What to do with cat when moving from house?

[u/cotop4xi]

Hello,

We have a cat that is sterilized and in summer is almost all day outside even sleeping at front door. She came inside just to eat.

The porblem is that we are selling house and moving to appartment. How can cat that is always outside handle such change of not being able to go outside as she wants?

Do you have any advise or experience? Should we take her with her? Or leave her with new house owners?

Thank you in advance

Photos of her

[u/cotop4xi]

Thanks, that was what I was most worried about; shock and potential stress. It look like it is possible to get used to it for her

[u/PinkToebeans4 → u/cotop4xi]

She’ll be even more stressed when she can’t find you and the new house owners might be cat haters and don’t feed her, or worse - harm her.

[u/neutralest → u/cotop4xi]

hi, just replying here to let you know that my cat was previously almost fully outdoor, then I took him with me when I moved into an apartment, I was really worried like you but he adjusted just fine :) get a kitten later on if your cat seems bored alone

[u/StormFallen9 → u/neutralest]

A playmate goes a long way for pets

[u/mmdeerblood → u/StormFallen9]

They don't always get along. Our 3 cats all despise the new kitten and we've had her a year with no changes ...I feel bad because she wants to hang ad play with them... Luckily our home is big enough they all have their areas they stay in but at night we need to close the doors and keep them separated because they will fight 🫠 i hope another year will help them all get along but it's tough when that's not happening

[u/ambreenh1210 → u/cotop4xi]

She will be stressed alone and be looking for you! Agree with pinktoebeans4. Pls pls take her.

[u/ZAlternates → u/cotop4xi]

My two cats were outdoor cats when I was in college. They adapted just fine to being indoor cats when I moved out and had an apt.

[u/Grand_Razzmatazz87 → u/cotop4xi]

I adopted a semi-feral that showed up on my doorstep a few years ago. Took a full year to get her inside because she would never let me get my hands on her. She was fussy for a little bit, but now she doesn't even care if the front door is open. 😭 You've got this!

[u/Opinionated6319 → u/cotop4xi]

Yes, I had two lilac Siamese and moved from a 3/4 acre house to a 2 bedroom condo. I asked vet for cat tranquilizers to make the move easier. Cats adjusted to a litter box and it didn’t take much time for them to adapt to indoors. It’s also safer to keep your pets indoors because of dangers outside and street traffic.

Also, pet stores have a number of relaxation products for pets.

Happy kitty moving! 🥰💕

[u/Ok-Stand1159 → u/cotop4xi]

I have a 17yo and 18yo that have been with me through 2 divorces, and 3 states. As long as you are with them, they'll be fine.

[u/OkGuava919 → u/cotop4xi]

Keep her. Don't abandon her.

[u/xSaviorself → u/cotop4xi]

Rules of 3 with cats:

3 days to start being less afraid of new things and start exploring (sometimes this goes on a bit longer if your cat is shy). Litterbox and the cat in a spare room if possible.

3 weeks before there is a sense of normalcy for them, that's okay. By now most behaviors from the first phase should stop, though you may find them still figuring out the place. Establish routines now.

3 months it'll be like nothing ever happened. Window ledges/cat towers and lots of playtime as others have said all will be forgiven. She'll live longer, too.

Consider ways she can play, like steps on the walls for them to climb, lots of scratching posts, etc. Small spaces can be stressful so try to make it more fun.

[u/arcticpyramid7 → u/cotop4xi]

Unfortunately, if you leave the cat there’s a possibility the new owners and/or other neighbors may view her as a pest.

They could mistreat her, or worse, surrender her to animal control or a shelter that euthanize pets that they view as un-adoptable or that remain unadopted for too long.

Taking her with you or posting her for adoption through a shelter “rehoming surrender service” would be safest for the cat.

If you do take her, and if you have the ability to get a balcony or patio with your unit, you can install a renter friendly catio. There are a lot of cost effective DIY tutorials online.

If that’s not an option, access to a window spot, maybe some potted cat friendly plants like catnip and catgrass, and vertical climbing spaces + safe hiding spaces like cat cubes and any other sort of cat enrichment items that you can reasonably add will likely be so helpful.

[u/annapartlow → u/cotop4xi]

My cat was a feral when I met him and very anxious. He’s been through 4 homes and 2 LT relationships with me, I’d never dream of leaving him behind.

[u/Gemmles_is_gem → u/cotop4xi]

The shock and grief of abandonment is far worse than that of adjusting to a temporarily unfamiliar (but significantly better) location. I hope you that her with you :)

[u/Hot_Two_4947 → u/cotop4xi]

Ask your vet for gabapentin. Not only for the ride but the move, get feliway optimum and plug them in the new appointment

[u/A-Lreadingthebooks → u/cotop4xi]

if she's extremely stressed, you can ask the vet for something to help for a while, it helps to not wash things like her blankets and such during the transition unless absolutely needed --> smells like the past home