How to prepare a cat for moving and avoid stress

It is generally accepted that a dog gets used to its owners, and a cat gets used to the place where it lives. I have had many cats and moved with them many times, but they always adapted well to the new place, perhaps because we tried to make their move as comfortable as possible.

I will try to outline my experience of moving with cats in this article.

It's true that cats don't like change very much, so moving day can be extra stressful for both you and your cat if you don't prepare in advance.

When it's time to pack up your house and make the transition, you can take steps to make the transition easier for your kitten. The goal is to keep them calm and comfortable. This will help you avoid disturbances, meowing, aggression and escape attempts.

How to prepare for moving?

Preparing for the move should begin in advance. To make it go perfectly, follow the plan:

Get your cat used to the collar. Attach a tag with the owner's contact information to the bandage in case the cat gets scared of the new place and runs away.
Introduce your pet to the carrier. Leave the container within reach of your pet. Place inside the bag the cat's favorite toys, his bedding, a bowl of food - in general, all those items that evoke positive emotions in the animal. Let your pet freely enter and leave the carrier at any time of day in the days leading up to the move. The cat should consider the carrier safe.
Before moving to a new home, travel to your destination and identify any hard-to-reach places where your pet might try to hide during the move.
Don’t be lazy and make a list of items in advance that you may need to comfortably organize your pet’s life immediately after moving. Pack these items separately from everything else and sign them. This will help you quickly find them among many identical boxes.
Create a “new normal.” Bring home packing boxes a few days before your move. Let them become a normal landscape for the animal. Then the sudden disappearance of favorite objects will not cause panic in your pet.

Old cat screams

Cats live much shorter than humans and inevitably reach an age when they are considered elderly. Everyone knows how people's character changes with age, and the same thing happens in the cat world. There comes a time when an old cat constantly screams, and the owners begin to panic. Let's understand this behavior.

Most often, an older individual meows from a feeling of loneliness, which worsens just in advanced years. Hormonal levels change, increasing feelings such as melancholy, despondency, the feeling that nothing around is pleasing, and both physical and emotional tone decreases. Right now the pet needs more attention, she demands it with her voice . Accept that you will have to forget about good nights.

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An older cat becomes less independent and increasingly requires you to make decisions for her. She screams and makes it clear that she doesn't know if she wants to play. Try to occupy her with her favorite toy; if she doesn’t respond, then calm her down with affection.

It happens that she yells out of spite, manipulating you. By meowing she calls her owners, expecting that someone will definitely come and fulfill her wishes.

What is important to consider when changing your place of residence?

On moving day, keep your pet in the carrier until the movers bring all the boxes into the house. If you are transporting your cat over a long distance, make sure your pet is used to traveling in a car. Never open the carrier door in the middle of the journey to calm the animal. It is unclear how an unfamiliar environment will affect a pet.

Feed and water the animal several hours before moving. A full bladder can cause major toilet problems on the road.

In general, it will be better if you leave your pet with friends or acquaintances at the time of moving. If this is not possible, worry about the safety of the animal. Place the cat in a room where there will be all the things he needs - a tray, a bowl. Limit the animal's free movement around the apartment so that it does not get in the way. If a spare room is not available, isolate your pet in a crate in the quietest area of the house.

Be sure to talk to the cat. Representatives of the cat breed are able to distinguish intonations. Maintain a calm and friendly tone so as not to cause a panic attack in the animal.

Do not succumb to the provocations of superstitious people and do not let the animal into the house first. Once you're inside your new home, simply open the door of the carrier and let your furry family pet explore the new area on his own. Don't be alarmed if the animal rushes out of the container and hides somewhere. This is a normal cat reaction. Do not take your pet from a secluded place by force. Wait until he wants to go outside.

When the kitten leaves the carrier and has plenty of time to walk around its new home, show it the location where the tray and bowl are located, and feed it. Make the first feeding moderate.

Signs of stress

Cats are secretive animals; they really don’t like to show their weakness. Recognizing that an animal is under stress is not easy. Very often the clinical picture is blurry. But it is necessary to know the symptoms, because the sooner stress is identified and measures taken, the better for the animal.

Acute stress condition

When a cat is affected by negative factors, most often external, a stress hormone is released in the body. This is manifested by some physiological reactions.

