Whether you’re bringing your new cat to your home for the first time or moving house with your existing cat, transferring them to a new location to live permanently can be a far-from-straightforward process.
None of us want to add any undue stress to our cat’s lives.
However, by taking a few simple steps, you can make your home ready for your feline friend, ensuring they feel relaxed, reassured and ready to seamlessly settle into their new surroundings.
Prepare your cat’s new home
Prepping your cat for their new home can help them settle in, as cats are heavily reliant on scent. If you’re bringing a new cat to your home to live, if possible, put a blanket containing your home’s scent in their existing bed a few days before you pick them up. That way, they’ll become used to the scent and recognize it in their new surroundings when they arrive at your house.
If this is not possible, be sure to bring a blanket with your home’s scent on when you pick them up and put it in their carrier so they can begin to get used to the new smell on the journey towards starting their new adventure.
Help them settle in
Most cats will take a number of days to settle into their new surroundings, some may even take weeks, so ensure you give them time to adjust. Be patient — rushing or forcing them at this key stage could potentially lead to problems, including making your cat scared, causing aggression or them to hide for long periods of time.
It’s advised to keep them in one room for the first few hours after arriving, then allow them out to explore the house if they want to. Ensure there are plenty of their familiar toys and objects in the room. They may want to stay in the room and build up courage, they may take to hiding somewhere if they’re feeling overwhelmed by it all. Either way, let them do their own thing, and don’t try to force them to come out or play if they don’t feel like it. As long as they’re eating and drinking, try not to worry — eventually, they’ll settle in.
Some people recommend rubbing a cloth on your cat’s head, and then rubbing the cloth at points around the house to spread their scent and help them to feel a little more secure.
Help them meet your family
If there’s more than one person in the house, it’s best to introduce your cat to them one by one, rather than everyone crowding around, looming over your cat and scaring the new arrival.
Children are also renowned for becoming over-excited around new pet arrivals, so try to keep them calm if possible, and introduce them one at a time, ensuring they pet the cat gently and don’t jump around or make too much noise.
And, of course, if there are other pets in the house you’ll need to introduce them to your extended family — read more about how to do that in our article, How do I introduce my cat to another pet?
Moving house with your cat
This can be a stressful experience for your cat, so it’s best to prepare them as much as possible before the move.
Ensure you have a comfortable and secure carrier in which to transport your cat. Keep a blanket inside it from your old house they’ll recognize the scent of during the journey and in the new accommodation. This can help reassure them if they’re fearful.
In the new house, ensure your cat has somewhere safe and quiet to retreat to if they want space. Try to keep a room empty while your belongings are moved in so they aren’t too disturbed by everything going on. Also ensure that all the windows and doors remain closed so there’s no danger of them bolting and disappearing if they are scared.
Once your belongings are moved in, and things have quietened down, you can let them out of the room to explore, ideally room by room, depending on how adventurous your feline companion is.
The general advice is to wait two weeks before letting them outside for their new adventures. You know your cat best, so if they seem afraid or are hiding for long periods, you may want to wait a little longer.
One tip is to sprinkle some of your cat’s litter around the edge of your new garden — this will act as a warning to other cats that there’s a new cat in the area, and also serve to help your cat navigate their new surroundings.
Additionally, ensure your cat is microchipped and your contact details on the chip are up-to-date, so if your cat gets lost, or tries to head back to your old home, a veterinary surgeon can help track you down and return your lost friend.
It’s also worth warning your old home’s new owners that your cat may try to make its way back to the house, especially if you haven’t moved far. This way, they can let you know if an unfamiliar cat is trying to get in their house.
Article reviewed by
Veterinarian
Dr Georgia Jeremiah has a first class honors degree in comparative pathology with field experience in anatomic and clinical pathology, studying disease processes in a multitude of species.
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