How Long Should I Keep My Cat Indoors When Moving Home?

Moving home is a stressful job for anyone, and this includes your pets. Cats in particular can find being uprooted from their territory very stressful, so it’s important to pay special attention to them and make sure their transition is smooth and comfortable.

In this article, we’ll be answering the question, “how long should I keep my cat indoors when moving home?”, as well as providing some useful tips on how to keep them happy.

How long?

As a rule, we think you should keep your cat indoors for around 6 weeks after you’ve moved home. This will give them plenty of time to get used to their surroundings and will discourage them from wanting to find their old territory. If your cat is particularly unhappy about being kept indoors for that length of time, then it might be that you need to let them out earlier, but be mindful that they will be less settled when you do so.

Unpacking

During the unpacking process, we think that it’s a good idea to keep your cat in one room, just to make the experience a little less overwhelming for them. Simply take their carrier, put it in a spare room and then open the door for them. Ideally, the room would also have a window sill they can jump on, just in case they’re feeling daring and want to take a look at the neighbourhood.

Once you have finished unpacking, you can make sure that all the doors and windows are closed before letting them out to have a look at the rest of the house. If they aren’t ready to leave the room just yet, that’s fine, just let them come out at their own pace! It might be that they want to remain there for a day or two, so just make sure they have a litter tray and enough food and water.

A collar is a good idea

During the moving process and also once you’ve arrived at your new home, it’s important that your cat wears a collar with their name printed, a phone number you can be contacted on, and a chip if they don’t have one themselves. This is because, during and after the moving process, the chances of your cat trying to escape are higher, which means you need to put measures in place just in case they do actually manage it!

Let them out slowly

When you do come round to letting them out, we recommend that you do it in stages. You can start by letting them out into the garden for short periods of time, then bring them back in. Once you’ve done this a few times, you can let them go out properly, but we would still suggest that you bring them inside overnight until they really get to grips with their surroundings. It’s very easy for cats to get lost in new environments, after all.

Need help with your next move? Simon Long Removals is one of the most popular removals companies in Norfolk and has a wealth of experience when it comes to both domestic and commercial removals. We also have commercial storage available for any overflow equipment. For more information about our services, contact our team today.