Love them or loathe them, cats are sensitive creatures. They are fiercely independent and territorial about where they live, relying primarily on scent to feel safe and at home.
For these reasons, moving can be very stressful for a pet cat. It’s important to take caution to ensure a cat feels relaxed and settled as quickly as possible.
In this article, we’ll explain how to make a cat feel comfortable in a new home and how to settle a cat after moving house.
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How to Make a Cat Feel Comfortable in a New Home in 8 Ways
Settling a cat takes time and patience.
While our feline friends are known to be much more independent than dogs, they also get scared easily when moved out of their comfort zone.
This is why owners should do what they can to make their fur babies feel comfortable in a new home.
Here’s how to settle a cat after moving house.
1. Set up one room for the first day
Leaving a cat to roam about the entire house on its first day can be overwhelming for it.
It’s best to set up just one room for them with possessions they’re familiar with, so they can get used to it slowly.
It’ll also reduce the chances of kitties with a case of the zoomies from bolting straight out of the house.
Before bringing the cat into the house from the car, make sure the room is set up with:
- Blankets or bedding (ideally ones with their scent on it/they’ve used before)
- Water bowl
- Food bowl
- Litter tray
- Any other possessions of theirs, like a scratcher and toys
2. Keep the cat in the same room
Bring the cat carrier into the room you’ve set up straight from the car and close the door. Open it and let them venture out of the carrier in their own time.
Leave them alone in the room or stay with them. Try not to make any loud noises around the cat for a few hours to prevent scaring them, since they might be on edge. This can delay them settling in.
Keep the cat in the room for a few hours or a couple of days depending on how comfortable they seem. If they scratch at the door excessively, open it so they can explore with your supervision
Try not to let the cat explore the rest of the home unless it’s relatively quiet outside of the room. For example, there’s no drilling, unpacking boxes, renovation work, moving large appliances, etc. taking place.
How to keep an eye on your cat at work after moving
Keeping a cat in one room of the house initially is the best way to make sure they feel settled. When leaving the house for work in the days after moving, the door should be kept closed if the cat appears anxious.
Use the AlfredCamera app to keep an eye on your cat when you’re at work. Simply install the app on an old phone, place it in the room and tap in every now and then to check up on them.
As one AlfredCamera user says:
“Exceptional for a free app! Flawlessly works between my pixel (viewer) and fire hd (recorder) for when I have to leave for a few days and need to keep an eye on my pets. It even has motion detection for free!”
Learn more about using AlfredCamera as a pet cam.
3. Slowly move possessions around
The eventual goal is to make your cat comfortable in the entire house, not just one room.
After around a week, start expanding their territory to other places in the new home. Move the litter tray out to where you want it and show them where it is. Do the same with their food and drink.
You can even start to move toys or other things they’re fond of to other spaces. Eventually, cats will find comfort in the entire new home.
4. Let the cat explore in their own time
Cats are independent and curious animals. As all cat owners know, they like to do things in their own way and on their own time.
It’s best to let them explore the new home in their own time. Once they feel safe and comfortable, they’ll naturally start exploring more.
If you think they need some encouragement to explore the rest of the house (i.e., it’s been several days or even weeks), try leaving treats around the home for them to sniff out.
A post shared by AlfredCamera: Simple Security at Your Fingertips. (@alfredcamera_)
How to make sure a cat is not stressed after moving
Monitor your cat’s behavior when you’re not home using AlfredCam. Indoor cameras can be quickly set up inside the home and used as a pet cam.
With peel-back mounting stickers, these indoor pet cameras are easy to install without causing any noise for your cat.
Pet cameras help you monitor your cat’s behavior after moving to ensure they aren’t displaying symptoms of stress while you’re away.
For example, scratching up the furniture or spraying on bedding.
With AlfredCam, you can access the instant live feed any time of day to make sure your cat is OK. With two-way audio, you can even talk to your cat through the cameras to ease their anxieties when you’re not around.
