The ups and downs of moving house with a cat

My cat is currently sitting outside our living room, looking at me through the glass door, asking to come in. In a second, I will get up, open the door to let it in and get back to work. And when I do, my cat will take a look around, go back to the door, sit in front of it and meow to be let out. This game has been going on for quite a while, ever since we brought our cat to our new house. Staying in the living room apparently would be too boring...

Moving house with a cat is a whole adventure in itself. And let me tell you, it's not always easy. So if you want to know more about my personal experience with it, just keep on reading!

Phase 1 - Bringing home new furniture

In preparation of moving (for which we somehow only planned 2 days), Matt and I started to accumulate some bits and pieces for our new home. It started with a mattress and a couple of boxes.. and oh, how happy our kitty was that we got new toys for him to play with! A mattress apparently is a great tool to do your claws, in case you were wondering...

Phase 2 - Putting everything in boxes

At first, boxes are fun. Your cat will climb on them, sleep on them, hide behind them whenever he has done something bad.. really, boxes are a great addition to your home! Why didn't you have any before?

Phase 3 - Too many boxes and not enough room

At one point, boxes will get too much. And this moment comes whenever you dare to move your kitty's litter box. Or food. Or toys. Cat's don't like when you move their stuff. Like, at all. And if you do it anyway, your cat will get revenge, in the meanest way imaginable. Ours decided to shit on our bed... let me tell you, I have never been so mad at it. Everyone else somehow seems to think that it's very funny...

Phase 4 - Picking up all the boxes

Once all the boxes are picked up and safely stored inside a moving van, your cat will suddenly go back to it's old adorable self, as if nothing ever happened. This is the moment where you can stop closing the door to your bedroom - your sheets are now perfectly safe.

Phase 5 - Packing up you cat

Until now, your cat didn't feel personally concerned with your moving. Okay, you are packing up your whole life, but that's your problem, right? But the moment you get out that dreadful transportation box, everything changes. Suddenly, your cat vanishes without a trace. You can't see it, you can't hear it. If you're really quick, you might be able to catch it under the sofa, but it will do everything it can to stay invisible!

Phase 6 - Moving house

Once the cat is safely stored in your car, you might get excited for it to see your new home. Especially if it's bigger and has a garden... But don't be fooled! Cats despise moving house. No matter how much better it's supposed to be, it will absolutely hate it. It will hide, meow, walk around like it's trying to hide, be scared... there is not much you can do. But hopefully, it will end up feeling at home within a couple of days! I'll keep you posted on that.

So here you go, that was my experience with moving my cat to another home! I hope it was helpful for those in the same situation, or at least that it made you smile.