How to Get Your Cat to Adjust to Its New Surroundings

Cats have a harder time adjusting to new surroundings than they do adjusting to new people. If it were up to cats, they would live in the same place for their entire lives. Unfortunately, humans need to travel and sometimes we even need to move for work or school. It's pretty hard to take your cat with you, especially in a cross-country move. If you think you're having a difficult time adjusting, what about your cat?

Recently, my parents' cat Chelsea stayed with me for a month. I knew her from childhood as the sweet, well-behaved kitty I always loved. But after I drove her from my parents' house in suburban Pennsylvania to my one-bedroom apartment in Queens, New York, Chelsea wasn't having any of it. She was yowling her head off and sending clumps of fur flying in all directions. Chelsea kept me up for several nights with insessant crying. And unlike my mother, who is able to keep her company for most of the day, I work full time and can't be at home as much as I'd like. Eventually, Chelsea began to adjust and by the end of her stay, I think she had grown to love my little apartment. Here are some tips, so your cat can adjust as smoothly as Chelsea did.

Bring a familiar food bowl and litter box- Cats love having their own things. Hopefully you are able to bring a few of their things along with them so they don't feel quite so homesick. If they already know where to eat and where to use the bathroom, you're one step ahead of the game. If you're unable to use their familiar food bowl and litter box, make sure you allow the cat to sniff the bowl and litter box thoroughly before you put food and litter inside.

Keep the cat cozy in one room- Cats love to explore, but you don't want them to get lost! Pick your favorite room in the house, preferably one with a door, and make sure your kitty has everything she needs inside. That way, she can have a home base as she very slowly gets used to the rest of the house. If something scares her, she can always run back into her familiar room for comfort. When she starts trying to go out and explore on her own, you can start to open the door and allow her to go wild! Well, not too wild.