Dear Critter Corner: My husband and I ordered some new furniture to replace some that was outdated. We’re planning on rearranging the living room once it arrives. Is there anything we should consider for our two cats during all of this?
Most cats can be pretty sensitive to any kind of change in the home, whether it’s a new routine, a new addition to the family, new furniture, or even moving the furniture around. Cats tend to be creatures of habit and prefer consistency in their routine. Slight changes can seem ok for people but may cause cats additional stress.
If you’re planning on having new furniture delivered, it might be good to keep the cats in a safe, contained area where they’ll be comfortable when it’s delivered. Then they will be out of the way of movers, boxes being opened, or furniture being moved around. This will allow them to be happy and cozy in their safe area, with their food, water, litterbox, toys etc. After the delivery company has left, you may still want to move furniture around or decide where its final resting spot will be. Continue to keep your cats in their safe room so that once all the shifting around is done, you can let them out.
Keep in mind that to your cats, any shift in the furniture or new furniture added may completely visually change the living room to them. They may no longer see this room as the area they once knew or were comfortable in and may instead see it as if they just moved to a new home. To help with the adjustment, place some of their blankets, towels, beds, and toys on and around the new furniture along with shirts or blankets that smell like you. Although visually the living room may look different, being able to smell their scent and yours in the area will greatly help the new furniture smell like what was and is comfortable and familiar.
As they adjust to the changed furniture, be sure to keep to their original routine of feeding, playing, resting times, etc. This will help provide them with a sense of security and help them transition faster and smoother.