Hello,

We are in the process of moving and last night was actually the first night we stayed at our new place. My bengal stayed with us and we had actually fallen asleep on the couch(not uncommon in our house). He meowed a lot and kept me up but thats ok I understand why. I have placed four litter boxes around this new home and showed them to him multiple times. We woke up this morning and he pooped on our mattress. I understand the confusion for him but he has never done this before and having four litter boxes seemed like it would help.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to make this easy on him? I've tried locking him in one room with all his things(bed, food, water, litter box, toys) but he just cries and cries. I end up feeling bad. I also need to make sure he's drinking water and have placed multiple bowls and fountains around the house. As you can tell I've done quite a bit and care for this cat deeply. I'm just looking for some suggestions that may help the process.

Thanks!

If he will play, I would get him playing with his favorite toys (ones you use to play WITH him) so he starts associating the new house with good things. Even if he will only play while hiding under a bed, ect... that is fine, wherever he is most comfortable for now.

I have never used the Feliway stuff but it's worth a shot.

We did some playing he wasn't really interested. He's not hiding really just occasionally will go under the couch but when I get up he likes to walk next to me and explore. He's a pretty mellow bengal in general so that's not too concerning for him to be relaxing often I can just tell he is scared. My vet did recommend feliway but I have not tried it yet.

You could also try rubbing him with a piece of clean cloth or take one of his blanket and then rub it on corners/objects he would normally rub/mark himself. Try and make the area smell more familar to him.

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The little monsters 3

Oh, poor baby. Your new home comes with unfamiliar smells and if the previous occupant had a pet, that intensifies it. Plus, everything is strange. The layout for example. Nothing is in a familiar place. A move can stress out a kitty and it just takes time for them to acclimate to a new environment. Every cat is different. Some can adjust like nothing happened. Others seem to really get stressed out. I agree a safe room would be best, but you just can't lock him up there and leave him. You need to be in that room with him, comforting him, assuring him. I'm sure unpacking awaits you, but your kitty needs you, just like a child would. Your baby looks to you for comfort. All you need is time.

As for his bathroom accidents -- that should stop once the stress is gone. You've got plenty of litter boxes, but they aren't in a familiar area just yet. Be patient with him. Don't punish him. A move is hard enough on humans -- but pets do not understand what has happened.

Thanks for the suggestions. He seems to be getting better on day three here. I definitely didn’t punish him for using our bed as a bathroom as I know he wouldn’t understand(although my boyfriend was less than pleased. He’s since used his litter box to urinate but has had a bowel movement since the first night. He’s eating wet food(shredded chicken in broth) which he LOVES so I anticipate he’ll need to go soon.

He’s also located a birds nest in one of our windows and that is keeping him quite entertained. He’s quite a spoiled baby so I’m doing all I can to comfort him. For some reason I can’t attach the photo but it’s quite cute.

Not uncommon for stress to bring on constipation, but your kitty should go soon. If not, then you need to consult a vet. Just make sure it is in his litter box. LOL Cats settle in on their own time table, so continue your patience and let him acclimate on his own. He will get there.

General principle for moving into a new territory for felines is to remember that they depend on scent markers, and the new place has none.

So, two good basic strategies to rebuild those scent markers, because your bengal will not feel secure until they are back: (1) keep the bengal confined to a small area and then gradually expand that area or (2) use Feliway in the spray can (not diffuser) to artificially set up scent markers on baseboards and any other places. Feliway has a video on how to do this.