Moving house in Brighton with a Cat

It’s no surprise that moving house in Brighton with a cat can be a pretty stressful time for them.Cats are territorial animals. They tend not to take well to new surroundings and places out of their own domain and comfort zone.

But you can help make the move as smooth as possible for your feline friend by following the below guidelines:

BEFOREHAND:
A day or so before moving house in Brighton with a cat, it’s a good idea to move your cat into one room and leave this as undisturbed and unchanged as possible. You can take all of their creature comforts in – eg. the chair they most like to sit on – which may well end up acting as a comforter in the new house – their food, bed, toys etc. Make sure the windows and doors are closed at all times.

Moving House in Brighton with a Cat: THE MORNING OF MOVING DAY:

Make sure that everyone on the move know where the cat is so they can ensure not to open the door and disturb it. Leave your cat as undisturbed until as late as possible. You can put it into its carry box while the home removals removals team can then come in and empty that room last. Take your cat in the car with you – not packed in the van!

Moving house in Brighton with a Cat

Moving house in Brighton with a cat: AT THE NEW HOUSE:

When you arrive at the new house, make sure that the furniture from the room in which your cat was last housed is unloaded first. This will help to create place in your new home in which your cat will feel safe and secure, while the rest of the unloading is done. Make sure you leave them in there with all of their toys and belongings. There are some devices, like Feliway that you can plug in in the room and that help control stress.

To hear more about moving house in Brighton with a cat, and to hear more about moving house in Brighton in general, get in touch through our quote form.

AFTER:
Some people prefer to keep the cat confined to one room for a day or two after the move while the house is still being sorted out. It helps keep them in a safe, familiar environment. Being so skittish and on the whole, unhappy about change, this often cuts down on potential issues that could arise as a result of your cat being exposed to its new environment too soon. There was a study done by a cat charity that suggested that the vast majority of cat disappearances happen shortly after the family have relocated home to somewhere new and unfamiliar to their fluffy friends. However, dogs rarely seem to suffer with the same affliction. Presumably, because they are such home body creatures, and always like to stick close to their owners. The independent and exploratory nature of cats maybe invites such mishaps unless monitored closely to ensure a safe integration.

Moving house in Brighton with a Pet
When you let them out to explore the rest of the house, make sure all doors and windows are closed for around a week after the move. This reduces the risk of them running off or getting lost. Its an old wives tale, but one that always seems to work well – the first time you let them outside, put butter on their paws! It helps them find their way home in a new environment.

Some cats will want to try and return to their old house, so if your cat goes missing, this is normally a good first place to look! It may take a few attempts before they settle. If you’re cat is particularly skittish, it might be best to put them in a cattery for a few days while you move. There are many catteries in the area which can help you when moving house in Brighton with a cat. We suggest looking around online in the first instance for reviews of catteries that have great reviews and customer satisfaction. Maybe people find the idea of putting their cat in temporary accommodation like this quite stressful, and worry that their cat will be unhappy and become distressed. However many of our clients who have fluffy feline friends ofter think of it as being the lesser of two evils. If your cat is quite timid or scares easily, moving house in Brighton with a cat can really be a thoroughly stressful situation for them to deal with. We’ve heard of all kinds of sad stories of cats not settling in well at all. From becoming disorientated and  peeing around the house through to running away permanently, it really is worth considering what the best idea for your cat individually really is.

We don’t intend this cautionary tail to scaremonger our clients! Every cat is different after all, and some cats are completely fine. As cat lovers ourselves, we would be doing you a disservice by not telling you all of the facts as we see them, and encounter with our feline fanatic customers.
If you want any more tips on how to move with moving house in Brighton with a cat, please get in touch now either through our contact page and speak to one of our friendly team who can talk you through all of the options available to you. We look forward to hearing from you!

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