Should I Relocate With 8 Month Old Male Cat To A New Home?

[winkie]

Hello cat lovers,

I am moving to a new location within city about 15 kms away from old home. I have a very loving 8 month old male cat whom I raised when he was just 1 month and his mom had abandoned him. I am very stressed and worried as I do not wish to leave him and if I take him I fear he will get lost. He is outdoor and indoor cat but loves me very much. He still eats from my hand and sleeps on my bed. My fear is that he will go out obviously and I know he can come back on his own, but to read his mind as maybe he wants the old home and old territory. What to do? It's urgent as I am shifting in a day or so. The area I am moving is vast green belt with houses and shops but lots of wide open area and trees. I want to know will he try to go to his old home?

Please guide..thanks

 

[Minxxy]

Hello cat lovers,

I am moving to a new location within city about 15 kms away from old home. I have a very loving 8 month old male cat whom I raised when he was just 1 month and his mom had abandoned him. I am very stressed and worried as I do not wish to leave him and if I take him I fear he will get lost. He is outdoor and indoor cat but loves me very much. He still eats from my hand and sleeps on my bed. My fear is that he will go out obviously and I know he can come back on his own, but to read his mind as maybe he wants the old home and old territory. What to do? It's urgent as I am shifting in a day or so. The area I am moving is vast green belt with houses and shops but lots of wide open area and trees. I want to know will he try to go to his old home?

Please guide..thanks

I'm sorry you're faced with this difficult decision. Could you move him with you but make him a strictly indoor kitty? It may take some adjustments but he'd get used to it.

 

[winkie]

Thanks Minxxy.. I hope so...but it is very tough to keep him inside specially at night....whole day he is inside..also never adjusts with strangers specially humans..he makes a loud noise if he sees another human except my family....i also fear if he gets lost he will never come out from his hiding as he is afraid of humans..my new house is on the street but fenced and people move to and fro. Though he has ample space to play as a big lawn in front and back to keep him busy...but i have earlier experienced..even if they are spayed they love to roam outside...and i am so worried ..as i will feel guilty if something bad happens to him...and moving is necessary as my landlord is selling the house.

 

[Minxxy]

Thanks Minxxy.. I hope so...but it is very tough to keep him inside specially at night....whole day he is inside..also never adjusts with strangers specially humans..he makes a loud noise if he sees another human except my family....i also fear if he gets lost he will never come out from his hiding as he is afraid of humans..my new house is on the street but fenced and people move to and fro. Though he has ample space to play as a big lawn in front and back to keep him busy...but i have earlier experienced..even if they are spayed they love to roam outside...and i am so worried ..as i will feel guilty if something bad happens to him...and moving is necessary as my landlord is selling the house.

I'm sorry. It's a tough situation. In your new house could you maybe give him his own room ? If not maybe you could install a cat door in a window that leads outside to a tightly en
secured cat enclosure that way he could still go outside but unable to wander off.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[jen]

If you left him behind, who would be caring for him?

 

[di and bob]

I would take him. Keep him in the new house for at least a month and then you can gradually let him out, although I don't recommend that. If he is miserable, get a rabbit hutch or a Large crate to bring him outside in so he can smell and see all the new things. If he gets out before at least a month, he WILL get lost.

 

[war&wisdom]

It may be possible to harness train him so that you can take him out with you.

 

[Willowy]

Yes, keep him inside for a while. Some people say 2 weeks is sufficient, but a full month would be better. Also, if he isn't done already, have him castrated, as he's the proper age for that and it'll keep him from wandering a lot. But he definitely needs to be kept inside long enough to become imprinted on the new home! That's very important.

 

[jcat]

We (the shelter, that is) usually recommend that an indoor/outdoor cat be kept exclusively inside for 10 -12 weeks following a move.

 

[FunnyFaceFamily]

Yes take him with you but keep him inside for as long as you can. He needs to get used to the idea that the new home is his territory and where he is safe, gets fed and loved etc. Good luck. Also, when u move make sure he is shut in a room with his things and some blankets or your clothes that smell of you whilst people are walking in and out and unpacking etc is going on. Only let him out when the new house is quiet and he has eaten or used the litter tray in the room he is confined to. Eating or using litter box show he is somewhat comfortable. He will likely not even want to go outside for at least a week. Any questions don't be afraid to ask this community. They are great! Good luck.

 

[marmoset]

Take him and keep him in for a few months before letting him out or just transition him to fulltime indoors which is honestly the best way to prevent future heartbreak. If you have any trouble due to his behavior being indoors after the move then post to us about it- that's what this site is for

I've taken in so many cats from outdoors and transitioned them indoors. Usually it's not that bad and since he's only 8 months old it should be easy if you make the new place cat friendly and entertaining. I find that mixing things up early on doesn't make it an easier transition. So things like catios and time outdoors hurts more than helps during that transition time but that's just been my experience. I could be wrong or it could've been just wrong for the cats that I tried it with but for them making the change to indoors and sticking it out was what worked.

 

[winkie]

If you left him behind, who would be caring for him?

No one Jen.

 

[jen]

No one Jen.

