My Cat Wont Sleep On My Bed Since We Moved House.

[ceok]

My cat (Lulu) used to always sleep at the end of my bed, even when she was a kitten she actually used to always sleep right behind my head on the pillow.
I am currently a student so unfortunately I do not have a permanent home. She is two years old and this is the third home she has lived in.The first was only for about 2months. I had hoped to find a more permanent home for her but finding the perfect home is not easy.
We moved into our new home about 6months ago and I feel like she has become more distant since we moved. She never sleeps on my bed anymore EVER. Whenever she comes into my bedroom she immediately runs under the bed and will only come out to explore when everything is quiet. If i even sit up on the bed she runs straight back under the bed. I know this is her safe place but I don't know why she is so anxious when she is in my room.
I live with my boyfriend who I was with when I first got her as a kitten so she is used to him as well.
I really enjoy my quality time with my cat especially when I am going to bed. I would love to get it back somehow.
I also close my bedroom door when I sleep (which I have always done) but now I find she will also come out from under the bed and scratch at my bedroom door. When I get up to open the door and let her out she runs straight under the bed again.

I'm so sorry this is such a long post I just wanted to include as much as I could as I am desperate to change this and know what I am doing wrong.

 

[Letta]

Hi,
It sounds like your cat is nervous. How did she settle in the new place?
Is she confident or mostly hug the walls.
You might want to try to give her more shelfing, cat trees and high place to go to in your bedroom it does wonder to their confident. Do you play with her? Play is a very good way to establish confidence in cats.

 

[ondine]

Good for you for taking her - many people move and leave their cats behind, mistakenly thinking they'll survive.

Cats are notoriously bad with change. The longer you are there, the more she will settle in. Try making sure she has familiar things - her food bowl and fountain, her blanket or bed, any favorite toys. When you move again, giving her her own space will help her adjust. Keep her in the bedroom for a couple of weeks before introducing her to the whole house. That helps her take the changes a bit at a time.

 

[ceok]

I'm not really sure to be honest she seems fine but she is definitely more nervous and not as affectionate as she used to be.I know she is getting older too and that could be the reason for some of the change in her behavior. We did have a scratching post for her but it broke recently as we have had it since she was a kitten. I will be getting her a big cat tree soon because I know she will be more secure in her own high personal area but It will be a few weeks until I can afford it. I play with her as often as I can but she just seems uninterested in me.
When we first moved into this home I tried to limit her to the main room as that is where most of her stuff is but I think that is what has made her so nervous of my room.
I would never leave her behind but I do fear that I am stressing her out every time we have to move.

 

[ceok]

By the way thank you both for the advice and quick reply's.

 

[Columbine]

It sounds like the underlying problem here is territorial insecurity. As Ondine said, cats don't deal with change well, especially house moves. I'd look at introducing some stress-busting measures to help Lulu relax and settle in. Feliway is always a good place to start, especially the diffusers. I know it's expensive, but discount sites like Groupon.com sometimes have pretty good deals (they can also be a good place to look for budget friendly cat trees too) Get a few cheap cardboard scratchers too, and as she uses them, scatter them around the house. This will get her scent into every room, which is another way to help her feel secure. If money is tight, check out Pinterest an YouTube for tutorials on diy cardboard scratchers - with all the moving, I'll bet you have some cardboard boxes lying around somewhere!
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Daily interactive playtime is another great stress busting measure, and it's the easiest way to build territorial confidence too If your priority is to get her comfortable in the bedroom, have at least one good play session there each day, followed by a meaty snack or treat. Anyplace a cat 'kills' and eats it's 'prey' becomes it's territory, so doing this will help Lulu claim the bedroom (and the bed) as her own.
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Stay patient, stay calm, and trust that Lulu will be close with you again. She still loves you every bit as much as before - she's just taking a little while to process and adjust to her new home. Do let us know how she's getting on, and maybe post some pics too We love cat pictures here, and she sounds absolutely adorable!

 

[ceok]

I actually have about 6 cardboard boxes in my house right now in all sizes for her. She uses them all the time to chill or rip apart I bought her some new toys the other day for some variety but she will only play for about 10 minutes and then she will just lie down stretched out looking at the toys. Like shes saying "ok I like it but I'm done now" .
I don't have any boxes in my room though so I will put some in its a good idea thank you. When she was a kitten I actually make a two story house for her with tunnels out of cardboard that she loved so I might do that again.

 

[ceok]

SHE IS SLEEPING ON MY BED

I have left a cardboard box in my room for her and I have been letting her roam and spend as much time as she wants in my room lately. I just got into bed and as usual she was under the bed until she jumped up on the bed and is now curled up beside me. I had to write this as soon as she did it I'm so happy

Thank you again for the advice it's really appreciated.

 

[Elfilou]

Aw yay. If she stops doing that, try making it a routine again by laying down with her after a meal. Routines throughout the day will help a cat feel more confident anyway, in my expierence. So they know what to expect throughout the day. I'd suggest routines are even more important when the environment keeps changing. Anyway! That's great news and I hope you guys enjoy eachother