How to Make a Cat Feel Comfortable in a New Home

Moving with a cat can be tough for a lot of pet parents. Cats are inherently territorial creatures, and transitioning from the home they’re used to into a new home can cause some stress—even for the most laid-back of kitties. Making your cat feel comfortable in a new home though is part of your job as their caregiver, so it’s important to go into the experience prepared.

For cats, moving to a new home is similar to moving in on that first day they were adopted. New sights and smells abound, and a lack of familiarity means that while there is a lot to explore, there is also a lot to be weary of—at least at first. We’ve gone over general tips to make moving with cats less stressful (for both you and your feline friend), but here we’ll narrow our focus and look just at ways that you can help your cat feel comfortable in a new home. Since as you know, settling in to a novel environment is difficult, even for us humans.

How long does it take for a cat to feel comfortable after a move?

The length of time it will take for your cat to adjust to their new environment depends largely on their temperament. Some cats feel at home right away, and won’t require much beyond a lesson in where their litter box, food bowl, and water bowl/fountain are. Other cats, however, might take days, weeks, or even months to start feeling safe in their new territory.

The best thing that you can do when it comes to timing is to let your cat go at their own pace. Moving is stressful. Moving when a large part of your comfort and sense of safety is wrapped up in your territorial base is even more stressful. Give your kitty as much time as he or she needs to adjust to their new home, and don’t try to rush the process.

Step-by-step guide to helping your cat feel comfortable in a new home

While you can’t force your cat to settle in any more quickly than they’re ready to, you can do certain things to ease their transition into a new home.

Note: Before you move or right after you move, transfer your cat’s records to their new veterinarian so that you’ve at least got on major base covered while you work on settling everyone in.

Move them in a cat carrier

Choose a home base

Expand their territory

Check in

Signs that your cat is stressed out after a move

There is probably no way to make a move completely stress-free for your cat, but be on the lookout for signs of stress that appear to be overwhelming and/or persistent over the course of a few days. These include:

Excessive vocalization
Excessive scratching
Excessive grooming
Hiding and/or withdrawal from interactions
Panting and/or drooling
Runny eyes and/or runny nose
Diarrhea
Lack of appetite
Lethargy
Infrequent potty breaks or doing their business outside of the litter box
Spraying
Aggression

You know your cat better than anyone. If you notice one or more of these signs—or a sign that isn’t listed here but is outside of your cat’s normal behavior—call the vet.

Final takeaways

Helping your cat feel comfortable in a new home is important, and it’s better to take it slow than to rush them into a situation where they don’t feel safe. Pretty soon, your cat should be back to their normal self, and they’ll likely even be excited about exploring their new realm.

To make sure they’re as happy as possible in their new home, provide them with plenty of attention, especially right after the move. Keep them on their same meal routine too, since that will bring a sense of familiarity to an unfamiliar situation. Encourage them to discover what their new home has to offer by piquing their curiosity with well-placed toys and scratchers, and set up a cat tree in front of a window so they can get a look outside too.

Most cats don’t take as long to feel comfortable in a new home after a move as they do to feel comfortable on adoption day. It helps that not everything is brand new: they still have you! Just give lots of extra TLC during this time and address signs of stress right away.