Hopefully that answers your question then

 

[winkie]

Thanks all. Special thanks to all who advised me to take him. Tomorrow I am relocating and i will take him in car. my brother will drive and I will handle him..earlier also once I took him to a vet and I just wrapped him in a warm blanket and hugged him to my chest as we drove to the vet, talking to him and praising him all the time and petting him..he just had closed his eyes and didnt wanted to see outside the window as was very afraid of vehicles passing by and their noise. So i think i will carry him same way..because i tried putting him carrier and a basket to which he refused... Its 15 km drive and i hope it works fine...I will try my best to keep him inside...please all of you pray he is safe and is not lost there...will update once i settle down.. I will unpack my things myself and already have brought all his toys and bowls and litter boxes so that he gets used to it...thanks again to all

 

[danteshuman]

I would suggest for the first month, before you open the front door to leave, place him in his room (your bedroom.) That way there are two doors between him and a escape attempt. When you are home (after work) you can let him out of his room.
I would also strongly suggest getting him microchipped.

They sell window perches (or window catios) that you install and then your cat can lounge outside safely.

 

[FunnyFaceFamily]

I completely agree with this. For the first few weeks or month, you'll know when its been long enough, always make sure there are 2 doors between him and the outside whenever you go in or out. We've just moved our 6 cats and for the time being we aren't using the front door. Instead we are leaving and entering the house by the back door as it is off of the kitchen. So first we go in to the kitchen, check there are no cats in there, close and lock the kitchen door. Then exit through the back door which we also then close and lock behind us. Cats are incredibly quick and sneaky creatures. Without this precaution at least one could easily get passed us as we leave or come home! Also if its not too late, i really recommend starting him in a room of the house before you let him have free reign over the whole house. Let us know how it goes when u have time xx

 

[winkie]

I would suggest for the first month, before you open the front door to leave, place him in his room (your bedroom.) That way there are two doors between him and a escape attempt. When you are home (after work) you can let him out of his room.
I would also strongly suggest getting him microchipped.

They sell window perches (or window catios) that you install and then your cat can lounge outside safely.

Thanks so much for advise...I cannot Microchip as there are no vets here who do this...

 

[winkie]

Thanks all for giving me hope and encouragement...finally i relocated him to new home...and it has been 7 days now...First day was terrible...as when I opened the main gate of the house and tried to unlock the door of the main room after the lawn...the keys got stuck and we had to struggle it to open it....Mishtu my cat became uneasy whle I was holding him tight to my chest and my brother struggled to unlock the door. He tried to escape giving me pushs and pulls and as the door was taking time to open i ran back to the main gate and asked my brother to leave the door and openthe car so that i sit back with Mishtu all safe inside the car. I sat there for another 15 minutes till finally door was opened and I again had to carry him inside now to the first room and placed him in next room which is ofcourse my bedroom. He ran and hid under the bed...He didnt came out till evening..also neither ate but gradually i had to drag him out and make him eat...which he did...Next day all morning he slept and ate...but at evening again was desperate...and unexpectedly the owner arrived with his gardner to show him for cleaning the lawn.

This led to opening to main gate, as well as living room door. Mishtu though was in my bed room adjacent to living room he sneaked out hearing their voices from the little window which was quite high and I had never thought he would attempt that to come from so little of space as window as all grilled with fence...so in commotion he escaped and ran to the living room and then out in the lawn and climbed the boundary wall and jumped to my neighbours house. I also ran behind..and I shouted at my owner to leave at this time. My brother also ran to the neihbours house and we saw Mishtu on the terrace. We rang the bell but they didnt opened...We kept on calling Mishtu but he meowed and ran more further away from us.

After an hour standing out in cold night we stopped calling him and hid ourselves so that he didnt saw us. Then he came out and climbed a tree right across the road. I also ran and climbed the tree (it was so embarrasing as people taking walk at night thought I was mad climbing trees at night) Finally after much of tough and rough climbs I caught hold of him and brought him inside...The next day was all quiet with him..he slept with me infact upon me holding me tight...Then on fourth day he came out from my bedroom and I picked him on my lap and showed him the lawn, taking with him sweet words, and let him a bit loose..he played and dug a hole, and came back inside the room by itself...Now he only ventures out to the lawn and comes inside showing no intention of running away...I have told my neighbours about my cat and they have agreed to call me in case something happens again...I thank all of you for your kind support you gave me emotionally to bring my adorable cat with me to the new home to which he is adjusting fast...Thanks all of you

 

[LittleShadow]

Hugs and best wishes! It can be hard to help a cat adjust, but you can do it! Do your best to keep him indoors as much as possible for the next month or two, and strictly supervise outside time, and he should adjust. My formerly-feral Molly didn't understand my move and her sudden lack of access to the great outdoors either, but now that she's had a few months she's not as bolt-happy as she used to be and is relatively easy to catch when she escapes. You can do it!

 

[Kflowers]

Mishtu loves you very much. Cats are much more attached to be people than they are to places. Wicked people made up that myth about them caring more for places than people so they could abandon their cats without a thought. I'm so happy you kept Mishtu by your side.

Almost all cats hate the carrier. It is still the safest way to transport cats and the one you should use at least for the next year until he's comfortable in the area. Put treats in it for him to find while he's inside it.

My current one says nothing in the carrier. An early set of 7 objected to the carriers. We still used them. After we moved all our stuff, we put everyone in carriers and started the few blocks to the new house. They were screaming so loudly the police stopped us to ask "what are you doing to those cats?"

None the less, those cats always rode in carriers. We've had cats who hid under the brake pedal while the car was in motion, cats who hid under the seat and the seat had to be removed to get the cat out. And one special cat who decided the best way to ride was with his arms wrapped around the driver's head, his paws over the driver's eyes.

Happy you and Mishtu are still together. May you have a long and happy shared life.