Planning to Sell House & Move

I'm planning to list my house next week and move into an apartment. I don't have anyone my diabetic cat (Moe) can stay with while the house is listed. He's shy around strangers so he'll most likely be hiding under my bed while people are viewing the house. There's really no risk of him trying to run out the door.

Any tips to help keep stress at a minimum while the house is being shown as well as when we move into an apartment? This is essentially the only home he's known his entire 13 years and he has me the most stressed about selling and moving. He's very easy going but stranger danger is a real thing to him

 

I would definitely make sure my cat had a really good accessible hiding spot. It's a good thing you don't have to leave while the house is being shown. I think carting him out of there every time could be even more stressful if he is used to staying home. My cats have hidys back in the corners of closets where doors are left open a crack. They can't get under the bed anymore because of the way this new one is set up. They use these places as getaways, I'm convinced.

My cats are sensitive to disruption of objects. They like familiarity. Pack in phases if possible. Don't move things around if you don't have to. When I actually moved last time I made sure they had hiding spots right up until the very last when I couldn't afford for them to hide because I had to put them in the kennels to take them to the new place. They did not want to go, and given that the old place was empty, they really were upset. I prepared the new place with their things available to them, like their cat post and blankets and beds and stuff, but they found the first hiding places they could, so prepare hiding in the new place before taking him there and let him hide. Oh, that's right, my Mabel wasn't yet insulin dependent then. That means you have to have access to the new apt hiding place so you can dose him.

On another thread I wrote about two natural calming alternatives--Bach Flower Rescue Remedy and Feliway--if you click on Mabel's pic I think you can get to my other posts. If he likes catnip I'd make blankets with catnip available to him. Best wishes to you both during your move and I hope he'll like it ultimately. You are right to feel concerned as change is hard for them. We can make change easier for them though if we plan and spare them the extra attention.

 

Make sure your realtor notes your file that there is an inside cat so the showing agent and potential buyers don't leave outside doors open while they are wandering about your property. Once you get to your new place, set up his bed, litter box and food station before you bring him home so he has familiar things around him and he can settle in. Two years ago when we moved house, Bama went from being a garage kitty with access to the outside to a strictly indoor only kitty with his own room. I made sure his room was ready for him before I picked him up from being boarded. It was an adjustment but he had his bed inside a box with a curtain covering the opening and he could hide inside familiar surroundings.