As a lifelong cat lover, I find a lot of joy in the two cats that make our house their home. The humans in our house always come first when it comes to care and concern, but I think it’s important to take good care of whatever pets live in your house. Indoor pets are used to a certain level of normalcy and calm (depending on how busy your household tends to be!) and home repair, renovations or a move can be really upsetting for them.
When I saw the contractors pull up in our driveway, I grabbed a few kitty treats and lured my cats down the hall to our guest bedroom. They were safely in the room, munching on their treats when the loud men wearing heavy shoes starting clomping down the hall. While the workers were moving things in and out of the house, I didn’t have to worry about the cats escaping through the open door.
This is also a good idea for moving day. I would place a sign on the door so your moving helpers don’t open the door and unknowingly let your pets escape!
I have an extra litter box that I placed in that guest bedroom, along with food and water. I made sure there was room for them to hide under the bed and also opened the blinds so they could look outside. We ended up having to run very loud dehumidifiers in the hall for over 36 hours, and the cats weren’t interested in leaving that room! They used the litter box I set up for them and didn’t leave me any surprises under the bed.
It’s been over a week since our bathrooms have been remodeled, but the cats are still cautious when entering either room. The fresh paint, new flooring and fixtures are still uncertain territory for them! I left the litter box and food in the bedroom for several days but also maintained their litter box and food area in the usual space. They gradually transitioned from the bedroom back to their original area, and I didn’t find any surprises along the way.
Great advice! My cats prefer quiet when possible so it’s nice when they can avoid the chaos of moving or house projects. Isn’t it funny that the cats are skeptical of your new bathrooms?? I bet they’ll eventually warm up. My cats always like to drink out of the sinks.
Both of my cats are very aware of new things – if I set out a new pillow or decor item, they notice it right away and have to smell it. I think a whole room of new stuff was just a lot for them to take in. Ha!