It seems to be a common belief among novelists that when one moves to a new house and one owns a cat, one should put butter on the cat’s paws to encourage it to stay at the new house instead of running away and becoming lost.

There’s no scientific evidence that this actually works.
Your results may vary depending on the nature and temperament of your cat, but most modern cat experts think that this is a silly thing to do.

This article busts this literary myth: Buttering a cat’s paws will probably not encourage it to stay at a new home. Novelists, take note!

“Six Myths About Cats and Dogs”