| Title: | Meower Power is Valuing Differences |
| Notice: | FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY |
| Moderator: | MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO |
| Created: | Sun Feb 09 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Tue Jan 11 1994 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 5089 |
| Total number of notes: | 60366 |
We moved from the condo to our new home and what an experience! I
don't know if there is another topic on this subject (just haven't had
the time to check it out) but perhaps the experience we had might help
someone else.
Otis was just a baby when we adopted him - and he has lived his whole
life (he's 1 1/2) in one place....Tiffany, who is 3, has been traumatized
(poor thing) more than she cares to admit....so I just assumed that she
would have a hissy on us. I couldn't have been more wrong.
Otis, at the old place, was so mellow. He would greet family, friends
and strangers (even dogs) with an "I don't care" attitude - where Tiffany
was more cautious and protective. So, when the time came to move I
expected Tiffany to be the _spaz_ and Otis would take it all in stride -
attempting to sneak outside and/or being a nosy pain in the butt.
Let's put it this way - I am glad I didn't put money on this thing.
Poor Otis. The movers would go from room to room (8 of them) and he
would try to hide but never succeeded. His eyes were like saucers, he
was shaking, he didn't eat, didn't use the litter box and was petrified.
Tiffany, on the other hand, walked around inspecting the men and making
her presence known all the time. She took it all in stride and it didn't
phase her at all.
When we gathered the 'kids' up to take them to their new home - Tiffany
whined in the carrier (she is claustrophobic) and Otis clung to Tracey
for dear life. We got them inside our new home and Otis didn't leave
my bedroom for 2 days. He clung to me and wouldn't let me out of his
sight. He would only eat Pounce - he wouldn't get off the bed to eat
anything else and didn't like all the new hardwood floors....I guess
they felt 'cold' and slippery compared to the wall to wall carpet we had
had at the other place. Tiffany stayed by his side and 'washed' him
and she would lay right next to him when I left the room. The normally
quiet Otis discovered he had vocal cords and cried, howled and talked
all the time. You know, that deep gutteral ghostly sort of noise that
makes you think they have come back from the dead?
Well, it's been a week now and Otis is still cautious but he found the
cellar Saturday and hid in a room while the workmen installed the dryer
vent kit) and is now so FILTHY that it's disgusting. He seems to revel
in the fact that he played in dirt and had one heck of a good time.
Next best to thing to going outdoors I guess - and having 'proofed' the
basement it seems pretty safe down there. The house was built around
1850 so it's one of 'those' cellars all kinds of nooks and crannies.
He is back to his normal eating habits but he and Tiff don't have their
daily run up and down the stairs like they used to - those newly
polyurethaned floors are pretty hard to lay a grip into...and it scares
the bejeezus out of them going around the corner. Otis loves sitting
at the top of the oak staircase and looks down through the railings
into the living room. They do seem to miss watching the birds feed
at our old place though.
I was totally unprepared for this behavior. There is probably
something I could have done to prevent his fear and anxiety - has anyone
else gone through this and perhaps has some 'tips' for short and long
distance moves?
Love my new home but it was traumatic getting there.
Marilyn, Otis and Tiffany
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4238.1 | minimize their exposure to confusion | FORTSC::WILDE | illegal possession of a GNU | Mon Dec 10 1990 14:45 | 11 |
In our house, the move was pretty easy because we minimized the trauma to the "kids". We moved them to the vets for a bath and packed up and moved our stuff BEFORE bringing them home....then simply took them to the new house. They were at the vets for 4 days - and they like the people down at the clinic because they make a big fuss over them - and then they came home to a mostly unpacked house. Adjustment for the cats was minimal... I think the fact that they all smelled different helped them understand the different smell of the new house. With Nicholas as jumpy and scared as he is, I knew he would never recover if I put him through packing and moving....I recommend you simply keep the cats OUT of the process...they seem to take it much better. | |||||
| 4238.2 | *old and new smells* | AIMHI::OFFEN | Mon Dec 10 1990 17:19 | 13 | |
I brought Lightning, my one cat at the time, up to the new house the
day before we did the major move. There were some things already there
that I had already carted over so some of the old smells were there. I
stayed the whole day with her and then left her with food, water and
cat-box.
When we brought the rest of the items the next day, I locked her into
the greenhouse where no-one was going and waited for everyone to leave
before letting her out. The *old* smells were now in the *new* place.
She adjusted beautifully.
Sandi now mom to 4 cats, 1 dog and a stray
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| 4238.3 | ALLVAX::LUBY | DTN 287-3204 | Tue Dec 11 1990 09:34 | 24 | |
Re: .0 Strangers make my two cats frightened if they make alot of noise. If I have just a friend or two over to visit, the two cats go about business as normal. But a party makes them quite nervous and when I had my new bed delivered a couple of weeks ago, T.K. was a bit upset. When I last moved, I emptied one room on my own and shut the two cats in there. I went in periodically to visit and reassure them. They could here everything but couldn't see things. I took them in the car to the new place and shut them again in a room there until the movers had left, then let them out. They loved exploring while I was unpacking. New places don't really bother them. My suggestion for others who are moving is to isolate the cats from the activity, whether you bring them to the vets or just shut them in a separate room. Don't subject them to these strangers who are invading their home and making lots of noise. Karen | |||||
| 4238.4 | WJOUSM::GASKELL | Tue Dec 11 1990 10:48 | 12 | ||
RE: .3
This work very well for me too.
One thing, expect some anxiety from the cats if you spring clean,
clear the basement or do any major rearranging of furniture. It took
my (5 then) cats a couple of years not to get disturbed if anyone
packed for a vacation or did any major cleaning.
Three and me
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| 4238.5 | TENAYA::KOLLING | Karen/Sweetie/Holly/Little Bit Ca. | Tue Dec 11 1990 13:05 | 7 | |
Since my cats are indoor cats, even when I am just having a
repairperson or somesuch to the house I put them in a closed room,
so they won't accidentally get outside. They aren't too happy about
being shut in the room, but it is much better than the hysteria of
having the 2 non-stranger oriented ones freak out when an unknown
person walks in on them.
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| 4238.6 | out of harm's way | CSCOAC::MCFARLAND_D | bo knows windows 3.0...? | Wed Dec 19 1990 18:40 | 28 |
i agree totally about keeping them away from it all. you are very
lucky they did not get out while the movers were there. when we moved
to our house from the apartment, i put the cats in the bathroom of the
apt. before the movers came in. then, the movers hustled everything out
the door, without my fear that stella, especially, would get outside.
once the movers had everything loaded, and the doors were shut, i let
the cats out into the empty apt. they reacted strangely, but they were
o.k. with their box, food, water, and carriers left behind. then the
movers and i drove to the house (12 miles away) and unloaded. again,
no cats underfoot to get out anywhere.
finally, i drove back to the apt. once the movers had unloaded
everything in the house, and packed up the cats and drove to the house.
when i opened their carriers inside the new place, the furniture and
other belongings were already there, and the cats had the "old smells"
they were used to. i was worried they might take some time adapting,
but they were fine. they both went exploring, then retreated back
inside the open carriers for a while (security blanket?). soon they
were both out exploring the new joint again. they have settled in
beautifully. it took stella only 3 hours to be up climbing on the
ledge right under the 15 foot cathedral ceiling in the great room.
(stanley took about 5-6 hours to figure out how to get up there. well,
we know females are sharper than males, right? ;-)
diane stella & stanley
who love our new home!
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