Hi, everyone.
(Not sure if this is the correct forum for this thread. Please advise.)
I find myself forced to move an indoor/outdoor cat. (I know it's best to leave him in his familiar territory, and that is what I did when I first moved out of it, but it is no longer safe for him to live there.)
As luck would have it, I am also moving myself with my 4 indoor cats.
So, the situation involves moving both parties, familiarizing them with the new place and introducing them to each other.
My question is, what is the best way to go about this? Moving the indoor cats is no problem; I've done it before and I'm familiar with the best practices. I mainly need advice about moving the indoor/outdoor one and introducing everyone to each other.
- Do I sedate the indoor/outdoor cat for the move (it's actually rather short) or is it better for him to stay aware? What if I fear he might break out and stray (he's incredibly strong)?
- If he's not sedated, do I cover his carrier on the way?
- Do I treat him as a feral cat (keep him in a crate for two weeks before letting him explore the house)?
- Do I move him first then move the indoor cats into his new territory later, the other way around or move both parties at the same time?
- If I move both parties at the same time, do I confine the indoor cats and let him roam free during the introduction or the other way around?
- Would anxiolytics help either party during the introduction stage or make things worse?
Any help would be appreciated. I'm losing my mind over this. :-(
Thank you in advance.
(Not sure if this is the correct forum for this thread. Please advise.)
I find myself forced to move an indoor/outdoor cat. (I know it's best to leave him in his familiar territory, and that is what I did when I first moved out of it, but it is no longer safe for him to live there.)
As luck would have it, I am also moving myself with my 4 indoor cats.
So, the situation involves moving both parties, familiarizing them with the new place and introducing them to each other.
My question is, what is the best way to go about this? Moving the indoor cats is no problem; I've done it before and I'm familiar with the best practices. I mainly need advice about moving the indoor/outdoor one and introducing everyone to each other.
- Do I sedate the indoor/outdoor cat for the move (it's actually rather short) or is it better for him to stay aware? What if I fear he might break out and stray (he's incredibly strong)?
- If he's not sedated, do I cover his carrier on the way?
- Do I treat him as a feral cat (keep him in a crate for two weeks before letting him explore the house)?
- Do I move him first then move the indoor cats into his new territory later, the other way around or move both parties at the same time?
- If I move both parties at the same time, do I confine the indoor cats and let him roam free during the introduction or the other way around?
- Would anxiolytics help either party during the introduction stage or make things worse?
Any help would be appreciated. I'm losing my mind over this. :-(
Thank you in advance.
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