How do I settle my cat into a new environment? My cat has started to pee in our new home and she has never done that before. What could be causing it?
When it comes to settling a cat into your new home, remember to be conscious of their concerns. While moving is very stressful for the two-legged members of your family, pets find it even more difficult to adjust to new surroundings after a move.
- Introduce your cat to their new home gradually, restricting it to one or two rooms at first. Place the litter box, bed, scratching post, food and water in the room with it. This gives it the chance to become accustomed to the sounds and smells in your new home. It also gives them a room of their own to use later as a refuge or if they feel uncertain.
- Put their favourite bed, blanket, toys or any item that is familiar to them in the room. The smells of “home” will help them adjust to their new surroundings.
- Keep doors and windows closed and make sure there aren’t any crawl spaces or holes where they can escape to and that you can’t access.
- Let them explore on their own. If they decide to hide under the bed, let them be. They’ll eventually come out when they feel safe.
- If you plan on allowing your cat outside, make sure you keep it indoors for at least two weeks so that your home is familiar to them. After two weeks, take the cat outside with you and let it explore a bit. After ten minutes or so, take it back inside. Each day increase the time until the cat feels safe and knows the area. Also make sure that kitty is properly tagged with your new address and phone number.
- Most vets will recommend you keep cats indoors only. Outdoor cats are prone to injury, diseases, accidents, parasites and have a much shorter life span than indoor cats. Indoor cats can be very content and happy if you provide enough stimulation and fun.
For more information and tips visit the vet-n-pet DIRECT Help Centre article Tips For Moving House With Cats.