How We Moved With 10 Cats!

A little over two years ago my wife and I moved our 10 (at the time!) cats from NYC a few hours away to Connecticut. We were really excited to give the cats more space and access to a safe catio outdoors but I was worried about the move itself.

To start, I went up to our new home with some of the cats’ furniture and placed it in our new bedroom (which would be their holding space for the first week or so) along with a few Feliway Optimum pheromone diffusers so that the room would smell familiar and welcoming. I also made sure that they had enough hiding spots and high perches to use, as well as toys and food / water bowls.

Back in our condo in NYC, I got everyone collars with their names, our phone number and a lightweight Tile tracker (AirTags also work great!) as well as scanned them to check that their microchips were still active and findable. This way, in the unlikely event that anyone escaped during the move they would be easily findable and traceable to us.

Our cats are all carrier trained (see previous blog post on how to carrier train your cats!) and I left all their carriers out in our living room so that the gang could explore on their own time. The night before the move, I gave the cats an initial dose of Trazodone (ask your vet!) and another the morning of (about 1.5 hours before we left). While we were getting ready to go, we played David Teie’s Music for Cats, which is super calming classical music often used in shelter work, and was composed just for cats!

We hired a specialized pet moving service to drive everyone safely to Connecticut. The carriers were all strapped down onto the floor of a large van and I rode along. We played Music for Cats during the 2 hour drive as well, and no one made a peep!

Once we got to the new house, I brought everyone into the bedroom area (about the size of our old nyc apartment, honestly) and opened the carriers. Many of the cats chose to stay in their safe carrier spots and others came out to explore. ONLY ONCE THE CATS WERE SAFELY IN THE NEW HOME DID MOVERS COME TO THE APARTMENT TO MOVE OUR BELONGINGS! I was so worried that a cat would accidentally get packed up or bolt when a bunch of strange people came into either the condo or the house that we planned moving the cats so that they would NEVER have to encounter movers or their things being moved. I believe that this step really saved the cats a lot of stress.

A few days after the cats were moved to CT, the movers arrived at the new home with our things. We kept the bedroom door shut and brought in anything that we needed AFTER the movers had left. Once all our belongings were in their places and the cats were regulated, we began allowing them out to explore the home in small doses. Our “head cat” came out first, allo-rubbing all over the new home and marking it as “safe” for everyone else. Very quickly after that the rest of the cats decided to venture out and all are now happy and love having more space!

TIPS FOR MOVING WITH CATS

1. Get them used to carriers.
Leave the carriers out well in advance with soft bedding, treats, and toys inside. Make them cozy and positive spaces. Carrier training is so valuable!

2. Vet check & records.
Make sure everyone is up-to-date on vaccines and microchipped. Ask your vet for health certificates if you're moving far or internationally. Consider adding a pet tracker to their collars.

3. Plan the logistics.

• How are you moving: car, plane, or other?

• If flying, check airline pet policies early.

• If driving, plan cat-friendly stops, and ideally have help if you need to manage more than a few at once. You might also consider hiring a special animal transport service.

4. Prep your new home.
Set up a “cat-safe room” where they can decompress when you arrive. Include litter boxes, food, water, toys, scratching posts—familiar smells and routines. Make sure to hold them in this room until your movers have left and all furniture and boxes are unpacked!

5. Keep them secure.
Each cat in their own sturdy carrier (or large crates with dividers for bonded pairs). Label each carrier with names and photos just in case.

6. Keep things calm.
Play soft music, cover carriers with breathable cloths, and use calming sprays like Feliway if they’re prone to stress. Ask your vet about helpful medications like Trazodone and Gabapentin.

7. Monitor temperature & ventilation.
Especially in a car or cargo vehicle. Cats overheat easily, so keep the air flowing!

8. Introduce them slowly.
After the move, let your cats explore one room at a time. Gradually expand their space as they settle. It might take a few days to weeks depending on personality.

9. Stick to routines.
Same feeding times, same litter types, same toys—familiarity helps reduce stress.

10. Watch for signs of stress or illness.
Hiding, not eating, or litter box issues can be normal at first, but if they continue, a vet check might be needed.