Any advice for moving my outdoors-loving cat?

B

Bronwyn C

New member
My husband and I are busy building a new house and we will be moving in a few months time. I am worried about the effect the move will have on my cat as she loves being outdoors and we have a lovely, big garden where we currently live on my parents property. Our new house has a much smaller garden, with only one tree!
In addition, she has gone missing before (she was gone for 3 weeks). I want to try and avoid going through losing her again at all costs.
What advice can anyone in the know give me for ensuring as stress free a move as possible for her? Thanks in advance.
 
There are several things you can do. If you are your own house builders, why not build a an attached enclosed area against your home that your cat can access through a pet door from inside your home. Put a cat tree inside it, litter box, and toys, and have windows with screens only. That'll keep her inside where it's safer for her anyway. Another is to create a "cat area" in your home where she has a large cat tree of her own.

I have a very good friend who is distraught because, against her better judgment, she allowed her cat outside. Her cat did not come home one night, and is still missing after several months. She must guess at what happened, and coyotes come to mind much too often.

Good luck with whatever you decide, but I do hope you'll keep her inside somehow.
 
Hi, Another cat lover here! :o)
When we moved house a few years ago, our cat uslike yours disappeared before so we were very worried. We kept her inside the house for a week - so be prepared to empty the litter tray (yuck!). We then during that week for an hour of so in the morning/an hour in the afternoon/ an hour in the evening (choose one time - we chose morning as its more quiet on our road). We put her outside in her travelling box/metal crate - this helped her get used to the different sounds/smells and used to the smell of our garden. We then after around a week went outside with her - rubbing some butter on her paws and stood in the backgarden with her -not letting her go to far and spent around 1/2 outside. we then let her out the next day alone with butter on her paws and she didn't go much futher than the garden fence (neighbour had noisy kids) so she sat up on the fence. After that she was fine and lived to rare age of 17 (old for cats).
 
When you get to your new home, just before you let the cat out, smear her pads/paws with lard and she'll know her way back.
I think its because she'd leave some of her own smell on the ground with the lard.
This was a regular Q/A in womens magazines.
 
When you get to your new home, just before you let the cat out, smear her pads/paws with lard and she'll know her way back.
I think its because she'd leave some of her own smell on the ground with the lard.
This was a regular Q/A in womens magazines.
 
I would keep her inside for a few days so she gets used to the new house. Then, let her outside, half an hour or so before she gets fed. Watch her as she explores the garden, but then call her in for her meal as usual. Hopefully, the fact that it is near to mealtime will prevent her from roaming.

I don't think a smaller garden will be too much of a problem, as she will soon establish a territory taking in other gardens and open space!

Good luck with the move.
 
Hi
I'd keep her in the house from now untill the few months time, just so shes used to it. If she wants out then take her out on a lead ~ yeahh it does sound weird lol, but so shes used to it, then when you to the new place, take her out around the garden etc on the lead, for a few months, untill she knows thats her new home, after a few months it should be ok to let her off, unsupervised, without her going that far, and not returning. If you just let her out when you move, chances are you will lose her as she will try returning to her old home!

Good Luck :)
 
first try and let her get used to the new house before letting her out, the. let her outside when you go out in the yard so you can keep an eye on the cat, also just get proper tags for the cat so people can return it if it runsaway or anything
 
I would keep her inside for a few days so she gets used to the new house. Then, let her outside, half an hour or so before she gets fed. Watch her as she explores the garden, but then call her in for her meal as usual. Hopefully, the fact that it is near to mealtime will prevent her from roaming.

I don't think a smaller garden will be too much of a problem, as she will soon establish a territory taking in other gardens and open space!

Good luck with the move.
 
first try and let her get used to the new house before letting her out, the. let her outside when you go out in the yard so you can keep an eye on the cat, also just get proper tags for the cat so people can return it if it runsaway or anything
 
first try and let her get used to the new house before letting her out, the. let her outside when you go out in the yard so you can keep an eye on the cat, also just get proper tags for the cat so people can return it if it runsaway or anything
 
When you get to your new home, just before you let the cat out, smear her pads/paws with lard and she'll know her way back.
I think its because she'd leave some of her own smell on the ground with the lard.
This was a regular Q/A in womens magazines.
 
First of all, your cat should not be running loose. Fox and other wild animals hunt cats. Cars run over them. Cats get into neighbors garbage and poop in their flower beds. They crawl trees and kill birds they are feeding. Cat's left to roam outside generally began to resort to returning to the wild, finding mates, leave and have a hundreds feral cats.
 
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