Moving house with a cat

For you, moving house is a chapter. For your cat, it is the world disappearing. Every smell, every route, every warm spot in the afternoon sun is gone, replaced by a place that smells of strangers. Some cats take it in their stride. Many find it deeply unsettling, and a few try to walk back to the old house, sometimes over miles.

With a bit of planning, most cats adjust within a few weeks.

Before the move

• Bring the cat carrier out weeks ahead. Leave it open with a blanket and treats inside, so it becomes furniture rather than the box that means the vet.
• Check that your cat is microchipped and update the address the day you move.
• Keep routines steady while the boxes pile up — same food, same feeding times.

Moving day

Put your cat in a quiet room with food, water, a litter tray and a bed, and a sign on the door so removal staff keep it shut. Or book a cattery for a couple of days. Travel your cat last, once the new house is calm.

In the car, keep the carrier secure and covered with a light cloth. Don’t open it during the journey.

The first days

Set up one room as a base camp, with everything your cat needs and some familiar-smelling bedding. Let your cat explore the rest of the house only once they are eating, using the tray and seem relaxed — often after a few days.

Going outside again

Keep outdoor cats in for at least two to three weeks. Then let them out just before a meal, when they are hungry, and stay with them. Short trips first. Cats that have not bonded with the new house are the ones that wander back to the old one — if you have moved nearby, ask the new owners of your old home to call you and not to feed your cat.

Give it time. One evening you will find your cat asleep in a patch of sun that you had not even noticed. That is when you know they have moved in too.