Moving soon...

[sirocco]

I know this is a quite worn out topic but I'm a bit worried with the prospect of moving to quite a small appartment. My cat (Sirocco) doesn't ever go out but loves to stare through the window and about Neelix (the little-but-fat! lovely black cat my boyfriend and I befriended some weeks ago) I don't really know.... I think he was used to be outdoors, but being very shy and whimpy , really enjoys being indoors, though he may miss the space he had to run and frolic.

Do you have any suggestions to make them adjust fine and to really enjoy the new situation, despite the lack of room? Some games, even condos (you don't really see them here, but I think I could somehow make something myself!)...

I mean, could I overcome the disadvantage of small room with entertainment??

Any ideas? Thank you very much!

Nita

[Nomilynn]

Perhaps you could put a bird feeder outside a window and put up a cat bed so he could lay and watch the birds outside! If he's an indoor cat I thing he would adjust quite well.

Good Luck!

[sirocco]

Thank you for the suggestion! I'll have to adapt it somehow (I live in Sevilla, Spain, and you don't see bird-feeders very often over here!) but it's a good idea!

Thank you

Nita

[yumyum6970]

Once I saw in this magazine where this couple built ramps for their cats all throughout their house..all of these cats are indoor cats I believe. It looked pretty cool. =)

http://pepeirce.tripod.com/thekittycorner

[Former User]

I guess the cats will be very busy when you're packing up, cats just love boxes...That doesn't help you, I know, but incase you 'lose' a cat while moving, check a box out

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

A condo would be good, or anything you can do for their entertainment, but it really shouldn't be a problem. When I first moved to Chicago, all I could afford was a really small one bedroom apartment. I basically had the bedroom and one other room that I turned into a living room with a stove and refrigerator in it (no kitchen or dining room table). Tubby and Peanut moved in - both coming from my mom's big house in the country with a woods out the backdoor. Quite a change for all of us.

Tubby and Peanut did just fine. I was at work all day, and went out frequently at night so not only were they confined to a much smaller space, but they didn't have any company around most of the time either. But they never complained or got stressed out. I had two big windows that looked down on a busy street, so that kept them entertained.

The only time there was a problem was one time I was heading out to do my laundry. My hands were full with the laundry basket and there was an automatic door closer on the door - and it was powerfull. Tubby normally didn't bolt out the door, but this time he did and I didn't see him. He was quick, but not quite quick enough and the door slammed on his tail! I just about had a heart attack when he screached then took off down the hall. Dropping the laundry basket I ran after him and finally got him before he got on the elevator - whew! I felt so bad. It only got the tip of his tail so it didn't break it or anything, but the tip was really sore and a little swollen for a few weeks. He never did like it when I touched his tail, and he liked it even less after this. The one good thing that came from it was that he never tried to sneak out the door again after that. I always did think he was a smart one.

Anyway, if you provide entertainment and company for them, I really don't think you'll have a problem. The good news is you now have two of them, so they can keep each other company.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Dear Sirocco !!!

I've also moved one year ago !!! My cat Sydney was only 5 months then . He "helped" me a lot packing and unpacking !!!
Sometimes I found him fast asleep in a box I had started on the evening before !!!
The day of the move , I locked him up in our bathroom ; he disliked that , but I had to , because all doors were wide open and he is an indoor cat , always ready to sneek out ....
In the new house I had prepared his special corner already , so he was busy discovering everything !! I had bought him a new "tower" ; so he was happy !
I think that is the idea for you : get your cat a new and large tower with many places to hide and play (like a rope) !
Keep us posted how it goes !!!

Sydney on top of his tower