Moving With a Cat: 3 Tips to Make It (Almost) Painless

Published On: January 14, 2019|Categories: Blog, Buyers, Sellers, Tips, Life Hacks & How-to|Tags: Cat, moving, Moving With Pets|

When you’re a pet parent who’s selling your home in Jasper, you want the entire process to be as easy as possible on your four-legged family members.

If you have a cat, here’s what you can do to make it easier on her.

Moving With a Cat: 3 Tips to Make It (Almost) Painless

Cats – like a lot of people – aren’t too big on change. You can help yours deal with what’s happening by:

Bringing in moving boxes early
Acclimating him to his crate long before the move
Keeping her in a quiet room with the door closed on moving day
Helping him settle in slowly

Bringing in Moving Boxes Early

Your cat isn’t going to complain about empty moving boxes. In fact, you might want to leave one open for her in a familiar room – the one you plan to pack up last. Let your cat wander around the boxes and get in and out of them as she pleases.

Acclimating Your Cat to a Crate

Take a few test runs with a crate to make sure you’ll be able to move your cat safely. Start gradually, though – and don’t go anywhere at first. The ASPCA says that you should place your cat’s food in his crate and let him go in and out however he’d like; eventually, he’ll become comfortable enough in the crate that he’ll eat in there with the door closed.

When you’re crate-training your cat, remember to give him plenty of treats, pets and playtime each time he comes out.

Keeping Your Cat Safe on Moving Day

Secure your cat in a quiet room on moving day – and make sure you’ve removed all the furniture and boxes so the movers don’t even have to open the door. Put her crate and a cozy blanket in there, along with her favorite toys, and plenty of food and water. Don’t open the door to the room until you’re ready to go – and then, only slip in and entice her to get into her crate.

Helping Your Cat Settle in Slowly

It’s tempting to open your cat’s crate door and let him explore the new house freely, but remember, he literally just found out that you were moving. New and unfamiliar spaces can be pretty overwhelming – even to the coolest cats – so start by putting him in one room. Put his litter box, toys, bed, favorite toys, and plenty of food and water in there with him.

Once your little guy gets comfortable in that room, you can gradually start introducing him to other rooms. Keep a few doors shut, though; he can still become overwhelmed. Eventually, when you’re both ready, he’ll have the run of the house again.

Pro tip: Move his litter box out of the first room gradually. He’s not likely to even notice if you move it a foot or two each day, working your way to its permanent location.

Are You Selling Your Home in Jasper?

If you’re selling a home – or if you’re looking for a home for sale in Jasper – we’re here to help. Call us right away at 812-309-0628 or get in touch with us online to learn how we can help you (and your cat) move into your next chapter.

Are You Thinking of Buying a Home in Dubois County?

Use our site to search homes for sale in Jasper, Dubois, Spencer, Martin and Davis counties and all of our surrounding areas. Unlike the “big name” sites out there, at Sell 4 Free Welsh Realty our site is directly connected to our local MLS and is updated with new homes every hour. By signing up for New Listing alerts you can stay on top of the newest homes for sale and get price change alerts so you can stay ahead of other buyers and beat them to the hottest deals!