“I learned about this app from YouTube. My male cat had PU surgery and I needed to monitor his activity. Because I needed to isolate him from the other cats, it was not realistic for me to sit with him for hours at a time in his basement “man cave”.
“Alfred came to the rescue! After seeing the app in action, I did not hesitate to upgrade to premium. I now have peace of mind. Saving videos to the phone is easy. With motion detection and alerts, monitoring is so easy. A wonderful app. Thank you!”
Learn more about using Alfred Premium as a pet cam.
5. Create safe snuggle spots
When a cat feels scared, they might hide. Keeping them in an empty room won’t give them anywhere to go when they feel unafraid.
Plus, if you don’t create comfort spots for them, they’ll inevitably make their own, which could be in less than ideal places.
Therefore, it’s best to give the cat safe places for them to huddle in when they feel afraid, like a cat bed or a blanket.
Feel free to leave out cardboard boxes from the move. Cats love to curl up in boxes because it makes them feel safe and protected.
6. Leave their toys around
When moving home, the property doesn’t normally feel like home until your possessions have been unpacked and you have all your stuff around you.
Cats feel the same in this respect, becoming a little uneasy unless their stuff is around.
When moving, make it a priority to unpack some of their things and leave them around the home. If you can, don’t wash them immediately before moving, because the scent of home is important to them.
A post shared by AlfredCamera: Simple Security at Your Fingertips. (@alfredcamera_)
7. Don’t let the cat outside (at first)
Outdoor cats might be keen to stretch their paws outside, but don’t let them outside immediately after moving to a new home. This can confuse them or, worse, result in them going missing.
Because they won’t know the scent of the new home, they also may not be able to find their way back after leaving the house.
Experts recommend keeping a new cat indoors for two weeks. If you’re moving from a flat to a house with a garden, always keep an eye on them (whether in person or through an AlfredCamera device peeping through a window) to make sure they stay safe.
8. Don’t make any loud noises
While it’s normal to unpack on your first day in a new home, try to avoid making any sudden or loud noises around the cat in their first week.
Immediately drilling into the walls to install a home security camera or completing renovation work in earshot of the cat should be avoided; security cameras can instead be mounted using stickers (like AlfredCam) or propped up desktop style.
As all pet owners know, the hearing of cats and dogs is much more sensitive than a human’s.
Should renovation work be essential, lay a towel on either side of the door of the room your cat’s in to add extra soundproofing. You might even want to keep them with a friend or family member until renovation work is complete.
About to start fixing up your new place? Home renovations introduce unique security concerns. Get to grips with how to stay secure during a renovation.
Signs a Cat is Stressed After Moving House
Slight changes to the daily habits of your cat are normal when moving house. Like us humans, kitties build new routines upon changing location.
However, there is a difference between a cat settling in and feeling stressed. A cat settling in normally may be more anxious to noises than normal and a little cautious.
If they display symptoms of stress, these should only last a few hours or days – not several weeks.
Common signs a cat is stressed after moving include:
- Unusually aggressive behavior
- Spraying around the house
- Diarrhea
- Very infrequent toilet breaks (constipation)
- Blood in stools
- Toileting outside of the litter tray
- More lethargic than normal
- Panting and/or drooling
- Excessive meowing
- Excessive scratching of self
- Scratching at furniture
- Excessive grooming
- Runny eyes and/or runny nose
- Lack of appetite
If you’re concerned about your cat’s behavior, or if the symptoms of stress aren’t going away, contact a vet.
Conclusion
Cats like routine. Sure, that routine amounts to a lot of napping, but, just like humans, disruptions can take time to adjust to.
While there’s a lot to take care of when moving home, never forget the needs of your pets.
Always do your best to make cats feel comfortable in a new home, so that they can settle in faster and get back to doing what they do best—whether that’s lounging around or harassing birds in the garden.
Recommended reading:
Pet Cameras: Gimmick, Or Every Pet Owner’s Next Essential?
Leaving Your Dog Home Alone for A Week? Keep Them Happy with These Top Tips