Comments on: How to Move to a New Home With a Cat

on 11/22/2005 It is a medically known fact that a cat's life expectancy is REDUCED by more than 50% if it is allowed to roam outdoors. They can be subjected to fights, disease from animals they catch, feline AIDS from mating with strays, feline leukemia from coming in contact with other cats, and rabies. Other awful factors can also occur, such as getting hit by a car, getting caught and harassed by kids who are cruel, ingesting rodent and pesticide poisons, and starvation. Declawed cats (even if they're completely healed) or cats that have undergone any kind of recent surgery have little or no defense against other predators, cats, or dangers. Coyotes have been known to hunt and kill small dogs. Cats are no different a meal to them.

on 11/22/2005 Okay, this is going to sound a bit nasty, but it really helps! It will help to adjust a cat to a new home and a new litter-box location. Before your move, save a plastic bag full of some used kitty litter (it doesn't have to have feces) and bring that with you when you arrange the new litter box location. Mix it in with the new litter and acquaint your cat with the litter box as soon as she feels a bit more settled. The scent of her own urine in the litterbox will help her know that it is hers and may keep her from marking in your new house! Also, it's never a good idea to bring an unneutered male adult into a new home. Males LOVE to mark. It cuts the spraying down a bit more if they're neutered.

on 11/22/2005 Get a small face cloth and wipe it gently on the scent glands on the face of your cat (this may take some work because they don't like it much). Before you bring your cat into the new house, wipe the cloth coated with your cat's scent markings on corners in rooms where your cat may naturally mark. Because your furniture is already previously marked by your cat, it may help the adjustment if they feel like they're "king or queen of the castle" before they walk in the door. Also - NEVER tranquilize or medicate your cat with ANY human medications! Even Ibuprofen and asprin can KILL your cat!!

on 11/22/2005 After moving your cat into a new house, put butter on her paws (the pads of her feet). She'll lick off the butter (along with the scent of the old house) and pick up the scent of the new house. This way, when you let her out, she'll come back to her new home instead of trying to go back to the old one.

on 11/22/2005 My cat Abby and I moved from a huge home in the country to a moderate sized apartment in the city. She seems to be content with the living arrangement but because she no longer has stairs to climb, odd noises to discover or 3 floors to kitty-heaven to roam around, she finds herself bored. If you plan to move somewhere smaller with your cat(s) be sure you have plenty for them to do.

on 11/22/2005 When you introduce a cat (a new cat to your old house or your old cat to a new house), take it to the litterbox first, and let it learn the house from there.

on 11/22/2005 Buy a large crate and put a litterbox in the rear (or an aluminum baking pan will do) so kitty doesn't have any accidents in the car. Use a harness on her; you can attach a lead to it easier and she won't slip out of it.

on 11/22/2005 I found out that some cats are not meant for the town life. We moved one of our cats to town and she lost weight dramatically. The opposite happened with her twin - she loved the town life and hated the country.

on 11/22/2005 Our cat has been moved over seven times in the last two years. I find that where I am, she stays.

on 11/22/2005 First hold and pet them. Before you put them down outside, put butter on the pads of their feet. Their scent is transferred to the ground and they know where home is. We've tried it and it works about 85% of the time.

on 11/22/2005 Cats should NEVER be allowed to roam around outdoors unsupervised. Unless you want your cat to get into fights with other pets, kill birds or squirrels, dig up neighbors' gardens, or get hit by a car, only let her outside when you can keep an eye on her.

on 11/22/2005 Remember that if you are moving or going on vacation, the water supply will be different at your destination and can make a cat sick. Take lots of bottled water or water from your home with you for the cat to drink, and gradually phase in the new water.

on 11/22/2005 Great, soft pet carriers for dogs and cats are made by Sherpa and sold at some pet stores. They fit easily under airline seats and are lightweight and approved by most airlines. With cats, you can carry the bag using the shoulder strap.