Just moved house with cat - help!

Glowing

Hi there,

I've had my cat for over a year (she is an indoor/outdoor cat) and have just moved house today.

I know I have to keep her in for 3-4 weeks so she gets used to the new place before we let her out, but what are the chances of her wanting to use her litter tray again?! I've put it in the hall so she knows where it is, but we've been here for 8 hours and she hasn't used it yet

What can I do to encourage her to use it, and better still, encourage her not to use the new carpets, LOL!

Thanks!

mymo

Best thing you can do is shut her in the bathroom overnight to limit damage, but she should give in and use the litter tray during the night.
Before you go to bed stand her in tray and make scratching motions with her paws, she'll get the idea. Once she uses it once she'll continue, just keep it clean(pick out lumps couple times a day) and maybe get a spare tray so if she thinks the first one is too dirty she has another option(one of mine only uses the tray once and expects it to be immaculate before he uses it again:rolleyes:
Good luck, and hope you're happy in your new home.:)

minister poxbottle

Glowing wrote: »

Hi there,

I've had my cat for over a year (she is an indoor/outdoor cat) and have just moved house today.

I know I have to keep her in for 3-4 weeks so she gets used to the new place before we let her out, but what are the chances of her wanting to use her litter tray again?! I've put it in the hall so she knows where it is, but we've been here for 8 hours and she hasn't used it yet

What can I do to encourage her to use it, and better still, encourage her not to use the new carpets, LOL!

Thanks!

lead by example

Graces7

I know that that is the advice, but we have always let the cats out straight away and never had any problems.

If they are attached to you?

It started as one of them is a skilled opener of windows and let himself and the others out. They were back for food after a few hours.

Since then we just let them out immediately

morganafay

I wouldn't let them out immediately, but would maybe wait a few days to a week, or at least feed them a few times in the new house first so they know they get food there, depending on how nervous or calm the cat was. When we moved house I was at Oxegen and I told my family to keep the cats in until I came back, and they let them out after about a day and a half but they were all fine, even my very nervous ex-feral cat.

Still, better safe than sorry.

I'm sure she'll get used to the litter tray soon, cats can hold off peeing for a long time!

planetX

I lasted 3 days keeping the cats in when I moved house. 3 long sleepless nights:eek:

Graces7

planetX wrote: »

I lasted 3 days keeping the cats in when I moved house. 3 long sleepless nights:eek:

Sounds very familiar!

My real worry is the days before the move; making sure they are IN, then bleaching out the bathroom before we leave. I have nightmares that they are not going to come in when they usually do.

And is the one who can open windows going to escape anyway..

A "joy" soon to come..

And after a seven hour drive, they will be straight out while I fumigate the car..

DAWNRISER

I agree with MYMO ... as annoying as it is. Will defo be worth the initial frustration.