MOVING HOUSE WITH AN OLDER CAT:

A change in environment can be very stressful for cats. Older cats especially can experience great emotional and mental strain unavoidable during times of great change, like moving house. We’ve outlined some tips to help cat owners with transitioning their pet cat during such a time;

1. Being prepared: Make sure her microchip/registry details and pet tag are up to date.

If your cat does get stressed and try to escape before/during or after the move, it’s important to ensure mobile numbers, addresses, etc. are up to date. Contact NSW Pet Registry, we can also look up your pet’s details on the NSW Pet Registry for you!

2. Preparing your cat for the move:

Even packing boxes and moving furniture can stress a cat out. Consider keeping your cat as calm as possible before the day of the move. 

- Pheromone Therapy: try something like Feliway diffuser in the new house, starting with the room you’ll confine her in then everywhere else she is introduced to. Consider beginning in her current home before you move, as she’ll be sensing change with all that packing.

FELIWAY is a synthetic copy of the feline facial pheromone. This is the pheromone that cats leave naturally when they feel safe and secure in their environment. FELIWAY helps to reduce signs of stress such as urine spraying, scratching or hiding.  It comes with a money back guarantee. Here’s a link with a YouTube video explaining what it is and how it works:

https://www.feliway.com/au/Products/FELIWAY-Diffuser

Feliway also comes as a spray bottle. Available in most pet shops or online.

- Dr Keith does not recommend sedatives for an old cat.

- Instead, consider introducing cat calming treats such as VitaRapid® Tranquil Daily Treats

For Cats. We sell these at the clinic, are nutraceuticals (vitamin) which are fast-acting and safe and is available at our vet hospital.

VitaRapid says it; “HELPS MAINTAIN EMOTIONAL BALANCE AND CALMNESS IN CATS”

It contains L-Tryptophan. L-tryptophan is an essential amino acid that helps the body make proteins and certain brain-signaling chemicals. Your body changes L-tryptophan into a brain chemical called serotonin. Serotonin helps control your mood and sleep. This product can be beneficial in times of emotional/environmental stress in cats. Very popular item for cat owners in our vet hospital, OTC product no need for a script. Comes in tasty chicken flavour!

Vitarapid website with more info:

https://www.vetalogica.com.au/products/vitarapid-tranquil-daily-cat-treats

3. On the big day: Consider having her board somewhere on the big day – when lots of removalists are about it’s easy to startle and stress out a cat; this is often the time when they may go missing. Is there somewhere/someone familiar she can stay with for a day or two until you settle into your new home and prepare a safe space for her?

4. Create a dedicated Introduction Room for your cat: keeping her confined to this safe space for the first week will help her adjust to the new environment. Make it comfortable and familiar for her, place her bedding, scratching post, litter trays, and some treats about. Keep her carrier cage in the room and opened, she may feel safer going back into the carrier cage for a few days.

Feliway in this room prior to her arrival will help. Try and make it a quiet room, preferably with some sunshine that can enter (you can also have some soothing music like Enya playing continuously in the room).

5. Keep routines consistent. Ensure the routines of the family are maintained, if possible, e.g.,breakfast, bedtimes. Avoid loud banging or anything else that may startle her during the transition times.

6. Introduce her to new rooms slowly, let her explore the new house in her own time, make nice inviting spots for her like on the lounge, e.g., to watch TV with family and be patted.

Are there some sunny spots you can place some bedding to invite her to sunbake in? Place treats here if she takes to them, too.

7. No rush. Take it slowly before allowing her to explore outside.

8. Monitor & Manage stress: If you feel your cat is suffering from the stress of moving, check with your vet. Stress can have a detrimental impact on older cats, especially if they are immunosuppressed.

© 2023 Mittagong Vet Hospital. 109 Main Street Mittagong NSW 2575. www.mittagongvet.com.au