Moving is very exciting. Just thinking about new interior design ideas, new neighborhoods to explore, and new places to dine is enough to get our juices flowing. But, consider for a moment what this change might be like for your pet. True, they will also have new smells and spaces to explore, but before that happens they have to go through their whole world being flipped upside-down first. For your furry friends moving is extremely distressing. There’s no question that when you are moving with pets you will have a number of thorny issues to work through. Here are some tips that may help you deal with them once and for all.
Remain Calm
Yes, of course, this is easy to say. However, you will finish everything eventually. Additionally, if you become distressed and restless guess how your four-legged friends will respond. That’s right, they’ll get stressed too. Staying calm is good for both of you. Stressing about things you either can’t change or things that just take time to accomplish, will do you no good. Also, it will only exacerbate the situation for your fur ball. So, brew some tea or take yourself for a nice relaxing walk with Fido and reassure both of you that everything will be ok.
Plan
After you are nice and calm put together a pet plan that you can stick too. This should include updating their tags with the new address (you can wait until moving day to attach them) and making sure their shots are up to date. (update tags and shots before hand, don’t try to cram them in right before. It will give you more things to accomplish and stress your furry friend out even more. It will also give you time to get everything together for the move. Here are a few more handy hints for making the move easy
- Keep the bedding and toys in a separate box, this way it is easy to find after the move.
- Try to set the veterinarian appointment a few weeks before you move to ensure Fluffy or Fido has plenty of time to recover from the stress of the visit.
- If you are moving across country and plan on taking your pet in a car, plan stops for walks.
These suggestions will also give you time to get everything together for the move. You wouldn’t want to run to the vet in the middle of your move, now would you?
Separate
Which brings us to our next point. If you are going to board your little buddy during the move you should set the date with your border or pet sitter you should prepare for that in the planning stage. However, boarding or sitting really only works if you aren’t moving too far. But having them out of the house will help for several reasons:
- They won’t freak out about everything being flipped upside down.
- They won’t freak out about a bunch of strangers being in the house.
- They can’t freak out and run out of an open door.
- Generally, less freaking out.
Now, we understand that not everyone can afford a sitter or to put their pet in a boarding facility. If that is not an option put them in a cleared out and secured room until the move is over. They may still become distressed with all the smells and noises, but they won’t become frightened and run out of an idly open door. But, even if they do, you’ve updated their tags, you responsible and clever thing.
Investigate
Ok, so you’ve made it this far and your move is almost over. You just need to do a few more things and you can start unpacking and settling into your beautifully new home. First thing is first is to set up a place for your buddy to nestle down and get used to things. Make sure you throw down a few toys and a bed in a quiet place and let them explore on their own. If your pet is going to go outside make sure you check the property for hazards that could harm your pet. This includes:
- Gaps in a fence they could get through (if you have a fenced in yard).
- Wells or large drainage openings in the road or sidewalk.
- Any dangerous materials they might ingest (litter, tattered fencing they could chew, etc…).
After you’ve scouted out the area you can rest assured your four-legged friend will be safe and happy. Though, you may want to wait a few days to let them out so they can adjust to their new home.
We wish you and your pets a happy move!