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Thread: Cat help?

  1. #1
    Darcy Foxx
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    Default Cat help?

    Hi everyone,

    I've been absent for a while, because I broke up with my boyfriend and had to find a new house. But that's not the issue here!

    I moved my 3 year old male cat into the new house yesterday... and he's absolutely fucking freaking.

    It's been well over 24 hours and he's still sitting wrapped up in a blanket, and he hasn't stopped shaking. He won't eat or anything, he's just sitting there with his eyes bugging out of his head.

    Has anyone got any tips on what I could do to help him adjust? The blanket he is wrapped in is one that he used to sleep in at my old house, so it has a familiar scent... I thought this might help, but now he won't leave the blanket. And if I pick him up or try to move him, he freaks out and just runs straight back to it.

    He's a very skittish cat by nature, but I wasn't expecting him to be this freaked. Is there anything I can do, or should I just leave him to adjust and hopefully in a few days he will be alright?

    Any advice is much appreciated!

  2. #2
    God/dess Lena's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cat help?

    I would close the door to whatever room he's in to shrink the big scary new space a little.



  3. #3
    God/dess Lysondra's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cat help?

    ^ Yup, that works best when retraining feral cats. Slowly open up the big scary new place to him. Leave him with his blanket, food and litter box is a well-lit small area... perhaps a laundry area with a window or a light? Window preferable. Make sure he gets his favourite comfort food.


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  4. #4
    God/dess PookaShell's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cat help?

    ^^^^ Yep....when I first got Gabby she was a little scared because it was not only a 6 hour car drive with a complete stranger, it was also being moved to a new city full of new smells, and a new apartment, with a new person and all new things. She didn't have anything familiar with her and she was very spooked. I put her in the smallest room in the house and put some of the boxes I hadnt unpacked in a square kind of thing that closed in a space big enough for her to feel comfortable but small enough for her to feel safe, right next to the window, with her litter box, cat food, and a few new toys and a new blanket for her to get used too that I had been keepin with me so they'd smell like me. She spent the first week living in her little "room" and would venture out to explore and ask for attention and when shed get stressed shed run back to her "room". After about a week she stopped needing the room and would only go there for food or pee time, and I put everything in its normal spot and she was fine.

    Cats are just finicky like that. Change is a no no to them.

  5. #5
    God/dess xdamage's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cat help?

    Take a day off, spend lots of time with him, pet and comfort him while he explores the new place. The place is all new but you are his constant.

  6. #6
    God/dess Sirona's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cat help?

    He'll chill out. We had a cat who we didn't even SEE for a week! She eventually started poking around and was fine.



  7. #7
    aussiepunkshocker
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    Default Re: Cat help?

    Ive only had one cat but I moved around alot with him at one stage. I always found the old butter trick seemed to work with him. I wouldnt just put it on his paws, I would stick wads of it on his coat too when ever he started freaking out. After about a week at each new place he seemed ok.

  8. #8
    Member Rogue's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cat help?

    I have had many cats. And the best thing to do is just what everyone has been saying. Spend time with him, put him in a smaller room, make sure there is a place he can hide (under a bed/in a closet etc) set up his food water and litter box there. You can leave the door open a crack and before you know it he will start to venture out and explore. Cats are verrry territorial and right now all of this is unfamiliar to him. It will take a few days or so but he will be fine.
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  9. #9
    God/dess UtahMike's Avatar
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    Default Re: Cat help?

    Yeah, put butter on his paws. He will lick his paws to gt it off, and then he will start grooming himself. This will make him feel happier and more secure.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Cat help?

    Oh man you should have prepared the house for him! I know, I know, hindsight and all that.

    Everyone has already said all the useful stuff for you to do... spend as much time with him as possible, keep him restricted to one or two rooms (or areas) of your new place.. and so forth.

    I bought Feliway Diffuser from The Vet Shed (www.thevetshed.com.au) and can attest myself (as I moved recently) to how it helped BIG TIME for my cat (Puddy) to feel calm and confident with the new place rather quickly.

    I also managed somehow (since this cat hates having anything inserted into his mouth) get some BFR drops associated with moving down his throat.

    Also, you may want to join http://www.cat-world.com.au/forums/

    It's an Australian cat forum. I don't go there frequently and it doesn't require you go to there frequently however it has helped me immensely with ANY cat problems.

    You will be guaranteed you will get good responces to your cat problem there compared to here (plus since it is Australian, operates on our time zone).


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