Calming plan for cats before moving house

Cat anxiety is real and genuinely underestimated — cats are experts at masking stress, which means by the time most owners notice something's off, it's already been building for a while. The good news is you're ahead of the curve here. Pheromone-based products are the most effective calming option we have, but placement and timing matter a lot. Before I suggest anything, can you tell me a bit more? Do you know roughly how your kitten handles disruption — has she been through any big changes already, like vet visits or new people in the flat? And is she generally confident or on the cautious side?

Good — a bold temperament is a real advantage here, and Siberians tend to be more adaptable than a lot of breeds, so that's in your favour. But you're right to plan ahead. Moving is genuinely one of the highest-stress events for a cat: new smells, no territory markers, unfamiliar sounds. Even confident cats can go quiet and withdrawn for weeks if there's nothing in place. Can I ask — are you moving to a significantly different environment? Bigger, smaller, different type of building? And will she have her own room or space to retreat to initially in the new place?

That plan is exactly right — one room first, then expand gradually. More space can actually feel overwhelming to a cat who's lost all her scent markers, so confining her initially gives her somewhere to anchor herself. Here's what I'd recommend: start using a Feliway Classic Diffuser in that designated room about a week before the move if you can, or at the very latest plug it in on moving day before she arrives. Feliway mimics the facial pheromones cats deposit when they're comfortable and marking their space as safe — it won't sedate her or change her personality, it just takes the edge off the 'this place is completely unknown' alarm that triggers anxiety. Get the plug-in diffuser rather than the spray to start — it provides continuous background support without you needing to remember to apply it. One diffuser covers up to 70 square metres, so it'll handle that initial room easily. Once she's moving freely around the house after a few days, you can relocate it to wherever she spends the most time, or pick up a second one for the main living area.

Put it in the room she'll be confined to initially — that's where it'll do the most work, because that's where she needs to feel safe first. Don't put it somewhere she can't access; the pheromones need to be in her actual environment to have any effect. One refill lasts about 30 days with continuous use, which is roughly the right window for a move — the first month is when cats are most unsettled. After that, many owners find they don't need it long-term once the cat has properly scent-marked the new space herself. Given her age and temperament, I'd expect her to settle reasonably well within three to four weeks as long as you give her that gradual access approach you mentioned.

Exactly. A week before is ideal — plug it in in the current flat to get levels building, then on moving day unplug it, take it with you, and get it running in her room in the new house before she goes in. If that's not logistically possible, moving day itself is fine, just prioritise getting it in place before she enters that room. One Feliway Classic Diffuser Starter Kit is all you need — it comes with the plug-in unit and a 30-day refill. Given you've got a confident kitten and a sensible plan, you're genuinely well set up for this.