Moving with Feral Cat
Moving with Feral Cat
I am moving at the end of next month and I have two cats. I'm not at all worried about one of them, I think she'll be fine anywhere. But my youngest cat was a feral that I adopted from a shelter. She is the little love of my life, the sweetest cat I've ever owned, but she's still a feral and is very skittish when new situations arrive. I constantly have to cancel vet appointments with her because I have one chance to get her in a carrier and if I can't do it she hides for the next hour or so! I'm so worried about moving her, all she's known for the past five years (she was 6 mos. old when I adopted her) is my apartment (I have indoor cats). I'm wondering if anyone has any advice. Is it better for me to take her to the new house first and let her get accustomed to it and then move her? Or should I just take her there once we're all moved in? What about moving day, better to leave her in my apartment or take her to the new house and leave her in a room with familiar things from the apartment? It's breaking my heart to think of her in distress for even a minute!
Re: Moving with Feral Cat
Moving can be a stressful experience for both cats and kittens, and it's our responsibility to ensure that it is done in a manner that promotes as little stress as possible for their well-being.
I strongly suggest watching for depression and other signs of withdrawal from socialization is because of the constant fear of liver problems that result from kitties who do not eat due to depression, stress, and other factors regarding changes in residence. Moving and change of residence is the #1 cause of Hepatic Lipidosis in cats, and can also cause other underlying health concerns if stress leads to anorexia or withdrawal. Many cat-owners do not recognize the signs and perceive them to be that kitty is "just getting used to her new surroundings". Oftentimes, kitty can become so stressed, that they refuse to eat, refuse to socialize, refuse to engage in normal everyday activities.
The following are helpful tips for any cat-owner who is facing a change of residence....
When packing, store boxes in corners of the room, or in the basement, garage or elsewhere to minimise kitty's stress in the changes in her environment.
Designate one room for kitty that includes her litterbox,food and water dishes, toys, favorite items, security blankets, etc and confine her to this room while you are moving and transferring your packed belongings and furnature to your new home.
At your new residence, set up a room for kitty's belongings, and include again, litterbox, toys, etc, and a favorite item that she associates with her prior home. Even a chair or stool that she is familiar with, placed in her new room will help her associate it with comfort and security.
Move all furnature and boxes and packed items to your new home before you introduce kitty to the new home. Having her room set up prior for her will ease both of you in the new transition. Try to arrange your furnature prior to bringing kitty into your new home so that this process does not stress her. Try to unpack as many boxes as you can and create a living environment that allows each of you to be comfortable within the first two days of this transition.
Once you've obtained all your furnature, boxes, other items, then introduce kitty into her new room and confine her only if you have time delays and are still bringing items into your new home. Open doors while moving are a great escape route for a kitty in stress and she will not hesitate to escape if she can. Instruct all family members and helpers or moving people to watch the front/back doors at all times and to not allow ikitty outside for any reason. Kitties canot go "back home" if they are kept indoors, and will not be inclined to do so once their environment is set up comfortably for them.
Once your belongings are in place in your new residence, allow kitty to "explore" her surroundings and get a feel for her new home. Don't do alot of cleaning AFTER you move, the majority of any cleaning should be done BEFORE the move, this allows less stress on all of you. Try to keep furnature in the same condition you had at your prior residence, because kitty will be depending and relying on those familar scents to help her feel secure and to associate everything with the old home.
In the first few days of adjusting to her new home, you will find that she will probably want to retreat to her room or under a bed or behind a particular piece of furnature. Don't be alrmed if she wants to hide, but DO make sure you know where she is at all times and DO make sure that she is eating, drinking, and using her litterbox on a normal basis. Kitty should not go more than 24-36 hours without eating during this new transition, so if you must, coax her out from under a bed, etc, and hand feed her if necessary.
The key to moving is having as much of your new home in order before introducing kitty to it. Keeping the environment as stress-free as possible is paramount for kitty, and making sure that she adjusts soon is also as paramount. Give her ample time to adjust, and do not force her to investigate her new surroundings, she will do this at her own comfort level, but do make sure that she does not withdraw or show signs of depression. Those signs would include:
Hiding for more than a day....refusing to eat or drink for more than a day....refusal to be touched or handled......refusal to use her litterbox....growling, hissing, scratching or obvious behavior changes......leaving "accidents" where she should be leaving them in her litterbox.....
Physical signs would include: dehydration, marked weight loss, unkempt coat condition, dry, pale or sticky mucous membranes (gums), vomiting, constipation (as a result of anorexia), continued "hunched" position, anorexia, lethargy, depression, jaundice (indicative of liver disease), and a general feeling of malaise.
When moving, many cat-owners are so involved with unpacking, etc, that they fail to keep an eye on kitty's physical condition, whereabouts, and eating habits. When you take the time to watch her and her behavior and habits, this allows you to gauge how well she is adjusting to the new changes. If you notice behavior changes, unusual eating habits, or that kitty seems to retreat for long periods of time, it's time to take her to your vet, especially if you note any of the above mentioned signs and symptoms of illness. When we take the time to watch them carefully, spend valuable time with them during mealtimes, playtime and attention giving, this allows kitty to adjust easier, faster, and more comfortably. Take the necessary time outs during your own busy schedule to give attention to kitty and to make sure she is adjusting, and above all, comfortable, secure and eating/drinking sufficiently. Make quiet time available for her, bond and play with her, and give her lots of love and attention, and she should become well-adjusted in no time at all. It is when owners are so involved in the process that kitty gets neglected and the signs of illness go undetected until it's too late. In the case of hepatic lipidosis, for example, this disease process is rapid, and can occur within as little as two days, depending on kitty's stress levels and eating habits. Some owners do not recognize the signs until kitty is in complete liver failure. Although HL can be cured and treated, the key to recovery is getting aggressive treatment immediately upon noting the first signs of illness and time is of the essence.
