[sunshineband]

My daughter is moving soon and on of her cats (she has two) is incredibly nervous. She hates going outside if it is raining, if there has been a fox in the garden, if she hears a funny noise... actually anything really.

She dashes out for a wee in the flowerbed closest to the door, and back again, and her bed is under the kitchen table right the back. She often wees in the house, and my daughter cleans up well with uri-gone.

Once the house is quiet, she will come out to get a stroke from me, but anyone she doesn't know in the house and she is hardly seen. They have a cat flap in their present house and she does go out very briefly at night.

They are moving 80 miles from their current house, and I am taking the cats in my car in their baskets.

We have discussed leaving one small room just for the cats for a few days, with their beds there under a small table, cat trays and food bowls in there. Cat trays are being introduced at home for a week or two before moving..

OK, questions are:

1. How can I make the journey as stress free as possible, especially for poor Florrie? It will take about two hours overall

2. Any ideas what else can be done to help hem settle into the new house? There has been a dog living there and my daughter is having all the carpets steam cleaned. There is hard floor in what will be the cats' first room, which is in the quietest corner of the house. (This room will eventually be a utility room)

We are really worried about Florrie. The other cat is older and very good natured.

 Any advice will be appreciated

[mumofstig]

I think Feliway helped a lot when I went to stay at Stig's house for a couple of weeks.
My Lucycat is easily frightened and defensive, whereas his 2 cats are huge boisterous monsters, lovely with it though So I had no choice but to keep her shut in the spare bedroom with her litter tray.
She was curious and wanted to come out, but didn't seem upset at all.

IMO Feliway spray for the car and a diffuser in the new house should help a lot

[sunshineband]

I'll get some from the vet. Thank you


Bit worried Florrie will wee in the car so will have to protect the seats etc. My car is far from posh but doesn't actually smell bad at present 

[mumofstig]

I had an old towel inside Lucy's basket, and underneath it for absorbing leakage - plus the seat covered for that very reason.

In the event- she was dry, there and back. Good luck 

[snowdrops]

8 years ago hubby & I helped my sister move to N Ireland,she took the cats in the car in their carrying baskets,she got something from the vets to sedate them. Just make sure you take pooh bags etc as well as one did pooh on the journey so had to come out & basket cleaned out,with doors/windows safely shut of course. take water as well just in case you get delayed.

[madcat]

I'd definitely go with the Feliway advice - it really helped one of our old ladies.  And does she have a special person?  In our case it was me (I'm the one they come to when poorly or upset; OH when Something Needs To Be Done) - so an old sweatshirt that I had worn went in her travelling box as a liner and another in her bed, so there was a familiar smell around.  I'm not convinced about tranqs - if she takes pills well that might work, if not it could just add to the stress. 

They pick up on the mood of their humans, which is bound to be very wound up in the days running up to the move?  Could they come to you for those last couple of days to reduce the stress all round?  Not least of doing a disappearing act.   

Oh - and mine travel better if they can see and hear me, so when she was at her most vulnerableher traveling box would be strapped into the covered (old towel) passenger seat (it was a wire one) with a cloth over so she couldnt see the lorries out the top but could see me out the side.  And then I chatted quietly for 2.5hrs about anything and nothing so there was the comfort of my voice.  We did a lot of miles that way without a lot of fuss.  She hated the radio and me singing ....   

[Trillium]

I got some cat sedative from my vet as well for one of my nervous cats. All the carriers had lots of old towels because all of them will wee from the long trip and nervousness (not one of them liked car rides). I also spoke to them a lot during the drive so they'd know they weren't alone.

We did much as suggested, they stayed in their carriers (with water and food) for most of the first day until they settled down and the movers had left some hours ago. Then we opened their doors and let them wander out whenever they wanted. It took them a while to summon courage, but eventually they came out sniffing and checking. They all had to stay in the house the first week to really impress that this is now home. The nervous one never did go outside and we were just as happy. Our old male went out but he kept getting the wrong house so we decided they'd all be house cats with free run of the whole house. They didn't really mind with several litter boxes around the house, screened basement windows for them to lounge in during warm weather, rafters to check out, etc. Our area also had a lot of dogs that roamed freely so keeping my cats housebound was a good idea. A friend had one of her favourite cats caught and eaten by coyotes, which we get here as well.

[sunshineband]

What a massive amount of advice there and all of is so helpful. Thank you.

I shall get an old sweater put in their baskets (one for each) from my daughter so that they can take this with them for familiarity, and I chat away to the cats anyway, so glad that should help. Hadn't thought of the lorries etc being visible to them so shall have to check out what their travel baskets are like.

and would never have thought of taking poo bags with me either.

What a great bunch you are. Thank you so much

I'll let you know how it goes on 28th

[Goosegirl]

Best advice I can give you is to put yourself in their place but with the mind of a cat - not easy! Some things you can't do anything about, but providing clothes with familiar scents for the journey and just talking to them with quiet sounds will help. Baskets lined with baby nappies may help with wee probs, and poo bags are a good idea if needed. Cats are normally very clean animals, so it will make it less distressing for them. When you arrive, find a quiet room where you can shut them in with all the necessaries, then scrabble their paws in the litter tray and show them the food and water bowls. If you can, provide them with a high place which they can leap on to survey from above, then leave them to their own devices, but keep coming in and chatting in the same calm voice whilst you stroke them, then leave them again. I trained a part-feral tortie this way and she is such a love now, and we have a loner female ginger tabby and white cat that is so nervous and has wee-d a couple of times in the house (duvet and suitcase - der??), but not for a long time. Hope this helps, and good luck.

[sunshineband]

Thanks Goosegirl. I appreciate your suggestions