Among them:

shallow breathing with shorter phases;
increased heart rate;
tremor of the limbs, head, whole body;
excessive salivation;
various sounds (the range is wide: in case of pain - a guttural meow or howl, in case of fear - a hissing or growl, just constant meowing as a way to “tell” about the problem);
involuntary emptying of the bladder or bowel;
external signs: dilated pupils, ears pressed to the head, tail twitching, frightening grin (showing teeth), raised fur, arched back, head lowered below body level.

When a cat is stressed, it may attack, bite and scratch if it feels its life is in danger. In such situations, the symptoms go away on their own once the provoking factor is eliminated.

It is quite simple to recognize signs of fear, excessive anxiety, and extreme dissatisfaction with what is happening based on such signs. It is more difficult if the cat is in a state of permanent stress.

Chronic stress

Being in a state of chronic stress manifests itself more in changes in behavior patterns and disruption of established rituals. Symptoms of a prolonged depressed or tense emotional state include:

tendency to hide in secluded, inaccessible places;
changes in eating behavior: lack of appetite or uncontrolled gluttony followed by vomiting;
fanatical licking or loss of interest in self-care;
performing natural needs in inappropriate places, ignoring the cat litter box (sometimes cats defiantly sit down to do their business directly next to the litter box);
digestive disorders: vomiting, lack of bowel movements, change in the nature of bowel movements;
lethargy, lack of desire to play, run, constantly staying in some place, prolonged sleep (you must understand that most cats, even in a healthy state, sleep most of the day);
even with a slight change in noise level, lighting, or sudden sharp sounds, it can react extremely inadequately;
leaving marks, splashing urine;
nervous reactions in the form of scratching the skin until it bleeds, hair loss, the appearance of bald spots and scratches on the body;
contradictory behavior: the cat cannot calm down, then lies down, then sits down, suddenly changes direction when moving, and the like.

What things are important to take for a cat when moving?

Here is a list of things that may be useful for a cat when moving:

Carrying – when choosing it, take into account the size of your pet and the weight of its body. Pay attention to the strength of the bag's material. Consider the fact that the animal should be comfortable. In addition to the cat, you need to place bowls and a litter tray in the container.
Food and water – take the food and liquid that your pet is used to. New food and water can cause an eating disorder in an animal.
Toys - a favorite thing will allow a representative of the cat breed to feel calmer and more confident. During the trip, try to pay more attention to the cat.
Documents – keep them in case your cat needs veterinary care.
Photo of an animal - this item can play a major role in the event of a sudden loss of a pet. The image should be clear and fresh.
Trays – containers made of laminated cardboard are easier to care for and use than standard bowls and trays. They do not need to be washed, you can simply replace them with a new one.
Litter - take the filler that the cat is used to.
Garbage bags – These are useful for keeping your carrier clean.
Harness - it will help solve the problem of safely removing the animal from the carrier. Thanks to the harness, the animal will not be able to run away, frightened by the situation.

Cat behavior, problems and causes

Among the pets there are both silent and talkative ones. Some of them isolate themselves with their problem and lie quietly in a corner, while the owner puzzles over what could have happened. And others loudly report an uncomfortable state, however, this situation also drives people crazy.

The main thing is to know that a cat screams for a reason. It is important to detect it and help your pet cope with it. Even if it’s just a whim, you need to evaluate why she’s capricious and show maximum attention.

How to help reduce anxiety?

It is quite easy to identify anxiety in a cat. An anxious cat will arch its back, press its ears back to its head, hiss or growl, and even urinate in an inappropriate place.

To reduce your pet's anxiety on moving day, consult your veterinarian. The specialist will prescribe sedatives if necessary. The components included in the contents of sedatives will help reduce anxiety and normalize the animal’s psychological well-being. As a rule, they act gently.

In some cases, cats do not tolerate sedatives well. Some representatives of the cat breed may experience allergies. It is usually accompanied by excessive drowsiness, nausea, and impaired coordination of movements. If these symptoms are observed, it is necessary to lavage the cat's stomach at a veterinary clinic. For pets who are hypersensitive to sedatives, you can purchase a sedative collar. The ring product is suitable for pets of all ages. It resembles a regular anti-parasitic accessory, but emits a specific smell around itself.

Can be used as a sedative and catnip. Catnip is a weak herbal infusion that has a gentle effect on your pet's condition. It should be taken into account that not all cats love mint: some adore it, while others are completely indifferent to it.