I certainly do not mean to scare you or give you nightmares, I only want you to be able to provide kitty the smoothest, safest, securest method of moving her to her new home. When the above tips are applied, your kitties should adjust well, but we are responsible for their care, attention to details, and for watching them like hawks during this transition.
One final note. If your new residence requires that you have a new vet clinic, due to distance, etc, please familiarize yourself with your new vet and transfer any existing health records so that everything is taken care of.
Hope this helps...
I strongly suggest watching for depression and other signs of withdrawal from socialization is because of the constant fear of liver problems that result from kitties who do not eat due to depression, stress, and other factors regarding changes in residence. Moving and change of residence is the #1 cause of Hepatic Lipidosis in cats, and can also cause other underlying health concerns if stress leads to anorexia or withdrawal. Many cat-owners do not recognize the signs and perceive them to be that kitty is "just getting used to her new surroundings". Oftentimes, kitty can become so stressed, that they refuse to eat, refuse to socialize, refuse to engage in normal everyday activities.
The following are helpful tips for any cat-owner who is facing a change of residence....
When packing, store boxes in corners of the room, or in the basement, garage or elsewhere to minimise kitty's stress in the changes in her environment.
Designate one room for kitty that includes her litterbox,food and water dishes, toys, favorite items, security blankets, etc and confine her to this room while you are moving and transferring your packed belongings and furnature to your new home.
At your new residence, set up a room for kitty's belongings, and include again, litterbox, toys, etc, and a favorite item that she associates with her prior home. Even a chair or stool that she is familiar with, placed in her new room will help her associate it with comfort and security.
Move all furnature and boxes and packed items to your new home before you introduce kitty to the new home. Having her room set up prior for her will ease both of you in the new transition. Try to arrange your furnature prior to bringing kitty into your new home so that this process does not stress her. Try to unpack as many boxes as you can and create a living environment that allows each of you to be comfortable within the first two days of this transition.
Once you've obtained all your furnature, boxes, other items, then introduce kitty into her new room and confine her only if you have time delays and are still bringing items into your new home. Open doors while moving are a great escape route for a kitty in stress and she will not hesitate to escape if she can. Instruct all family members and helpers or moving people to watch the front/back doors at all times and to not allow ikitty outside for any reason. Kitties canot go "back home" if they are kept indoors, and will not be inclined to do so once their environment is set up comfortably for them.
Once your belongings are in place in your new residence, allow kitty to "explore" her surroundings and get a feel for her new home. Don't do alot of cleaning AFTER you move, the majority of any cleaning should be done BEFORE the move, this allows less stress on all of you. Try to keep furnature in the same condition you had at your prior residence, because kitty will be depending and relying on those familar scents to help her feel secure and to associate everything with the old home.
In the first few days of adjusting to her new home, you will find that she will probably want to retreat to her room or under a bed or behind a particular piece of furnature. Don't be alrmed if she wants to hide, but DO make sure you know where she is at all times and DO make sure that she is eating, drinking, and using her litterbox on a normal basis. Kitty should not go more than 24-36 hours without eating during this new transition, so if you must, coax her out from under a bed, etc, and hand feed her if necessary.
The key to moving is having as much of your new home in order before introducing kitty to it. Keeping the environment as stress-free as possible is paramount for kitty, and making sure that she adjusts soon is also as paramount. Give her ample time to adjust, and do not force her to investigate her new surroundings, she will do this at her own comfort level, but do make sure that she does not withdraw or show signs of depression. Those signs would include:
Hiding for more than a day....refusing to eat or drink for more than a day....refusal to be touched or handled......refusal to use her litterbox....growling, hissing, scratching or obvious behavior changes......leaving "accidents" where she should be leaving them in her litterbox.....
Physical signs would include: dehydration, marked weight loss, unkempt coat condition, dry, pale or sticky mucous membranes (gums), vomiting, constipation (as a result of anorexia), continued "hunched" position, anorexia, lethargy, depression, jaundice (indicative of liver disease), and a general feeling of malaise.
When moving, many cat-owners are so involved with unpacking, etc, that they fail to keep an eye on kitty's physical condition, whereabouts, and eating habits. When you take the time to watch her and her behavior and habits, this allows you to gauge how well she is adjusting to the new changes. If you notice behavior changes, unusual eating habits, or that kitty seems to retreat for long periods of time, it's time to take her to your vet, especially if you note any of the above mentioned signs and symptoms of illness. When we take the time to watch them carefully, spend valuable time with them during mealtimes, playtime and attention giving, this allows kitty to adjust easier, faster, and more comfortably. Take the necessary time outs during your own busy schedule to give attention to kitty and to make sure she is adjusting, and above all, comfortable, secure and eating/drinking sufficiently. Make quiet time available for her, bond and play with her, and give her lots of love and attention, and she should become well-adjusted in no time at all. It is when owners are so involved in the process that kitty gets neglected and the signs of illness go undetected until it's too late. In the case of hepatic lipidosis, for example, this disease process is rapid, and can occur within as little as two days, depending on kitty's stress levels and eating habits. Some owners do not recognize the signs until kitty is in complete liver failure. Although HL can be cured and treated, the key to recovery is getting aggressive treatment immediately upon noting the first signs of illness and time is of the essence.
I certainly do not mean to scare you or give you nightmares, I only want you to be able to provide kitty the smoothest, safest, securest method of moving her to her new home. When the above tips are applied, your kitties should adjust well, but we are responsible for their care, attention to details, and for watching them like hawks during this transition.
One final note. If your new residence requires that you have a new vet clinic, due to distance, etc, please familiarize yourself with your new vet and transfer any existing health records so that everything is taken care of.
Hope this helps...
..........Traci