Moving homes is complex and very tiresome, not to mention responsible job. When you have a pet, especially if it is a cat, things become even more complicated, because you have to look after the comfort of yet another living thing, which is not you or a family member, one that has special needs and therefore should be treated in a special way during the time you are relocating your household.
The thing is that you cannot pack your cat and hand it over to the people from the man and van company that are handling your removal. You need to take some special steps in order to ensure that your cat is moved with as little stress as possible. But have no fear, there are just several things that you should look out for and do and everything is going to be okey.
- Naturally, you will not leave your cat to travel with the rest of your goods with the man and van company. You are going to take it with you in the car. And while other pets, dogs especially, enjoy car rides, cats tend to get a little tipsy in vehicles, so you have to take good care of the animal during this time. Get a cat carrier and keep it in there throughout the duration of the ride. Thus you will ensure that the cat is going to remain calm and no unpleasant accidents happen. After all, it is not desirable to have a cat climbing over your head while you are driving on the highway. Since the rattling of the vehicle is what makes the cat nervous, you should make sure that the carrier is secured with a belt. If your cat is a particularly nervous traveller, you might want to discuss the situation with your vet and ask him or her to give you a mild sedative that is going to keep your pet calm until you reach your destination.
Once you are at the new place, your cat would want to get out of the car as soon as possible. The best way to proceed here is to take it out immediately, put it in a room that you are not going to use for a while and close the door. Your animal will have the chance to move around and explore the new surroundings, while not getting in yours and the movers’ way while you are unloading the boxes. Make sure that all windows are closed though, so that your cat does not escape.- The first two weeks after you have settled down at the new place the cat is not to be allowed outside. It may sound a bit cruel, but in this way the cat will have the chance to get familiar with the new surroundings and imprint its scent in the new place. It will feel much more comfortable much quicker there in this way.