Well, thinking about it - my cats chose the location of where I live now as much as I did really.
Because when I was looking for a new place to live,
I was always wary of busy roads and dangerous areas and things.
So I was just thinking about the safety of the cats.
Welcome to Simon's Cat Logic!
We'll be finding out from a cat expert why cats behave the way they do.
Today we're talking about - Moving House.
One of the reasons I picked where I live now is because it had a nice garden and that was really important to me
because my old house used to have a kind of more of a yard than a garden.
it was a tiny little garden full of concrete and potted plants and wasn't very cat friendly,
apart from for sunbathing of course.
Moving house can be a big deal for cats.
Much their feelings of security and ability to relax comes from being
surrounded by familiar sights, scents and sounds.
Moving house can be stressful for you too
So some careful thought and consideration can help ensure a smooth move for everyone.
There are two options for moving day.
You can either book your cat into a cattery, or, take them with you as you move.
Which one you choose will depend on your own personal preferences
as well as your cat's character as every cat is different.
if you do put your cat into a cattery a few days beforehand
you won't have to worry about them while you move.
This may be the easiest solution for both of you, but you'll needs to be organized well in advance.
And particularly get your cat's vaccinations up to date prior to moving.
Whereas keeping your cat with you while you move may require a little bit more consideration.
First, allocate a room in your home that can be cleared of furniture a week or two before the move.
At the same time choose a room in the new home where you can place your cat as soon as you move.
Ideally both rooms will be out of the way so your cat would be undisturbed during the move,
as much as possible.
If you have more than one cat you'll need to give them each their own set of resources
to avoid any further stress or potential toilet problems.
If the cats don't get along they're likely to need a sanctuary room each.
To make your cat feel less anxious, we would recommend placing synthetic facial pheromones
in both the cat basket and both of the rooms a little while before they use them.
If you'd like information about using pheromone products speak to your vet for more advice.
Once you arrive at your new home take your cat to their sanctuary room
with all their familiar bits and pieces.
You may like to give them something that smells of you, such as something like unwashed clothing,
to help them settle in.
Shut the door and leave your cat alone in the sanctuary room for a while.
It's a good idea to give your cat a few days to settle in.
It can be quite overwhelming for your cat to have access to the whole house straight away.
Every cat is different and your cat will let you know when they're ready.
Cats should be kept indoors for at least three weeks to allow them time to
view the new house as a safe and secure territory.
Some cats can go missing
shortly after their owners move house as they let them out a little bit too soon.
Only let them out for short periods at a time at first. You can build up this
outside time gradually until, you feel confident they can come and go as they please.
Well, it's so nice to see the cats playing in a more natural environment.
Little Lily loves to chase anything through the long grass.
I know cats love long grass
and especially Teddy loves to sit in there and make a little den.
He makes a little den by curling himself around.
Also the trees! Maisie loved to climb trees.
So seeing this new garden in the new house and seeing how the cats just love,
love this new garden, with all it's greenery and adventures they can have in the undergrowth,
is um, it's really good to see.
Well having four cats is a lot of animals to bring into a new neighborhood,
so I was always worried about them
becoming a pain with the neighbors, so I would go out in the morning every
morning with a rake and I turn over quite a bit of soil for them to do their business in.
I always worried that they would become a nuisance to the neighbors if I didn't.
So that's one thing I did just to lessen the impact
of all these cats turning up at once.
The other thing that I noticed on moving house
was there was quite a few cat squabbles to begin with,
especially with Hugh who was the big male cat that I had.
Until they sorted out their territory
and once they sorted out who owns what and what time the day they would go out
then it all kind of settled down and became all quiet again.
Well although there was lots of little things I was worried about when I was looking for a house for my cats,
at the end of the day they've all settled down and
they are a lot happier now which makes me a lot happier.
So if you are moving house soon, we hope you and your cats are happy in their new home
you