General Cat Care and Tips

What to do about an aggressive cat after a move.

Have you recently moved and found your once sweet cat has gotten aggressive and is acting out? You may wonder why your cat all of the sudden hates you and everyone else around them. You may think it’s simply the stress from the move, but even after a few hours, your cat is still lashing out at everyone around it.

You may think your cat has just lost its mind or maybe you’re wondering if you should keep your cat at all. After all, it’s not happy with you anymore. Hold off on trading in your cat and check out why they may be aggressive and what to do about it.

Why your cat is aggressive after a move

Since cats are extremely sensitive yet very good at hiding things, they can be a confusing animal. Cats are not fans of change and moving is a huge change. Even if your cat does go outside you have moved it from familiar territory to something that is brand new and probably smells kind of funny, at least to your cat.

When you move to a new home your cat experiences many different changes to their environment. They have no idea what is going on, but they do know something is up. After all, cats always know when something changes, even just a bit.

Changes that put your cat on alert when you move

Things start disapearing, but there are also boxes.

When you move to a new home your cat experiences many different changes to their environment. The first is things start disappearing as they are put into boxes and hidden. Though your cat may really love that box you are trying to pack or just laying on the ones that are already packed. They know something is up and something is going to change.

New People in their home, they don’t like new people

If you hire a moving company or have people come help you move then your cat is introduced to people they may not know or like. This can cause stress to a cat and they can stay stressed until long after the move is over.

I would recommend putting your cat in a room that no one else will enter. Make sure they have food, water, and toys and are comfortable.

Don’t forget to check out:

The car, aka the devil

Most cats are not fans of getting in the car and going anywhere. If you have a cat that loves car rides consider yourself lucky. For most cats however having to get in the car, even for a short ride can be a life-changing experience for you and your cat. If you know your cat is already temperamental even for a cat. Talk to your vet about the move and see what they recommend.

Try to make the car ride as comfortable as possible. You can find larger crates to hold your pet so they can walk around while in the car. You will also want them to have access to food and water during your move if you’re not just doing an in-town move.

The new home smells funny

For your cat, your new home will smell strange. They won’t like it and will spend a lot of time rubbing all over everything so that it smells like them. Cats know their territory by smell and they are very territorial.

If you have more then one cat you may find that your cats start fighting with each other. This is common and it’s because they don’t smell the same anymore. They have forgotten each other and it will take a while for them to remember who their friend is, mostly because they will eventually start to smell familiar again.

You are different and acting strange

The biggest change besides moving itself is that you are going to be different. Your not going to be snuggling as much or doing the same routine you cat is use to. After all you are trying to pack, plan your move and get things done.

This change in the normal routine is a huge clue to your cat that something is up and they will start to go on alert. This is when you need to start taking steps to make sure your cat is ready for this move

There’s not much you can do as you have to pack and move. However, if you just make sure to give your cat as much attention as possible you should end up with a happy cat. If you can’t spend the time make sure your cat has toys or another person to help distract them and keep your cat calm right from the start.

What to do with your aggressive cat after a move

You may be wondering what to do with your aggressive cat once the move is over. For general aggressive cat tips, check out my post: 10 tips to stop cat aggression when one cat goes to the vet. Many of those tips are going to be helpful for your move. However, here are a few specific tips for your cat when aggression is caused by moving.

Keep your cats daily routine inchanged.

Your cat likes routine and keeping up with that routine is the best way to make sure your cat stays calm both before and after the move. Stick with any feeding schedule you have along with any playtime you have set up. You may have to shorten playtime, but sticking with it will keep your cat from getting too anxious.

Once you do move make sure to do the same things you did in your old home. If you fed your cat at a certain time, make sure to continue. If you have changed timezones you may want to push forward or back feeding time little by little until the time is the same. Cats don’t see time the way we do so if you have an hour’s time difference they will wake you up at 6:00 am if their normal feeding time was 7:00 am.

Talk to your cat in a calming voice

If you use a calming voice both before and after the move you can help your cat remain calm as well as yourself. Moving is stressful for everyone involved and when you make yourself talk in a calm manner you not only calm your cat but yourself as well.

