With Sir Keir Starmer and his cats Jojo and Prince facing an imminent and stressful house move, Cats Protection is issuing advice to cat owners on how to make the process as smooth and orderly as possible.  

Cats are territorial creatures who like to control their own environment, so they will find moving a stressful experience, but following a few simple tips can reduce the trauma for everyone concerned: 

• Ask a friend or family member if they can look after your cat while you move. It can often be better for them to be away from the home for moving day.
• If the cat is staying with you, then one week before the big move, allocate a space in your current home for them and include a bed, litter tray, toys, food and blanket
• If like Sir Keir you have two cats, then double these resources, or if your cats don’t get on, allocate them separate safe rooms.  
• On the day of your move, put your cat in this room with fresh water, a clean litter tray and a few familiar toys and close the door
• Once you are ready to leave, place your cat in its carrier and load them into the car, securing them in place with a seatbelt. Spraying the cat carrier with synthetic facial pheromones 20 to 30 minutes in advance will also help to ease your cat’s stress
• Once at the new home, set up another safe room for your cat with the same resources and add something that smells of you, such as an item of clothing. Keep the cat in the safe room for a couple of days until they are relaxed
• Most cats will let you know when they are ready to venture further, at which point introduce them to your new home slowly, ensuring the doors, windows and catflap are closed and locked
• Keep your cat inside for about three weeks to allow them to rub their scent on the furniture to make it seem like home again!
• Before letting them outside, make sure they are microchipped so they can be found easily if they become lost. If they are already microchipped, don’t forget to change the address details on their central database before you move.
• When letting them outside for the first time, do it just before a mealtime when they are hungry so you can call them back with their favourite food. Let them outside for a few minutes at a time, and then gradually build it up as they become more familiar with their new environment.

Please visit the Cats Protection website here for further tips on moving home with your cat