I am moving home from a house to a flat. My cat is 12 years old and has always had access to a garden and has never been moved before. My flat does not have the facilty to allow him access to a garden and is in a completley new area. Does anybody have any ideas as to the best way to settle him?or would it be best to leave him where he is with my parents?. Thanks for any suggestions.
2006-10-10 23:19:32 · 21 answers · asked by natasha 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
It is a hard decision to make but ulimately let your feline friend decide. You could with your parents permission leave the cat with them for a few weeks,until you are really settled in. If your cat frets for you in that time you may have to consider taking him,but ultimately as he is used to having a garden and will be with your family it may be kinder to let him stay in the home and area he knows.
My daughter was in a similar position 2 years ago with her moving into a flat with no outside access. My cats and hers had lived together quite happily and loved to roam around my garden. Rachael fretted terribly and felt really guilty,but the cats see her often and are happy with me and the garden.I wish you well in your decision.
2006-10-11 02:23:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It might be best to leave him with your parents to be honest. Cats are very territorial and therefore find moving house quite distressing. Also, he's probably got free reign of a reasonable sized house at the moment, so a flat is going to be quite a shock for him.
When I left home I left my cat there with my parents and it was definately the right thing to do, because my parents are in and out during the day so she's not in by herself all the time, and I didn't really have a garden either.
If your cats 12 and has lived with you and your parents all that time, it would be unfair to unsettle him now. Plus, you have to keep him in for about 4 weeks after you've moved otherwise he might run away.
2006-10-10 23:25:11 · answer #2 · answered by Wafflebox 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I wouldn't worry too much at first, we have moved our cat several times over the last few years and never once has it been an issue. We always keep him in until we feel confident, and we know that the roads etc are safe.
One tip is to place a bed / blanket on a window sill that overlooks the area he will spend most of his outside time in, and let him acclimatise like that. That seems to help.
Plant a tray of cat grass (catnip / nepeta and grass mixed) and he'll be happy enough, especially at first.
There are certainly arguments in favour of leaving him with your parents BUT plenty of cats live happily in flats and apartments,a nd there is always the option of returning him if he doesn't settle, and at least giving it a chance.
Do remember that he'll need some wood to scratcha s well, create a corner with his stuff as you move in- that will give him a sense of territory and instant ownership.
2006-10-11 00:21:52 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whether or not to leave him where he is depends on who is the primary care taker of him. Moving is always upsetting to a cat but they do aclimate. Making an indoor/outdoor cat just indoors is also upsetting to a cat.
Aside from the actual move (which cats get over) you need to decide what the cat will find more upsetting. Being removed from you, or being removed from your parents and the freedom to go outside.
If you do move, I'd bring the cat in last so everything is already there and the cat's life isn't disrupted longer than it needs to be. Keep him in one room until he is passed his panic phase and shows interest in exploring, not making a dash for it. He might not want to come out of his hiding area for a while...I had a cat stay in a garage for a week at her own insistance, but that's not typical. Be sure to give him lots of comfort and make sure he has access to food, water, and a litter box. Make sure his ID tag is current and if he doesn't have a microchip, now is a good time to get one. These come in handy if he gets out and his collar comes off (all cats should wear cat safe break away collars).
Goodluck.
2006-10-10 23:35:46 · answer #4 · answered by minuteblue 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If he is your cat and you want to take him with you, do so!
Ask your parents if he is welcome back to their home if he just cannot handle being in a place without the garden.
Keep him indoors always at the flat, have a collar and tag on him in case he slips out the door. Have some of the old litter in his first box at the new place to give him a feel of home. Keep the box cleaned well after that first box needs to be changed.
Try having his carrier open at the house so he can go in and explore it. Leave a couple treats inside to entice him to go in by himself. Leave it open for him to come and go as he likes.
On moving day if this is a close by move, let him stay at the house untill all the heavy furniture is moved and there's not alot of coming and going. If you are doing a one trip move, lock him in the bathroom with food, water, and litterbox first thing so he doesn't get underfoot or escape out the door to a strange new area.
2006-10-11 01:31:13 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you mean your cat is living with you and your parents and you are planning to move to a place of your own then I would recommend leaving him where he is settled. You can still visit him. However, if you and he already live independently then I don't see why you shouldn't take him with you. Make sure that he has a private place of his own, a litter tray, plenty of toys and scratch pads and ensure that the windows of the flat are secure. If possible, spend the first few days after your move at home so you can help him to readjust.
2006-10-10 23:32:56 · answer #6 · answered by hypnogirl 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd leave him at your parents because of the garden access, and also he is familiar with the territory
If you have to take him with you, make sure he is chipped and you have a recent photo of him just in case you need to put up signs for a lost cat. When I moved house, my cat disappeared after a few weeks cos he got lost. I eventually got him back, but only because he was chipped.
2006-10-11 06:02:26 · answer #7 · answered by bw_r005t3r 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
when i moved the vet advised me to keep the cat in a carrier in a quiet room until the move was completed. then, let her out, but only inside the house until she felt more settled and comfortable. then i was to keep her in for up to 3 weeks so she was very sure of this being her new home! i was also told by friends to try butter on her feet( but why would she need that if her sense of smell was so good i thought). anyway 4 years on she loves her new home! loves going outside but not out the front of the house (scared) and she was settled within a week! good luck, I'm sure your cat will come to no harm!
2006-10-10 23:35:07 · answer #8 · answered by jean t 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Probably really hard for you, but at that age it is probably kinder to leave the cat with your parents. It would have probably worked out ok if you had access to a garden but its a bit unfair for poor kitty to suddenly be couped up all day after enjoying a life time of outdoor activity.
2006-10-10 23:33:54 · answer #9 · answered by charlotte e 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A 12 year old cat is set in his ways. Some would prefer to stay where they are. If he is used to some outside time, he may be quite upset to be confined to a flat. Will your parents be interested in keeping him? If not you have no choice but to take him with you.
2006-10-11 00:00:36 · answer #10 · answered by redunicorn 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