After a week of this, see if you can get Poofy to go into the crate voluntarily. It helps if you don't feed her beforehand that day. Don't force her; just carry her to the opening and put something she especially likes inside. She should go in. If she doesn't, see if you can gently lift her inside. Once she is in, close the door. She will probably turn around and try to head for the exit. Immediately have a piece of the aforementioned Food she really likes shoved through the crate grill to meet her. If she takes it, great! If not, proceed to the next step, which is opening the door and making a big fuss over Pooky. If you play with Pookie, have playtime happen right then. Make sure Pookykins knows that she is the best cat in the entire world (she already knows this, but it never hurts to let her know you know).

Gradually increase the time she spends in the crate with the door closed. Watch her closely - if she bumps around in the crate and then settles down, that's good. If she seems stressed, let her out and try again later. If she seems okay with the procedure, try leaving the room for a minute. Work up to leaving her in there for a couple of hours. Regularly come by with a treat or dab of food. Some people find that a new product on the market, Feliway cat spray, helps cats relax in the crate. This is a feline pheremone spray that naturally relaxes the cat by mimicking the natural chemicals that cats give off when happy with life.

When Poofy uses the crate as her primary sleeping area, you've won. Cats who bond with their crate as their "territory" are a lot less likely to be stressed when moving to a new house. They are also less likely to engage in territorial marking of the new carpets or scratching the new doors. A crate is your cat's best friend, especially during a stressful transition. Seriously consider crate training your cat to successfully move it to a new home.

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