Moving Home

[bestmum]

We are due to move house in the next couple of weeks we have 2 cats 1is a house cat and the other 1 likes to go out and roam about. Can anyone give me any tips to make sure they return to our new home and not get lost. Tia

[garner]

Hi bestmum. Keep your cats indoors for two to three weeks, let them have an outside view ie windows ect.They will get use to the views outside and this will help with their new home.I have three cats and when we moved some years ago this is what we did and never had any problems.Good luck with your move and hope the cats enjoy their new abode.g.

[bushcombe]

we have always kept ours in for at least a month if not two which i know is difficult. then taken them out in the garden for short time to get used to it. good luck with the move i'm sure you'll manage.

[Eastender]

Keep them in for a couple of weeks to get their bearings. When they do go out, put some butter on their paws. Its an old wifes tale but it works.

[andy-hughes]

Good advice about the 'keeping in' routine.

If you don;t already, ensure that you feed them at the same time every day. Make a loud tapping sound on their food bowl, or call them, which ever suits, as you put the food down.

When you do let them out, make it about twenty minutes before feeding time, and then do your tapping / calling routine from the back door - they'll hear it, and come running.

A couple of days like this, and you should be able to drop the 'noise' bit, they will come anyway.

[bestmum]

Thank you all for your advice. I had heard the 1 about potting butter on their paws. I am just worried that 1 of the cats will be very hard to keep him in, but I will try .Once again thanks for all your help bestmum.

[bestmum]

*putting*

[bednobs]

i personally wouldn't worry too much - keep them in for 3 weeks. However, when we picked up our rescue cat from the rspca, he took one look at our living room and did a runner (surprisingly nimble for a fat cat) out the window - he came back the next day when i fed him

[ganesh]

depends what the environment is like in your new place,(main roads nearby for instance) and whether they are likely to find their way back to the old house.
But I put my 2 in a cattery for a week while we moved and then brought them into the new house. I'm sure all the same smells of furniture etc settles them quickly. I let mine out after 3 days and they came back for dinner time. I needn't have worried. I think a month is too long. Cats love their freedom and captivity must stress them out even more.
What's with the butter thing,I don't understand!!?