Maine Coon anxiety after moving to apartment

A move from a house to a high-rise is a genuinely big deal for a cat — and for a Maine Coon who's spent eight years in one environment, it can feel like the entire world has been replaced overnight. Cat anxiety is real and often underestimated, partly because cats are so good at masking stress. By the time owners notice the signs, it's usually been building for a while. Pheromone-based products are the most reliable first line of support, but placement matters a lot. Before I point you in the right direction — what are you actually seeing from him or her? Hiding, vocalising, off food, litter box changes? And is this purely the move, or are there other changes layered in too — new people, new routines?

That picture of Mara — retreating, less engaged, reduced appetite — is classic relocation stress. The good news is that everything you've described sits in the moderate range, not severe. And the fact that you brought familiar furniture is genuinely useful; scent anchors matter a lot to cats. A couple of things help me narrow down the best option: which room does she spend most time hiding in, and is the flat open-plan or does she have a few distinct rooms she can move between?

Perfect — that's exactly the information I needed. With Mara spending most of her time in the bedroom, you want pheromone coverage centred there, with secondary support in the living area. My clear recommendation is the Feliway Classic Starter Kit — it comes with the electric diffuser and one refill, and it plugs straight into the wall. Feliway Classic replicates the facial pheromone cats deposit when they rub their face on things to mark a space as safe. It's the most evidence-backed product for relocation anxiety specifically, and it works passively in the background without Mara needing to do anything. Plug one diffuser in the bedroom, ideally not behind furniture — it needs airflow to work. If her eating stays down after two weeks or her hiding gets worse rather than better, that's when I'd be getting a vet involved to rule out anything physical. But for straightforward move stress in a healthy adult cat, this is where I'd start.

Most owners notice a shift within 7 to 14 days — you'll usually see Mara starting to venture out of the bedroom more and gradually reclaiming her old habits. Full effect tends to be around 30 days. On the living room question: I'd hold off for now. Mara is anchoring herself to the bedroom, which means that's where the intervention needs to be strongest. Once she starts moving around more freely — say, in two to three weeks — if she's still skittish in the open-plan area, you can add a second diffuser there. But buying two at once often isn't necessary and it's worth seeing how she responds first. One well-placed diffuser in her chosen safe space is the right starting point.

Good luck with Mara — the fact that she's still eating and that you've kept her familiar furniture around are both genuinely positive signs. Most cats do settle into a new space, they just need more time than we expect. If things plateau or go backwards after a month, it's worth a vet check — sometimes a short course of prescribed support alongside the pheromones makes the difference. But I'd be surprised if she doesn't start creeping out from under that bed within a couple of weeks.