Moving house with an outdoor cat
Moving house with an outdoor cat is a little trickier than moving a cat who prefers to stay indoors. Outdoor cats are free-spirited and enjoy their wide open spaces and the liberty to roam. They don’t enjoy being cooped up, which is a necessary part of moving any cat from one home to a new one where nothing is familiar. Here’s how to move an outdoor cat and make the transition much less stressful for everyone.
Normalise the moving process
If you’re packing up your belongings yourself and not using a packing service, you’ll no doubt need to spread the work over many weeks. All pets are sensitive to changes in their environment, but outdoor cats are notorious for running away and hiding when there are disruptions. It’s important to normalise the process so your cat doesn’t interpret packing as a threat to their security and routine.
- Put packing boxes in every room before you pack. Let your cat sniff them, play in the box and get used to them being around.
- If your cat reacts badly and hides, stop any activities that prompted the behaviour and re-establish a sense of normality by going about your usual routine.
Secure your cat before moving day
Before the real disruption begins when the moving truck arrives, pack up your cat and put them in a cattery. Leave your cat there until you have moved to your new home, unpacked your boxes and got settled.
As part of your unpacking process, select a room for your cat to begin the transition to their new environment. Pick a room that doesn’t have outside doors like the laundry or a spare bedroom. Set up the room with food, water, a dirt box and your cat’s favourite bed. Make a nook for your cat in a safe part of the room where it can hide if it feels uncomfortable. Once you’re ready, collect your cat from the cattery and bring it to your new home.
The first three days
Bring your cat to your prepared room and close the door before you release it from its cage. Stay in the room with your cat while it explores its new surroundings. Take your time to introduce your cat to its food, water, dirt box and bed. Pet your cat if it wants attention, but let it guide you for its immediate needs. Once your cat gets settled, you can leave the room, but keep it contained in the room for three days.
Cats need time to adjust to any new home. Keeping your cat contained for three days will help to advance the process, as you’ll allow it to adjust to the space before expanding its territory.
The next seven days to two weeks
After three days, release your cat into your new home. Give your cat space to explore in its own time. Make sure you don’t leave doors or windows open where your cat could escape. This is the time most cats go missing after moving, as they haven’t acclimatised to their new surroundings, get scared and bolt.
During this time, move your cat’s food, water, bedding and dirt box to the place they will normally be in your home, and show your cat where to find each. Outdoor cats will be curious about going outside, but it’s important to keep them contained. If you have a cat tower, put it by a window so your cat can see outside and start to become familiar with its new environment.
Releasing your cat to the outdoors again
Every cat will adapt at its own speed, so watch how your cat behaves as you introduce it to the outdoors. Supervise your cat as you let it go out, and if you sense it is uncomfortable or looks like it might stray, pick it up and bring it back inside.
As your cat becomes more comfortable, you can let it go out for longer and explore further. Call out to your cat if you lose sight of it so it knows how to return home if it gets disorientated or lost.
Cats are creatures of habit. Feed your cat at the same time every day. When you see a furry feline face waiting at the door at mealtime, you’ll know it has made itself at home. With a little patience, it only takes a few weeks to help your cat to adjust, and soon enough, it will be right at home again.