Hi everyone! Remember Me? Have a question

[jazzcat]

HI all!!! I haven't posted here in so long but I do try to pop in and lurk now and then. We still are a 5 cat household with Jazz, Rocky, Rumor, Moxie and Decker. They are all doing well which brings me to my question. Looks like we will be moving to a new house and my biggest concern is how to do it with 5 cats and one of them is semi-feral (Decker). I'm going to talk to my vet about how to handle Decker but I'm so worried about how we will get him in a carrier to transport. We've had to stop taking him to the vet because two years ago he bit my husband when trying to crate him for a vet visit. He's already on Prozac to help with is anxiety/urinary issues. Stress makes him pee blood.

If anyone has been there/done that, I'd love to hear how you did it and how it went. Also tips for making the move easy on all the kitties is great appreciated. I want to be excited about a new house but thinking about the cats really worries me.

[mrspunkysmom]

I've moved several times and it is easy on the critters. I block off one room in the new place and put blankets with our smell for them to burrow in along with litter and water. They won't be interested in eating. The last time I moved the cats before I moved the stuff.

I have no advice for a semi-feral. Is he an indoor-outdoor cat? Your vet is the best bet.

Mine followed me everywhere for a few days after the move. They wouldn't explore unless I was with them. I only had two at the time. I can't imagine moving now that I have five, plus one foster.

Good luck!

[Freedom]

When I bought this house 10 years back, I had 4 cats. We did most of the move ourselves, so I'd take a cat over for a few hours to poke around with us while we did work here. Then took them back to the apartment. THis house is barely 1 mile from the apartment I was in. The final day in the apartment we had a moving company, the van and 3 guys, to move the big furniture. Only needed them for 4 hours, so worked well.

On moving day, this is what I did:
- got up and got all the cats in their carriers, kept them together in one room with the door closed;


- had the guys move the large stuff out of one room, shifted all the carriers to that room, closed the doors, let the guys get on with loading the truck.

- put the carriers in my car and drove to the house, had the guys unload the truck. While they did that, I set up one litter box, one water bowl, and a few beds in the "cat room," and took the carriers in there.

Lucky for me = or for the cats? - we moved into a larger place. No big pieces needed to go in to that room the carriers were in.

Only after the movers were finished and gone did I let the cats out of their carriers. I kept that room door closed the rest of the day. Being cats, they soon decided they needed food, lol. I went in with the food bowl, and then left the door open. They explored the house at their own pace, often at night while we were in bed.

It helps the cats a LOT that the furniture etc is the same. Same smells, you know?

As for Decker, hmm, guess you should talk w/ the vet about putting something in his food to knock him out and move him! Geez, that is a tricky one!

Hey, CONGRATS on the new home!!

[Taz_Zoee]

I've only ever moved with one cat. But we moved about 5 times!! He actually did great. He'd usually hide for a week or two then things were fine.

I hope your vet can help you with Decker to make the move as easy as possible for him and you. I'm sure the rest of the kitties will be just fine.

[catmandu]

I remember yeras ago when I brought My Michael Princess and Joseph to thier new home, and put them into the cellar.
They wanted to run, but then reaized that they did not kniw where to run to.
Good Luck with Your Five Cat Move

[Karen]

Do you have, or could you borrow a large enough crate to transport Decker in where he wouldn't feel as confined and stressed out as the cat carrier? If you used it as a place to put his food for a few days before the move, he might get accustomed to it enough to be able to shut him in at some point, and get the move done!

I would absolutely consider moving the cats, maybe a couple at a time, over to a spot in the new house where you can leave them with the door shut while thing are going on, especially to moving of furniture. And if you hire movers make sure they know how many cats there are and where they are. When Lady's Human and family moved a state away, one of the movers unfortunately left a certai door open, and Pippin, a big (20+ pound) orange fluffball ended up spending a couple weeks in a space between the floor of one level and ceiling of the one below it. He was eventually enticed out, but it took many days and visits from Grandpa with kitty treats and food ... not something we need anyone else to have to experience.

[slick]

Jazzcat - how wonderful to hear from you again. I've missed you.

When I moved with Max and Speckles, I left them both at the vet overnight with my sweatshirt. The next day, I moved all my stuff in first, then brought the kitties in last. I did have my bedroom almost organized by the time they came home and I put them in there with familiar smells. Since Max hates "change" he ended up getting sick and on antibiotics for a week, but after that he was fine. Speckles didn't really care about the move, all she wanted was a comfy chair, anywhere.

[jazzcat]

Thank you for the replies. It's so good to see you all!

I'm hoping it goes as well for us as it has for some of you. Definitely do not want a Pippin incident, Karen, so thanks for the warning.

We are having the inspection on the new house today so if it goes well I guess it will be full steam ahead for moving in a month. I will talk to my vet about how to handle Decker. I'm hoping we can drug him a little to get him in the carrier and over to the new house. Luckily it's only 5 miles away. The vet is on the way so it would be great to get him checked out at the same time but that may be too much for my scaredy cat.

[Vermontcat]

It's so nice to see you posting again. I miss you and your cats.
I hope that your move goes well, at least it isn't a long distance so it shouldn't be too bad.
I hope that you will be able to post some new photos of all of your kitties before and after the move.
Congratulations on the new house, I hope you will be able to post some pictures of the house too once you all settle in.
Will the kitties get an awesome sunroom like they have in your current house?