moving with two cats, separate or together?

I'm moving next month and bringing my cat with me to a new apartment that already has a resident cat. Should I ship them separately or have them meet at the new place?

I have Milo (3, orange tabby, very energetic) and Lucy (2, DSH, quite shy). I am worried about the stress of the move plus the introduction all at once. I read shipping cats separately and it seemed to reduce anxiety, but I am also worried they will be lonely. Does anyone have advice on how to handle this?

The answer depends heavily on the home setup and the resident cat's temperament. If the new home is small, separating them might be easier, but if you have space, you need to follow a proper introduction protocol first. You cannot just let them meet in the new space immediately; that usually leads to conflict. I would recommend starting with scent swapping before any visual contact. Also, since Lucy is shy, you need to look at managing shy cat behavior to ensure she has a safe retreat.

Oh, that sounds like a lot of pressure. I think shipping them separately is a very valid option, especially if they are not bonded. You can look at setting up a multi-cat household to see how to divide the space. For Milo, who is energetic, you will need to focus on keeping energetic cats calm during the transition so he doesn't break things out of frustration. It is a lot of work, but it is gentle for the cats.

I did this last year with Leo and Mia and it was a nightmare. I let them meet too early and Leo got his claws out. I think you should definitely ship them separately. You can read my post on helping cats adjust to a new home to see how long it took me to get them comfortable. I also had to call my vet because they were stressed out, so check out vet prep before moving to make sure you have their records ready. It really depends on how the resident cat acts.

Thank you all. I think I will try shipping them separately first, but I am still worried about the introduction later. Val, do you think the shy cat issue makes it harder to follow the standard protocol? I want to make sure Lucy is okay.