be playful in, lol!

[sirrahbed]

Hi CatMama,
I can understand your worry! I will just tell you about our experiences and maybe that will help. We have been military for 27 years and now retired and so moved every 2-3 years, toting cats along the way. I guess I never really thought of it as traumatic, but more of an adventure. I did take the cats either to a neighbors house or to a kennel. Once I remember leaving them in one bedroom and moving them from room to room as the packers worked. Getting to the new place was always an adventure! They LOVED helping to go through BOXES!!! I never recall any problems at all. The longest trip was a car ride from Louisiana to Ohio and we stopped twice to stay in motels. The kitties stayed in carriers and hollered a good bit of the trip!! We kept CB radios in the cars as we had two vehicles at the time and I was in the non-kitty car and could hear all the complaining still:D But, all in all it was a non-traumatic adventure each time! They will have a great time both with boxes and rediscovering all their things!!

[catmandu]

Just keep them indoors , until they rae used , to the fact , that this is thier New Home , and dont let them out , without supervivion! Good Luck! I remember mt three Cats Scrappy , PMichael , and Princess! I put them , in the basement , and watched them , asthey searched. poor scrappy ran , but then stopped as he dint know where he was going! anf Michael hid , having made a hole , onder the muslin , of the Bed!!!He wasthere for about a week!!!

[Kona & Oreo's mom]

Kona has always been a bit "scaredy" too, even though she has never had a reason to be. When we moved to our new house, I did just what catcrazylady described: I set up one room with all of our regular stuff and kept her in there for a day or two so she could calm down. She actually did better than I had expected. You could also put some of your dirty laundry in the room so it has your scent and not the scent of the previous people. (Kona is a sucker for laundry, so this worked great for her.)

Good luck with your move!

[prechrswife]

Our cats are experienced movers. Saphirah has moved 4 times (including a move from Louisiana to Georgia), Chloe has moved twice, and Samson has moved once. They have all adjusted very well each time. They get a little worried during the packing stage because things are a little different. Once we have arrived in the new house, it just takes a couple of days for them to settle in. They will be fine. BTW, our Samson has a personality similar to your Wilber. He has made the adjustment just fine.

[lizzielou742]

Hey Cat Mama, I am moving in about a month too! I am moving into my boyfriend's and I have extra stress because not only will Tito have to deal with the smell of all boyfriend's stuff, but he will have to deal with Sophie, our kitten who is currently living over there (at least for the next two weeks until she is old enough we can give her the flea meds)!! I worry about it constantly too and sometimes I even get myself so upset and worried I can't help but cry. I love my baby kitty Tito so much and I don't want him to change one bit and I am afraid of his reaction to all these new things. I don't know what to do!!! I just wanted you to know that there are other people who have these problems too. let me know how it goes!!

Liz

[CatMama78]

Thanks again guys for all your kind words, you've helped to calm me down big time. Just helps that people understand...

Adventure, that's a good way to look at it...

lizzielou - I totally know how you feel and you have the added dilemma of moving and introducing Tito to a new companion. Hopefully having a new feline friend will be just the thing Tito needs - he'll have a best buddy, next to you of course to keep him company! Good Luck!!

Keep me posted on Tito and yourself. He looks like my Wilber, a love bug indeed!

[boscibo]

I have moved with my cats several times, and I always stress. It always goes well, so I really had no need to worry. I have never used movers, I do it myself except for the big stuff. The key is to start packing early and have everything ready to go out the door on moving day. I always move my cats last, and I try and con (err....convince) my helpers to do all the hard work so I can stay with my cats. Then when it is time to go, I get the cats in the carriers and away we go! They have always adjusted to a new move well, having all their old stuff set up in the new place seems to help.

[lizzielou742]

They do look alike, don't they?

Don't stress too much about your kitties. They are always smarter and cooler than we think.

Good luck and you keep me updated too!!

[Karen]

Boarding them for the move is a good idea. I know of one woman whose two indoor-only, lazy, spoiled cats completely freaked when the movers came, and dashed outdoors when one of the guys left the door open for a minute. She never did find them again, despite weeks of flyers and calls and posters around the neighborhood, we just hope someone found them and took them in and just didn't see the notices.

By packing them up early, you also don't have to worry about where they are every time you move something large and can't see where your feet are landing - mreeeowch!

[Lillycat]

karen, i agree. i get worried when i have visitors here at home. people dont seem to remember to watch the doors or even to realize how quickly a kitty can sneak out.