If you have a move coming up and you’re going to be moving with pets, below are some suggestions for how to prepare. Moving is one of the most stressful life-events that you’ll ever encounter. Amongst all of the stress of finding a new home, packing and moving, your pet can sometimes end up an accidental afterthought in the planning process.
The main focus is on acclamating your pets to their new home. There are also some critical details and pieces of information that can easily get lost in the shuffle of the moving process that we’ll cover. Pets are very protective animals that thrive in a familiar habitat. Keeping that in mind when moving will help your preparation for a smooth transition for your pet to your new home.
Before The Move
Before moving with pets, there are a few bases that you need to make sure you cover. The first may be a bit obvious, but making sure that the place you are moving to is pet friendly is critical. Some landlords or apartment buildings have a strict no-pet policy. If you’re moving into your own house this is less likely to be a factor. The last thing you want is to move into your new place and then find out that your pet isn’t allowed to live there.
We suggest bringing your pet by your new place before the move if possible. Even if it is just around the outside of the building. Beginning the process of familiarizing your pet with your new residence before the move can make a big difference once its time to live there. Also ensure those first interations with your pet at the new location are positive ones by providing treats or a new toy.
Before you move, you’ll also want to update your pet tags with your new address and phone number if that is changing as well. Pets, especially cats, can be more likely to run off in a new environment. If this worst-case-scenario does occur, you want to make sure your information is accurate.
If you’re moving more than a short distance from your current residence, planning out a new vetrinarian facility closer to your new location is very important as well. You never know when your pet may have a health issue, and having a reliable vet nearby that you trust is extremely important. You also don’t want to be scrambling to find a vet, whose unfamiliar with your pet, in an area you’re unfamiliar with shortly after your move.
During The Move
Moving with pets is stressful. Its particularly stressful for your pet. To relieve some of this stress as you’re going through the packing process, keep your pet in a room that you plan to pack last. This will allow them to maintain a familiar safe-place and won’t disrupt their normal living environment.
On moving day, you’re going to want to find a family member or friend to have your pet stay with for the day. Not only is the moving process extremely stressful for your pet, but it will be easier for your movers to work in an environment that is pet-free. If friends and family aren’t an option for you, look into a local pet daycare facility in your area where your pet can go and play for the day. Most cities/towns have a facility like this nearby these days. Many PetSmart locations offer this as an option through their PetsHotel as well.
After The Move
Once your pet arrives to their new home, be sure to keep them leashed at all times when outside of the house. Keep in mind that no matter how well-trained they are, this is a new area for your pet. If they happen to wander off a bit too far, this is not an area that they’re familiar with enough yet to find their way home.
Making your pets new habitat familiar is very important when moving with pets. Set up a room with their bed/crate, water bowl and toys. If you’re moving with a cat, putting their kitty litter box in this room is a good idea as well. From here you should slowly start introducing your pet to new rooms and areas of the house to ease them into their new home. Again, treats are always an excellent way to make something a positive experience for your pet so incorporate treats in this process as well.
We hope these tips are helpful if you’re going to be moving with pets in the near future. If you’d like a FREE Estimate for your upcoming move from our team of professionals, fill out our Moving Request form and we’ll be happy to discuss the process with you!
