Should I board my cats during moving?

[mycatsmom]

I am moving from NJ to NC in less than a month.  It is a very hard move for me because my husband died 2 years ago and this move is starting over.  I am very stressed and juggling a full time job and dealing with 19 years of belongings and doing it all alone.

It is an 8-9 hour drive.  I have a nice vet tech who I am trying to hire to come and pick up the cats the day before the movers come, take them to the vet office where she works, and board them there for 2 days until I am ready to drive down.  They could get their annual exams and vaccinations while they are there.  

This way I would have help getting them into their carriers, they would be safe while the movers are there, and while being boarded would be stressful for them, they would also be stressed confined to a room in my house.

Does this sound like a good plan?  

 

[zed xyzed]

I am so sorry for your loss. I think it is a good plan, I think either way the cats will be stressed, but they will likely be safer being boarded. I would hate to have them run out of the house with the movers and get lost at the "old house" I wish you a safe and smooth move. Let us know how everything worked out. 

PS try to check on them as often as you can 

 

[mycatsmom]

It is all set.  The vet tech/petsitter will come the morning BEFORE the move, wrangle the cats into their carriers and take them for boarding at the vet office where she works.  The kitties will get their annual exams (a few months early) and rabies boosters while they are there.  They will be there for 2 full days and I will pick them up before I drive down.

Now....

One of them (Eli) is very sensitive.  The one time I've taken him to the vet he panted all the way.  I have heard that people sometimes give Benadryl to calm them down.  The vet had said she would prescribe Xanax, but I've read sometimes it has the opposite effect.

Can anyone suggest what to do?  They will be traumatized by the vet stay, but they would also be traumatized at home with the movers there and then being in an empty house that last night.  And this way I know they are  kennelled and safe.

I have ordered a hammock-type seat cover so they can't soil the car seats.  I've ordered special seat belt extenders for the carriers to securely fasten those.  They will be in separate carriers with the openings facing each other so they can see.

My plan is to put them in the master bathroom when I get to the new house, since I plan to put a litterbox there anyway.  What are your suggestions for getting them acclimated to the house?  I am bringing all their cat trees so they will have lots of stuff that smells like home.  Eli tends to pee when he is upset so I am a bit worried about the upstairs carpet, but not much I can do about that.

All suggestions for acclimating them after this trauma would be appreciated!!  Thank you!

 

[zed xyzed]

I wouldn't give them a sedative unless you find that during the trip they are too stressed. I cover the carrier in a heavy blanket and find that calms my guy a little. In your new house give the kitties ample places to hide, boxes that are tucked away. I think having stuff that smells like home will help too. When I first got Midi I didn't know I had a cat for 5 days other than food disappearing at night the a deposit or 2 in the litter box. 

Wishing you a safe trip 

 

[MoochNNoodles]

When we moved we set the girls up in one bedroom and locked them in there with thier cat tree, food/water/litter, some nylon cubes they used to play in and the couch blanket. The door was locked so no one would let them out on accident since we had a DIY move with help from people from our chuch.

Once things calmed down I opened the door to let them explore at their own pace.