They asked for advice, as to how make the move as stress-free as possible for her. Having written back to them with some ideas, I thought I'd share them with you too.
Packing up a house takes some time and there's bound to be disruption. If at all possible, this is when it's ideal to create a safe haven for the cat. If you have a room that's not always used, think about making this into a little den, somewhere safe and quiet to retreat to when all the noise and upset is going on. As always, a Feliway diffuser can be like magic for many cats, and it's also a good idea to put in something with nice smells for your cat - like unwashed bed linen!! It will act to be enormously reassuring. I find that cats respond so well to quiet, gentle music - it takes the edge off the silence, and will help to muffle the sounds a little. Additionally, cats are very susceptible to energy, so the energy in the music should be gentle. If you've some meditation/yoga/Reiki music (I realise that lots of people won't!), that would be ideal, but if not, then Classic FM works really well.
On the day of the move, the best thing is to move your cats first, and before the removal men come. The day before would be even better, but this isn't always possible. Some people put their cats into catteries, but this can actually be more stressful. Think about it. Many cats dislike catteries intensely anyway, and to be removed from their home, taken to a cattery, then put into a new home a couple of days later......... If you take a few minutes to try to think and feel like a cat, you'll see what I mean.
Cats are creatures of habit, and don't like change, so thinking about ways to minimise this change for them will keep them happiest.
Some people are lucky enough to have neighbours and friends nearby, and they can go and stay with them for a couple of days. Again, not ideal, but a better option. This is what I did some years back - moving from Buckinghamshire to Peterborough. A couple of days before the final packing up, Moggie went to stay with a good friend who loved cats, in just the next road. And no other cats lived there. Once I'd unpacked and put most of my stuff away I came back to collect her. That way, things were mostly calm in the new house, and I'd already had time to create her own little space with her own things (familiar smells again!).
If moving a little more closely, there is often time to take the cat on the day of the move, before the removal starts. A customer of mine did this with great results. She identified a room that the removers wouldn't go into, and set up a little sanctuary for her there. Although there was much banging and noise going on while furniture was being moved in, she knew she was safe and secure in her little den. She stayed there the next day, and was allowed to emerge, in her own time, the next day when things were a little less manic.
This next stage is important too. Some cats will want to explore everything immediately, but others will be extremely cautious. Take your lead from them and don't force them. If they seem inclined to live in this room for a few days, then that's fine. They will come out and explore eventually. Familiar smells are a must, so the unwashed bedding again is absolutely ideal. Sounds horrible to us, but cats love it, and helps them to feel secure and safe. And plenty of Feliway around the new house too.
Whether or not you think that cats can understand what you tell them, it's still a good idea to tell them what will be happening. At the very least, they'll pick up meaning from the energy of what you're saying. To illustrate with a simple example - if Dylan's woken up in the morning with dried sleep in the corner of his eyes and I go to remove it without saying anything (I do sometimes forget!), he'll turn away and not let me do it. But if I explain gently before I make any move to do anything, he lets me get on with it. Same with giving tablets to Ralph and Shanny.
And you might also like to think about using Bach Flower Remedies. Legally I'm not allowed to recommend any of the remedies without recourse to your cat's vet, but you can make your own purchasing and dosing decisions by having a look at the web site. http://www.bachcentre.com/centre/38/walnut.htm. Remedies can be purchased through the website, or are also available at Boots.
Finally, in the rush and mess and chaos, it can be difficult to remember your cat might be having a hard time - so whenever you remember, just slow yourself and your energy down, and reassure your cat that everything is fine.
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