Dear Sinéad and Siouxsie,

My 5-year old kitty, Tira, and I are about to go through a slightly chaotic time. I'm soon going to have my own place, and Ms. Tira (my first kitty) is coming with me, since the home she's lived in her whole life is being sold (and the house my housemates are moving to has a meeean older cat!). I'm worried about the move and all the things that come with it: teaching her where her new litter is, getting her accustomed to the new area, etc. In addition to this, she and I will be living alone once this time comes, and I really don't want to leave her alone in a new space for long periods, as I work all day! I've been thinking about getting her a new friend, but am a little worried about this since she's only displayed hostility toward other cats in the past (hissing at vet offices, growling at strange cats at the windows, etc.). Tira is an entirely indoor cat and hasn't been around other cats so far during her life.

In addition to this, I need to find a way to get Tira to tolerate wearing a collar, in case the unthinkable happens and she tries to run away from the new place! I'm not sure how to go about doing this.

Would the adjustment be easier on her if I got the new place a few months early and took her on little trips to the new place for a few hours at a time? Or would the extra transportation be more stressful?

Whatever you can tell me would help tremendously. I'm hoping the move goes well, and I'm trying to alleviate as much stress from my baby as I possibly can! Thanks so much!

--Joey

Sinéad: First of all, Joey, we'd like to congratulate you for understanding that this will be a difficult transition for Tira and for your willingness to make it as stress-free as possible.

Siouxsie: That having been said, our best advice to you is to make these changes one step at a time. Don't try to get her into a collar, leave her alone AND introduce a new friend at the same time. That would be a recipe for disaster.

Sinéad: We'll start by crossing one worry off your list: you don't have to fret too much about Tira's ability to locate her cat litter. All you have to do is place the litterbox where it will be in your new home, show it to her once, and she'll figure out the rest. Just don't change litter brands or clean the box with deodorizing disinfectant right away--she'll want to be able to smell that it is still "her" litterbox.

Siouxsie: You don't have to take Tira to the new place before you move in. In fact, she may prefer to have the number of rides in the car kept to a minimum. Most of us cats don't like to travel.

Sinéad: However, don't let Tira loose in your new house before all the moving is complete. First of all, she may escape, and in a strange neighborhood she could easily get lost. Second, the trauma of moving furniture and all the noise and chaos that accompanies moving will be very hard on her.

Siouxsie: As we've mentioned in past columns about moving with cats, we recommend that on moving day, you empty one room in the old house (with a door that closes firmly), and leave Tira in there with food, water, bed and litterbox while the moving out takes place. Again, this will minimize the possibility of escape and reduce her level of trauma.

Sinéad: After everything is moved into the new house and the furniture placed where you want it, you can bring Tira over and let her explore. Unpacking boxes won't be very traumatic, but you do want to make sure the door won't be opening and closing repeatedly and she won't get in the way of the movers.

Siouxsie: If you have to take Tira with you as soon as all your stuff is removed from your old house, make sure you put her in a room by herself with the door closed, and with food, water, bedding and litterbox, just like you did in the old house. Once the furniture has been arranged and the chaos is over, let Tira out and allow her to explore her new home.

Sinéad: A dose of Bach Rescue Remedy before and after the move is complete will help Tira with the shock of the change. It will help you, too.

Siouxsie: Bach Rescue Remedy is a flower essence designed to help people and animals deal with trauma of any kind. It can be found at most health food stores or any other location where homeopathic or herbal remedies are sold.

Sinéad: A dose of Rescue Remedy, for a cat, consists of one drop, stroked into the fur at the top of the head. That way, the essence will be absorbed through the skin--we cats don't much like the taste of it, so this is a better way to give it to us.

Siouxsie: We also recommend that you spend a lot of time cuddling with Tira and giving her love and affection, telling her how brave she is for going through this difficult transition.

Sinéad: Another thing that will help is if you manage your own stress level about your upcoming move. We cats are very sensitive to our humans' emotions, and when you're stressed, it stresses us too. So make sure you take care of yourself.

Siouxsie: Don't forget to talk to Tira about what's going to happen. You may feel silly talking to a cat, but believe me, we do appreciate being informed in advance when major upheavals are going to take place!

Sinéad: When you get to your new home, you can use a feline pheromone analogue to help Tira feel more relaxed and happy in her new space. Our favorite of these is Feliway, which is available through CatFaeries. Our vet clinic uses Feliway, and it helps us feel much less stressed out about our checkups and shots.

Siouxsie: Gail, the lady who runs CatFaeries, can also offer you some very good advice about how to use Feliway to help Tira through her transition. Mama uses Feliway here, and it helps Sinéad, Thomas and me feel less stressed about sharing our territory and living in a downtown apartment building.

Sinéad: We strongly advise against getting another cat at this time. First of all, you say that Tira doesn't seem to like other cats. That's a warning sign right there. Secondly, there will be enough stress in her life without having to deal with another kitty in her new home.

Siouxsie: It may take a while for Tira to adjust to your work schedule and being alone while you're at the office. But take it from us, we usually spend most of the day sleeping anyway, so it shouldn't be too difficult.

Sinéad: You can leave the radio on--at a low volume, tuned to a mellow jazz station or something like that--so Tira won't feel so lonely while you're away. There are also toys you can buy that can keep her entertained while you're not there to play with her.

Siouxsie: If after a few months you notice that Tira is seeming depressed because of spending so much time alone, then you might revisit the issue of adding a friend for her. If you do go this route, we recommend a young cat of the opposite gender. Female cats don't generally get along with other female cats, particularly if they're similar in age.

Sinéad: Of course, Siouxsie and I are an exception to that rule because we're littermates, and we've been together since we were in our kittymama's womb.

Siouxsie: As for the collar issue, again, we recommend that you wait on this. If you're extremely concerned that Tira is a major "flight risk," you might choose alternative identification options, such as microchipping or tattooing. If Tira runs away and she's found by animal control authorities, a quick check with a microchip reader can get Tira back home to you.

Sinéad: One caution about microchips, though: not all animal control authorities or vets have microchip readers. They're more common in large metropolitan areas, but here in rural Maine, where we live, we don't believe most animal shelters have access to these devices.

Siouxsie: From what we understand, tattoos are generally done in a cat's ear, and basically it's just a reference number. Generally if a cat is tattooed, the reference number can be checked with veterinarians or animal shelters and the owner found and contacted.

Sinéad: On the up side, though, some cats take really well to collars, viewing them as "jewelry" that they love and are very proud of. Others aren't so great about the idea.

Siouxsie: If you do get a collar for Tira, make sure it's a "safety collar," which will break if she gets hung up in a tree or a fence rather than allowing her to suffocate or be trapped without food or water.

Sinéad: Make sure you keep the contact info on Tira's collar tag up to date, too. Otherwise, it will be useless if she runs away.

Siouxsie: We recommend you keep Tira indoors anyway, which it seems you already do. But if she is an indoor-outdoor cat, make sure that you keep her indoors at the new location for at least a week so she can reorient herself to her new home before taking trips outside. That will minimize the possibility of her getting lost.

Sinéad: We hope these tips help you and Tira to flourish in your new home, Joey. Please feel free to contact us if you have any other questions.

Got a question? Need some advice? E-mail Sinéad and Siouxsie at advice@paws-and-effect.com. None of the advice in this column is meant to be a substitute for regular veterinary care.