Reasons why a cat screams at night

To solve the problem of a cat yelling at night, you first need to understand the reason for its behavior. There are some pets that can vocalize around the clock, not only at night, but also in the morning. The most common reasons for such cat behavior are:

Hormonal surges

Cats that have not undergone sterilization regularly perform nightly concerts. Moreover, cats scream from such a strong desire to have offspring, which causes them physical and mental torment. A non-castrated cat experiences the same thing; when it screams, it tells its partner that it is full of strength and desire. It is impossible to combat this phenomenon in an animal that has not undergone sterilization. All that remains is to help the pet find its other half and wait out this difficult period.

Pet disease

If an older cat, who seems to have survived the sterilization process, screams at night, then most likely she is tormented by some kind of disease. Often, when an old animal screams, it has diseases such as Alzheimer's or some kind of nervous disorder. This is an irreversible process, which can only be alleviated with the help of a veterinarian who has prescribed medications that can alleviate the pet’s condition at least temporarily.
A similar reaction can be caused by acute abdominal pain, which can be determined by palpation. A healthy animal should have a soft belly that does not cause anxiety.
If a previously calm cat screams restlessly, then it is quite possible that helminths are bothering him.
When a neutered, middle-aged cat yells, this may be a sign of urolithiasis. The pain intensifies especially after visiting the toilet, therefore, at this time the animal will behave more restlessly.
There are cases that after sterilization a cat screams and wants a cat. This is possible if part of the ovary was left behind during sterilization. Veterinarian consultation is required.

To attract attention

When a kitten screams at night, for no apparent reason, then perhaps he just wants to attract attention or beg for the desired treat. This tricky maneuver can be understood by treating the cat with a treat. When the reason lies in this, then the cunning person, after achieving his goal, will calm down. However, you cannot follow his lead, otherwise he will constantly terrorize the owner. Kitty, who is constantly alone, attracts attention to herself in this way; she also wants to communicate, play, and receive the necessary dose of affection.

Sense of anxiety

Cats are able to anticipate any unpleasant event or element; there have been cases when they predicted an earthquake in a similar way.

Battle for territory

Sometimes it is not enough for cats to place marks to claim their rights to the territory; they scream to declare their rights to a certain area. This is done to warn other cats so that they do not even think about entering into competition with him. Most often, a cat has to do this when moving to a new place of residence.

If a kitten screams, then this is a manifestation of longing for its mother cat. A kitten that has just appeared in the house behaves restlessly at first. You need to calm the baby down, talk to him kindly, then he will get used to it and everything will return to normal.

What to do after moving if the cat is anxious?

Adaptation is an important moment of moving. To help your cat adapt to new conditions:

use familiar bowls and an old tray, do not buy new things right away;
stick to your regular feeding schedule;
Pay more attention to your pet at first.

Do not let the animal outside of a private home unattended for the first few weeks. At this time, there is too high a chance that the pet will want to go towards the old house.

Before you let your cat out for a walk, scatter litter from her litter box around the house. If a cat gets lost, it will be able to smell itself. And other cats will know that the house is someone else’s. Remember, with your care and support, the animal will quickly get used to its new home.

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The cat constantly sits under the door and meows

Male, 4 years old, neutered. Lately I've gotten into the habit of sitting under the door and meowing. This didn't happen before. I gave her the “Cat Bayun” tincture (recommended at the veterinary pharmacy) and added it to the water. But he still periodically comes up to the front door and meows((Why do you think?

A regular spray with water helps. As soon as the cat starts singing under the door, spray water a couple of times. They don't like it, they hide. The reflex is developed in a couple of days. Or citrus essential oil, any - orange, grapefruit, tangerine - drop a little on the threshold.

My cat not only meows under the door, but also jumps on the handle; if the lock is open, he opens the door and goes for a walk on the floor. I'm kind of against him walking 10-15 minutes a day. Have you tried opening the door for the cat?

I know about citrus, I weaned it off when I used it in the bathtub in my rented apartment)) I didn’t use the spray, I scolded him, he understands the tone, he takes a walk and meows and meows again.

She opened the door and let her out onto the landing. They go out, sniff, listen, walk a little, rise higher and drive home.

Maybe he doesn't have enough attention. Now I try to devote time to him, the meowing has not stopped, but it has become less. I'm probably going the right way))

My cat also asks to go for a walk on the playground. He walks around, sniffs all the doors, lies around and goes home. He is 8 years old already, neutered. Apparently he just likes to smell new smells from the street

Plus, I have the same thing, as soon as I learned to open the front door as a kitten, it’s only there, and if the door is also open to the landing, the journey takes place on all floors. Just don’t forget that not only sexual instincts

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