We closed on our new house a week and a half ago and moved in the day after Christmas. The actual process of preparing for the move started more than six weeks ago. Since we were downsizing, we spent much time getting rid of stuff. I call it a home enema because you get rid of a lot of . . . uh . . . stuff when you move.
I bet I made ten trips to donation centers. We also rented a five-by-five storage unit that we filled to the top with stuff going to our house in West Virginia. Even after all that, we barely had enough room in the new house for what we had brought. Considering our new home is a little over a hundred square feet smaller, I feel like one of those hoarders you see on television.
The movers were supposed to be at our house around nine in the morning. At around seven-thirty, Rose said we should lock the cats in the cats’ room, which we had emptied the night before. She worried Floki would hide and escape when the movers were here with the door open. Floki, as you may recall from previous posts, can read minds and immediately ran and hid behind our sectional sofa where we had piled all the stuff from the cats’ room in front of.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, a minute or two later, the movers called and said they would be there soon. We then had a mission to save Private Floki. It wasn’t easy but just before the movers arrived, Floki came out of hiding and Rose grabbed him. He kicked and screamed and twisted like a tornado, but Rose gallantly held on until he was safely locked away. I then put Frankie in the room with him just before the movers arrived.
They seemed relatively calm for a while but after some time Frankie had enough and wanted out.
We rarely closed those sliders, so they were a little hard to move. Also, one slider would catch on the other when it was almost closed, causing that one to open, so we had to leave both open a crack. Frankie discovered that and tried to take advantage of it to no avail.
When we arrived at the new place, we put the cats in the new cats’ room and closed the doors. These doors hung and had no track at the bottom so they could easily be pushed open. We knew that ahead of time and were prepared with some heavy boxes that we had brought on one of our previous four trips to the house, which is about an hour from our old house.
Even so, Frankie still tried to work out a solution for escaping his imprisonment.
Later that day, I took Frankie out the front door for a walk. The side by the road is considered the back. The front has a sidewalk and a large empty lot across from the sidewalk. Our house is on the corner lot.
He seemed apprehensive for a while. He just looked around and smelled the air. Eventually, we walked down the sidewalk past two or three homes before returning. We then walked across the sidewalk to a group of small trees and bushes. There, Frankie took his time smelling every one of them. Eventually, we walked further into the vacant lot where Frankie sat and took in all the sites. We stayed there for a long time. I didn’t want to rush him. I wanted him to remember where his home was and recognize the surrounding area. Unfortunately, I discovered my phone was dead so I couldn’t get any photos.
The next morning, I took Frankie out the back door so he would recognize that area. Unfortunately, across the street to the left, several men were making a lot of noise tearing off a roof. That freaked Frankie out a little, so we never made it out of the driveway. I will try again today.
So far, both our boys seem to be adjusting quite nicely. We brought two perches with us and they like to lie on them and look out the window. I will post pictures of that in the future.
Bad Cat Chris 
Happy new home! It’s always a huge undertaking and especially when you’re not just dealing with clearing out, moving stuff, what goes where, but you have CATS to think about! Takes a while to adjust but I’m sure you will – you guys have moved a lot so you know.
Hugs, Pam
My thoughts sort of “echo” the above ~ all a big mix of excitement and exhaustion, happy NEW home with a little time of missing the OLD homestead … kitcat adjustments, especially to the neighborhood sights and smells … but all in good time. The downsizing though, wow … been there, done that, twice: from the big 3000 sq ft Florida home of once upon a time, to this little 500 sq ft apartment today. All “things” gone are still up there in my mind … can always take a peek at them if I want. BE HAPPY!
We are down to 910 square feet. 500 would be difficult for us. Our house in West Virginia is 3000 square feet. That’s where all our junk is going. 🙂
Moving is always a pain but glad the cats seem to be adjusting to it.
They are doing well. Thanks.
I absolutely LOVE those barn doors in your new home and I think your home is darling!!!!! Frankie reminds me of Roary……Roary is ALWAYS trying to find ways in and out of things!!!! I am sure the boys will love it there!! Wishing you years of good luck and happy memories in your new home!
Thanks so much, Caren.
I think they will settle in before you know it and it will be home for all of you!
They seem to be doing well already.
best fishez to you all in your new home, it’s awesome by the way…and…hopefully
not so much in hurricane territory, though for florida, I guess that’s hard to do ‼️🐟😺( and why is it when one gets ready TO move, you think you don’t have much, til it comes to packing day ‼️‼️‼️‼️
Thanks. I think we accumulate things so slowly that you don’t notice how bad it is until you move.
Enema! I am going to use that phrase from now on, and pass it off as my own. I’m long overdue a Sock Drawer Enema and a Wardrobe Enema. And a Bookshelf Enema wouldn’t do me any harm either.
Hahaha 😂
Glad that Frankie seems to like his new neighborhood. I like the idea of the back of the house being on the road.
It’s nice that we have an open area in front.
Glad the move went well and the kitties are adjusting.
Thanks so much.
I hope you are all enjoying your new place.
It’s nice here. Thank you.