Moving With Cats: Behavior Changes after Moving to a New Home
Are you moving with cats out into a new house soon? You might want to take your cat into consideration. Cats are highly territorial bundles of joy, who can get stressed when experiencing changes to their lives.
With that said, it is normal for cats to show strange behaviors after moving with cats. You need not worry, though; by studying the potential changes in personality among cats that move houses, you can make the proper precautionary measures, and make your cat as comfortable as possible during the move. Here are some common behaviors after moving with cats to a new residence.
Behavior Changes After Moving With Cats
Clinginess
Some cats, when experiencing high amounts of stress, may end up demanding your attention more and more. As mentioned above, cats are highly prone to stress, especially when they go through significant upheavals in their routine. After moving with cats, your cat may show some unusual attention-calling behaviors, such as meowing more than they usually do.
Give your cat enough attention and affection so that you can reassure your pet. Otherwise, your cat may become more and more stressed, and show some behaviors that can be harmful to your furniture, or even to you. Keep your cat feeling reassured, by playing with him or her enough times during the day, and giving affection. You can also give him or her some treats now and then.
Destructive behavior
Unfortunately, some cats handle stress very poorly. They can become very aggressive, especially when they do not have enough personal space. For instance, if the removalist guys or other people you may have helped with the move go within the vicinity of the cat, the plethora of unfamiliar scents and vigorous activity may make them feel threatened.
To prevent your cat from showing excessively defensive or aggressive behavior during the move, leave him or her in a separate room, while you work on the rest of the house. Make sure to keep the movers out of the room, and keep the door closed so your cat has enough private space.
Need to escape
Cats need to be familiar with their surroundings before they can become comfortable in them. In some extreme cases, cats may choose to leave places that are completely new to them, opting instead for the expedient familiarity of their old house. They may even be willing to inhabit the old house, with new people coming in.
Worst of all, they might even get lost while trying to find their old home. To help your cat cope with this drastic change of scenery, try to get yours and your cat’s scents all over the house. You can also give them a piece of cloth or a toy that has the cat’s smell all over it, to curb any personality changes after the move.
Watch out for Behavioral Changes in your Cat after Moving
Cats are complex creatures. They are creatures of habit, who will always find ways to revert to the status quo. To cope with the stress of moving out, they may show some strange cat behaviors. With enough care, you can help them become comfortable in their new home.