Your Guide for Moving With Pets
Moving to a new home may be exciting for you, but your furry friend will likely not be too into it. Pets don’t love change and the stress they experience will show in a variety of ways such as peeing on carpets, barking, or hiding.
Indoor pets, in particular, can get very stressed as they are only familiar with a very limited world. Thankfully, you can mitigate some of their stress by following these recommendations.
Preparing for the Move
You have time to mentally prepare for a move, but as far as your animals know, everything is hunky-dory until you start packing. Helping pets cope with a move has a lot to do with how well you prepare them for it.
Crate Train
You’ll need to put your dog or cat in a crate at some point during the move, if even for a short car ride. Start encouraging your pets to lay in their crate for a few weeks before the move. If it’s not a scary space to them because it’s been their nap zone recently, they may stress out less about being crated while you’re driving to the new place
Start Packing Early
Suitcases often signal trouble for pets. Imagine what will happen when everything goes in a box at once! Begin your packing process at least a week before the move day, so pets have a chance to sniff around and get acquainted.
Consult Your Vet for a Pet Prescription
Your pet’s doctor may be able to prescribe safe anti-anxiety medications to have on hand when the move goes down. Once you have a vet’s prescription, you will have the option to offer your pet an anti-stress, anti-anxiety medicine to put him or her at ease on move day.
On Moving Day
You’ll be stressed out enough on Moving Day; do you really want to add a pet meltdown to the mix? Here’s how to keep Moving Day from getting sidetracked by your pet.
Use a Soft-Cover Crate
Using a large, soft-cover crate where pets can move around a bit is less stressful than a small, hard crate. Especially when you’re in the car.
Keep Toys Near
Your pet’s favorite toy could provide much-needed comfort on moving day. Have a bag of stuffed animals, special treats, and a comfort blanket on hand all day. (Plus, don’t forget to reward them with a special surprise once move day is finally over!)
Getting Used to New Home
You’re all settled into your new place, and your pet is still down in the dumps? It might take some time for them to treat your new house like a home. Here’s how you can help.
Stay Close
Extra snuggles are called for when you move into a new home. Try not to schedule a vacation right after you move. Exacerbating the number of changes could turn your pet into a depressed creature.
Let Them Sniff
Your pet should be able to explore as much as they want. They may want to roll around and get their scent on stuff or investigate every corner of the space; allowing them to orient themselves will help them become comfortable.
Make Things Familiar
Try burning the same candles and using the same cleaning supplies. Set out your pet’s favorite floor pillow in a similar place so things are as familiar as they can be during the adjustment period. This isn’t the time to change food brands or stop letting them sleep on the bed.
Moving can be stressful so we hope the above tips provide you with some way to make it less so for you and your beloved pet.
