Opinions - Having hardwood floors done. Cats….

[Lulu&Finn]

Lulu and Finn get along well. Mostly. They play and chase and roll around. Once in a while they seem to get mad at each other but there’s never a true cat fight.
Next week for two days and two nights we can’t be in the house because the floors are being refinished. We will come in a few times a day and feed them. We can step over the floor and onto the steps. I plan to lock them on our bedroom with food, litter boxes, toys, cat trees in the windows. Do you think this is fine? Should they go in separate rooms? Lulu is so anxious but I plan to leave a fan on outside the door and maybe the TV in the room to try to drown out some of the sound. I feel that bringing them with me to my mother’s would be more upsetting than staying in a familiar place. What do you think?

Thank you in advance.

 

[susanm9006]

Fumes from having floors refinished are really strong. I would probably opt to take the cats with you for that reason. I supposed leaving windows open just a crack with help give them some fresh air.

 

[Lulu&Finn]

The floors are downstairs. The door will be shut. I’m so hesitant to upset Lulu especially, with a new location. I have to work both days too. But I’ll be home with them on the 3rd day.

 

[rubysmama]

Getting floors refinished is extremely dusty, plus the fumes are very strong. And, though I wasn't there when my floors were redone, I would imagine very noisy as well. For all those reasons, and especially since the humans can't be in the house to see how the cats are doing, I would feel better if Lulu and Finn also were staying somewhere else while the work was being done.

 

[Lulu&Finn]

Getting floors refinished is extremely dusty, plus the fumes are very strong. And, though I wasn't there when my floors were redone, I would imagine very noisy as well. For all those reasons, and especially since the humans can't be in the house to see how the cats are doing, I would feel better if Lulu and Finn also were staying somewhere else while the work was being done.

Any idea how they generally deal with being relocated?

 

[rubysmama]

Any idea how they generally deal with being relocated?

I'm sure it would be stressful for them to go to your Mom's place with you, but having checked out my empty house after the first coat was finished, I would not have wanted to stay in the house for very long.

I also know someone who did their floors themselves, and stayed in the house the whole time, and got headaches from the fumes.

Google found this link where cats stayed upstairs while floors were refinished, so maybe it would be ok for Lulu and Finn.
On Refinishing Hardwood Flooring with Cats

I'm a worrier, though, and would be nervous leaving cats in the house with the floors being redone.

Maybe check with your vet and see what they might recommend / suggest.

Or check with the people doing the floors and see if they feel it's safe to keep the cats upstairs while the work is being done.

 

[daftcat75]

I don't know if this in your financial reach. But if it were me, I would find an Extended Stay hotel room for a few nights. Extended Stay is a brand I know that welcomes cats. It's not cheap though. The rooms were reasonable. But there was a pet surcharge. I don't remember if it was per animal because I only traveled with my Krista. She loved hotel rooms! Went right to the highest point in the room which was usually on top of the fridge.

"Sorry, girl. Those cabinets go to the ceiling. You're as high as you can be."

"So much judgement from this one. You try to find something open on Christmas Eve."

 

[susanm9006]

Maybe you could borrow a large dog kennel, big enough for food, water and litter box and then let them live in that at your moms. While they won’t be happy about it, they will be together and safe for the few days you are there.

 

[Lulu&Finn]

I’ve decided to go with the water based polyurethane. It’s low odor. Now my husband will sleep at the house with them. I hope that’s enough.

 

[daftcat75]

I recommend Music For Cats to keep them calm with all the change and noise. It's available on all the major streaming services (Google, Apple, Amazon, Spotify, etc.) It is scientifically formulated and cat tested with sounds cats love and find soothing like ticking, purring, and heartbeats. Krista loved the stuff. She would nap against the sound bar when I put it on during the days for her. I called it her "cat rock." I even got a stranger stray cat to stop singing his captivity song when I trapped him for a rescue. I put it on a speaker next to the pen I was keeping him in and he quieted right down.

 

[ArtNJ]

I don't know how bad the fumes would be up a level, I've had floors done several times and generally haven't found that such a huge deal, but I know that the misc cans of stuff they leave around can 100% kill a cat. My brother's cat licked drippings from a *closed* can of something and died of it.

But assuming the door is closed, I'd leave them in the same room. If separated, they might blame each other when reunited.

 

[Lulu&Finn]

Thank you so much all for helping me with this!

 

[Lulu&Finn]

We had them done yesterday. All went well. When I came in mid afternoon there was barely any smell at all. The floors look awesome and by 9 pm last night three coats were done. Floors were dry and cats were out of our bedroom.

 

[rubysmama]

Glad everything went well. Thanks for the update.