Moving time... an exhausting experience for most of us but for our feline companions, it’s much more than that… For many cats, changing homes represents a very difficult period of their life. Routine and stability of their environment, which are integrated so deeply in their life, are taken away in an instant. They will have to work really hard at creating a new routine with new habits in this new environment.

However there are ways to help your cat go through this transition period more easily. The day of the move, isolate your cat (in your old house and your new home), in a room where he will be cut off from the noise and the movers while furniture and boxes are being moved around. Choose a quiet room like a bathroom, as opposed to a living room or a bedroom. Make sure to put his litter in a corner of the room and his food/water at the opposite end of the room or on the counter (if your cat can jump) – remember that if the food/water is too close to the litter, your cat will not eat or drink. You can also treat him to tuna, pieces of cooked chicken or his favourite treats! These simple gestures might help kitty make a positive association with this new territory. Giving your cat new toys could also help reduce stress during and after the move and help kitty come out of this experience with a positive attitude towards his new home.

Do not let your cat out of his isolated room until the move is completed, until there are nobody else in the home but the usual members of the family and until most of the furniture is put in place. Definitely do not let your cat out as long as he is not calm. If he remains hidden in a corner of the room, if he crawls on the floor and if he does not eat, this means he is not ready to explore the rest of the house. Wait until he recovers from all the stress and anxiety and adopts a somewhat normal behaviour before letting him loose to discover his new territory. Let him explore at his own pace, room by room, floor by floor. Some cats might take a few days or even a few weeks to explore this whole new territory. Other cats, more curious and brave, will be very eager to begin this great adventure of exploring this new territory quickly. Most of you know your cat well enough to assess if he will adapt easily or if it will take him longer to adjust to his new surroundings. During this adaptation period, it is important to make sure your cat eats and drinks regularly. If, after 2 days, he has not eaten or drank, you must see a veterinarian quickly. Do not wait until your cat is dehydrated.

When your cat explores, let him do so without following him because if you do, it is as if you were telling him that there might be something potentially dangerous and you want to protect him (at least that’s how kitty will perceive your behaviour). This will obviously not help him adjust. Instead, act normally all the while keeping an eye out for him. Kitty will then think that though his territory has changed, the routine remains relatively the same which will reassure him. Do not push your cat into exploring where he does not want to. Let him do this his own way.

The faster your new home is reorganized, the better it will be for kitty. Remember that every single time you change something in his territory (your home), he has to adjust again. In the weeks following the move, try not to change too many things in the home to help your cat create his new routine and get accustomed to his new home more quickly. As most cats find security in heights, adding a cat tree will greatly contribute in creating an interest and reduce his stress, especially if you have more than one cat.

Adding disposable litters in various rooms will also help your cat get accustomed to his surroundings more quickly – to which you must add litter from his old litter box so kitty can identify his old smell with these new litters.

Taking the time to prepare the arrival of your feline companion in his new home is worth all the time and energy you will invest and he will surely give you back in his own way what you gave him.

Educhateur, Consultants in feline behaviour
514-792-1701

The cat tree – an essential aspect in your cat’s life

A cat tree or, as some of us like to call it, a « condo » for cats, does not have for sole purpose to please your cat. Actually, cat trees are quite essential in a household, especially if more than one cat share a territory. We often use the cat tree as a means to solve issues related to aggressions, urine marking and even generalised anxiety. How can a simple cat tree become so beneficial for your cat?

You have certainly noticed that your cat likes to climb wherever it can. Whether on your kitchen table, your sofa, the library, the top of the cabinets or the fridge, it loves to be on top of things. Height is one aspect that defines your cat’s life. In nature, the cat is at the centre of the food chain, being a predator and a prey. When high up, a cat can watch over its territory to spot a potential prey as well as to protect itself from a predator. Because many of its predators cannot climb trees, the cat knows it is safe and out of reach. Even though your domestic cat does not have to worry about hunting preys or protecting itself from a predator in your home, its instinct tells it it is safer to always be high up. And if you have a dog that shares the territory with your cat, it will appreciate you providing it with a cat tree in each main rooms of the house: this will make it feel secure. It will know it can hide in the cat tree and the dog will not be able to climb to reach it. This will make for a less anxious cat that will enjoy walking around the house wherever it feels like, knowing there is always the cat tree to protect it. Thus, a nervous or scared cat could see in a cat tree a secure place for it to go where it will see what it perceives as danger coming its way.

The notion of predator/prey is not the only reason explaining why your cat enjoys climbing. In an environment where multiple cats share the same territory, the dominating cat will take over, most of the time, the highest place(s) available, as long as its physical condition and its age permit it. The cat that comes second in the hierarchy has the second highest spots and so on. If there are not enough high places of various heights available for your cats to share, they might be inclined to argue by fighting or trying to intimidate one another for a piece of the territory. The cat tree thus becomes particularly important when many cats share the same territory, like a small apartment because the tree enlarges the territory vertically, giving the chance to each cat to have its own share of it. This will significantly lower the number of altercations and fights between your cats.

Now that you understand the importance of owning a cat tree, it is as important to know how to choose a cat tree that will meet the needs of your feline companions. How do you choose the ideal cat tree? The first quality to look for is its height. The highest the better because your cat will be in a better position to do surveillance on its territory. Furthermore, because high cat trees allow for multiple steps of various heights, many cats will be able to use it simultaneously based on their position in the hierarchy (the dominant usually taking the highest step). The best cat tree allows for various options or ways to climb up to the highest step without disturbing another cat occupying one of the lower steps. You will then avoid fights between the cat wanting to climb and the cat already using the tree. Stability of the cat tree is another quality to look for. A cat must feel secure when, for example, it wants to speed away from the tree without the tree falling on the cat. So look for a tree that has a large base capable of supporting the weight of the structure. Many cat trees use poles covered with cord, which cats love to use to do their claws. So by selecting such a cat tree, you will also offer your cat a place to do its claws and it will be much appreciated!

Once you have purchased your cat tree, you must find the perfect place to put it. The tree must offer your cats the best view of a whole room with a view of the room entrance. A cat tree in front of a window or a patio door is often a winner because your cats love to observe what is going on outside. By doing so, you might even solve urinary marking or redirected aggression problems caused by a frustrated cat that spots a cat outside the house. Your cat, being higher than the cat outside, feels dominant thus more confident.

You can get your cats used to their new tree by spreading a little catnip on the various steps, placing a bowl of food at the base of the tree or even on one of the steps. If a cat tree remains unused for more than 5 days, it is because you have not found the ideal spot for it. Move your tree until your cats enjoy using it.

To summarize, if you have many animals at home, if your cats always want to climb somewhere, if a cat is anxious, the cat tree could be a gift the whole family will benefit from: your cats, your dog and even yourself!