Cat Feline Behaviour.

Question:
we are moving home and the house Is covered in full and empty boxes and
in a right pickle. I believe this may be affecting my cats Meg and TC who
are sulking. Can you advise me on what I should do both now, during and
after the move? We thought we would put them in the cattery the day
before we move and take them out once all the boxes are in our new home.

Also, what do i do once they are in the new house? Do I rub butter on their feet?
How long should I keep them in as TC uses a litter tray If he has to but Meg will not?

Answer:
Moving home can be very traumatic for cats since they derive security from their surroundings.If it is possible, pack one room at a time and then shut the door on that room. Try not to have disruption at every turn and ensure there are at least a couple of places in the house that are still the same.

Once this is no longer possible put the cats into a cattery Wait until you have at least one or two rooms completely unpacked before bringing the cats into the new house, since further disruption will make it difficult for them to trust their new environment.

Rubbing butter on the paws of your cats is based on the idea that they will leave buttery paw marks that they can retrace. It's not necessary since your cats will naturally move along their scent pathways and move in the direction of an increasing intensity of their own scent. It helps to keep the cats in the new home for one to two weeks Which will help to build up a scent.

You mention that Meg won't use a litter tray. It can help to provide two trays so she does not need to share and you could also bring in some soil to use instead of litter. When you do let them out do so just before feeding time and you could use a lightweight lead to start with.

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