RE: What is the Best Way to Get Cats Through Transtion After the Move?
I think one's strategy should ultimately depend on the personality of the cat. I've heard the advice of keeping a cat in one room in the new home for a certain amount of time, and it worked great for my cat, Daria.
However, my cat Jane despises closed doors. They offend her whole existence. When we moved the first time, I tried to keep her in a closed room, and she clawed and cried the entire time. After about an hour, I gave up, and she bolted out. We didn't see her much for a day or two, but she was pretty well acclimated after seeing all the familiar furniture, and snooping out new nap spots.
Another drastic difference between my cats: Daria loves riding in cars, while Jane bawls and goes into a seizure if she even sees a car. So for Daria, I put her in my lap so that she can watch all the big trucks go by (she loves semis, for some reason ), and I put Jane in a fully darkened box or a carrier with a blanket over it.
It's weird how different individual cats can be. Moving tactics should reflect their unique personalities and emotional needs.