Dear Critter Corner: I’m in the process of moving and will have movers coming in the next few weeks to pack and move my home and belongings. I’m nervous about having my cat around while the movers are here, but I don’t know where else she can go. Any suggestions?
If your next home is nearby, the easiest option would be to set your cat up in a quiet room in the new home as their sanctuary and remove them from the stress of having to be in the previous house while the movers are busy.
If that’s not an option, then you’ll want to create a sanctuary for your cat in your home that takes them out of the way of the movers. Preferably somewhere as quiet and calming as possible and where you can store anything that is not being packed/moved by the moving company. In this area, your cat will need their daily essentials like their food, water, litterbox, bed, crate, toys, scratching post, etc. If possible, a few days or a week before the movers arrive start getting your cat used to staying in this area, preferably behind a closed door or a mesh curtain if you don’t have a closed-off space. During the day of the move, you can have your cat comfortable in their sanctuary, with some calming music playing or an entertaining cat video to help reduce the sounds of the movers.
If you determine that all of your household items and furniture must be moved, the movers will need to enter every area of the home at some point. It will be good to confirm this beforehand and then once the rest of the home has been packed/removed, you can move the cat and all of their belongings to an empty room while the movers finish up.