Destructive male cat

HydeRoad

Question, folks, I am moving home in the next little while. I have two cats. One is a sweet natured, quiet, female cat, who likes to mooch around outside, but is just as happy to spend the entire day curled up in a chair, warm and snug, and who causes no problem beyond depositing quite an amount of hairs everywhere she goes!

The real problem, is the male cat. About three years old, he has been boisterous and destructive since I got him. He systematically demolished my home, to the point where I have to replace a lot of stuff to make my home presentable to it's new owners. He has graduated from being a cat who spent half the time indoors, tearing the place apart, to being a cat who now spends his entire life outside marauding, only appearing once a day for food, and sometimes not appearing for three days. He is neutered, but even so he sprays indoors, tears the curtains, tore chunks out of all the furniture, knocked over and broke every single thing that wasn't glued in place, and often bullies and attacks the quiet female, who I was told was his sister, but I have no way of knowing if that is true. For that again though, he can have occasional quiet moments, where he curls up with her and they sleep together for two hours or so, before he starts his rant to be put out again.

The house I am moving to is belonging to someone else, and has nice furniture, ornaments, flowers, and all kinds of things that would be shredded to pieces the moment the male cat lays eyes on them. I have to move, I have no option on that. I want to know if and when I move, can I put the male cat out straight away in his new environment, or do I lock him in his cat carrier for a couple of hours at a time to familiarise himself with his new surroundings? I cannot allow him into someone else's home to wreak havoc. I am in a bind here. Many thanks for your opinions...

The Sweeper

Is he neutered?

morganafay

Is there a utility room or something, with nothing breakable, where he could live for a week or two when you move? If there isn't, I'd suggest getting an extra large dog crate (on zooplus they're not too expensive) and keep him in there for a week or two when you move, then put the crate outside and let him get used to outdoors for a few hours, then let him out and feed him outside so he knows it's his home.

Or, if you can afford it, get a small shed or large dog kennel (if you can get one with a window) and keep him shut in that for a while, then let him out.

It's best to keep him in for at least a few days to get used to his new home, in case he runs away.

When I moved house we had to keep some cats shut in the shed, and some inside, because they don't all get on, and I wanted to keep them in for a week but my parents let them out when I wasn't home, after about two or three days, and they were fine.

mymo

I used my larger dog crate when we adopted an adult cat. He could see out and move around a bit, and the dogs and other cat could see him. I kept it in the bathroom and let him out loose in the bathroom at night for about a week before giving him free reign of the house. I waited 3 weeks before letting him out, had planned longer but he turned out to be very adventurous and I think lept from bathroom window down onto shed roof(about5ft down and 5ft away from house) and off into the great outdoors. I found him sitting on Kitchen window when I came home one day.
You said he's neutered but still sprays? I would make a trip to the vet, thats not normal, it can happen but its more likely something is wrong. Sometimes hormone imbalance can cause spraying as well as a few other things(incomplete castration is another). If there's a medical problem it may be easily solved.

Graces7

Neutered male cats will still spray. Sad but true...

Mine started once when we moved house.

We always release our cats immediately we get to a new house. I was hesitant the first time but never a problem in five moves; they settle faster than I do!

We do not feed before travelling and releasing them so they soon come back in for food.

They have more nous than we give them credit for.

And with yours he may well be better outside more?

Seeing that as his real environment.