Ok, so I may be being too preemptive here but I want to make moving as easy as possible for my kitties. I have two cats that are almost 12, they're brother and sister and I've had them since they were 3 weeks old because I found them abandoned and had to bottle raise them. Anyways, they're never apart and have actually never left my house since my aunt is a vet and just comes over to see them. They've also never even come upstairs and just live in the basement since our one dog hates cats (don't worry, we spend like half our time down there so they're not left alone). So basically they've never known more than one environment. My question is if there is anything I can do to start getting them ready to move to vet school with me in like 9-10months. I know once I move I can use the diffusers and calming stuff, but does anyone have suggestions to gently start getting them used to the idea of a new home? They're truly my babies and I want to make this as stress-free as possible, thanks!!
If you're plannning to use a cage or carrier for them, one possibility would be to put those down in the basement as early as possible to get them used to them. Leaving the doors open or blocking them open (so they don't get trapped if unattended) so they can explore them. If they don't go in I'd probably put some treats in there. To get them used to being in the carriers so that it's not such a shock when some object they've never seen before gets brought down and then they get locked into it and taken out somewhere. Possibly even then closing them in it for short periods and letting them out, and maybe even carrying them around in it in the basement even for a minute or so, just so they realize they don't really have to fear it.
I like the carrier idea. I moved several times with cats, and I would often put something that smells like home in the carrier, like an old shirt I've worn or a blanket I've had on my lap. I like to think smelling me is comforting to them when it gets stressful.
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