Many times your cat’s anxiety or aggressive behavior is because it knows you are stressed and its feeding off that stress. Before, during, and after your move take time out to sit with your cat and just relax. It will help you and your cat get through everything intact and without any craziness.

Pet or Touch your cat often

If your cat is out where you can easily get to them during your moving process make sure to reach out and pet them often. Unless you have a cat that normally does not like to be touched this will help them know you see them and that everything is okay.

Cats respond to how we act and reaching out to rub their head or give them a quick scratch is something we do often during the day. Having that same behavior during a move can help to keep them calm and relaxed.

Take your cat to the vet

You want to take your cat to the vet before your move to make sure they are healthy enough to do the move. If your doing an in-town or short movie you can probably skip this unless your cat has a health issue.

If you have already moved and your cat is still aggressive it may be time to schedule a post-move visit. Your cat could have a health issue you knew nothing about or may just be having a very hard time with the change. Talking to a vet can help you rule out health-related issues and get your cat back to its old selves.

Have a blanket that smells like them ready for the car ride and the new home

Before you get ready to take your cat to their new home. Pull out a blanket and get them to lay on it and put their smell everywhere. Having a blanket that smells like them will help your cat feel more at home once they are in the new place.

If you have more than one cat makes sure you have more than one blanket. Once you are in the new home you can rub the other cat with the first cat’s blanket and then reverse that. This will help the cats spread the community smell to each other and remember each other faster. This will help reduce anxiety and keep your cats from becoming aggressive.

Keep aggressive cats away from each other

Are your cats hissing at your other cats after your move? This is normal behavior and should be treated as such, do not punish your cat for hissing at your other cats instead separate the cats in different rooms. Make sure there are toys aplenty and blankets that smell like you are available.

Cats know scents and when they are separated for a while sometimes the other cats smell different, causing them to hiss at each other and forget they were once friends. You may also want to check with your vet about anxiety meds or you can try what I use: Pet Naturals Calming Treats

Make then feel at home in their new home

Along with the banket tip you want to make sure your cat is comfortable in their new home right away. Make sure you have room to put them in why you unload your belongings that has food, water, and toys. If you can plan your packing a bit try to make sure a cat tower or other large toy is available right away to put in that room as well. Also, don’t forget to leave the blankets in there.

Once you have all of your things moved in let your cat out to roam around a bit so they can get used to their new home. If you can leave a few new toys in each room so they have something they can do that will give them a positive few of the room.

Another way to make them feel at home in their new home is to make sure they have a lot of new toys to play with. If your moving from a larger space to a smaller one this is extremely important as board cats can become aggressive and angry cats. You don’t want your cat to take their excess energy out on your new curtains or sofa, so make sure they have plenty of entertainment.

Get your cat Spayed/Neutered

If your cat is not spayed or neutered the aggression could be solved by having that done. Though aggression of this type is more common in male cats than females it still is a good idea to have it done no matter what the sex of your cat is.

Cats are very territorial and when they are sexually active they are even more so. This could be the cause of their aggressiveness. They may see you or another animal as a threat to their new territory. Most of the time getting your cat spayed or neutered will help with the aggressiveness and other unwanted behavior.

Give it time

You will need to give your cats time to adjust. It may take a few hours or a few days for them to get back to normal. If you notice your cat is still off after about a week you may want to take them to the vet just to make sure nothing is wrong with them physically.

If after a trip to the vet your cat is given a clean bill of health, they may just still be mad at you. Cats do hate change as I have already stated. It may just be a while before they forgive you for upending their lives and putting them into a new home. I promise they will eventually love you again and the move will be nothing but a very distant memory.

Moving with a cat can be difficult. You can check out my post: 5 helpful tips on how to move a long distance with cats. That can help you plan your move so that your cat feels safe and you are prepared for the physical move with your cat.

I do hope these tips will help you keep the aggression at bay when you move your cat or help you get your friendly kitty back if you have already moved. Just remember with time and a bit of patience is all you need to get your happy cat back to its old self.

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