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How To Help Your Cat Adjust To A New Home

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Moving is one of the most stressful events a person can go through and that's with being able to comprehend what's happening. Cats go from their normal routine and surroundings one day to boxes and clutter the next without a clue for what's going on.

Moving Day With Your Cat

Before you can get your cat adjusted to a new home, you have to get through moving day. At Goal Line Moving, we've done countless moves for families with cats and we know how important it is to keep them in mind on moving day! Orange cat laying on bed - Goal Line Moving Help Cat adjust to new homeUpon our arrival, typically first thing in the morning, we'll encourage you to put your cat somewhere to stay for most of the day. Most customers opt to put their cats and belongings in a bathroom or large closet with the door shut for moving day. We recommend taping a note to the door that lets everyone know NOT to open the door. Once we're close to being done, we'll let you know and give you the "green light" for letting your cat out. For most customers, they also opt to transport their cat to the new home at this time. With choosing Goal Line Moving as your moving company, you can trust that we'll make moving day as easy as possible for every member of the family, including your cat!

New Home: Day 1

While it may seem like the obvious choice, it's not recommended to let you cat loose in the new house to explore on the first day. While it is their home, remember it's still a new and unfamiliar place which can extremely overwhelming for your cat. Instead, we recommend the following;
  1. Start by allowing your cat to adjust to one room. The room should have their favorite toys, food/water bowls, litter box and even some treats.
  2. Once they seem to be comfortable, introduce them to the other rooms of the house, again, one room at a time.
  3. After they've been introduced to each room, you can begin to relocate the litter box to your desired location. Again, move it little by little as you don't want to stress your cat.
It can take some time, but give your cat patience, they will warm up to the new house in no time!

Sleeping Arrangements

When your cat is finally brought to the new home, it's important to give them time to themselves and find their "spots". All cat owners know what we're talking about... The majority of cats choose a couple of favorite sleeping spots where they can be comfortable, warm, and away from drafty windows. If a favored spot happens to be on a piece of furniture, we recommend placing a washable cover over those spots, that way your furniture is protected. A cat’s sleeping spot should be respected as his own. Don’t allow children to disturb your cat when they are resting. Cats need solitude and quiet time,Gray and white cat laying on floor - Goal Line Moving Movers Near Me especially when going through something like a move.

Expect Accidents!

Even if your cat is litter trained, expect that there will be an accident or two as they adjust to where their litter box is in their new home. If they have an accident, clean it up with a paper towel and place it in their litter box so they recognize their scent and learn where their new bathroom is. We recommend doing this for every litter box in the house. Remember, moving is stressful for cats, too! It's going to take a few weeks for your cat to adjust 100% to the new house, but it'll be well worth all the time and patience!