Moving House With Pets

Moving house is hard enough as it is, but what about the added angst of relocation along with a handful of furry friends, yapping and meowing around you as you try to stay calm and cope with the inevitable and complex problems of a move? There are, it’s fortunate to discover, a number of steps you can take in order to make your move work out, no matter how many fluffy pals are coming with you. Let’s look at what some of them are.

Choosing your home and its location

Just as it’s important to you to choose a new home with a layout and location that suits you, so these same considerations should be taken into account for your pets. Are there parks or fields nearby where you can take your dog for a walk? What is the local vet like? Is there a choice of different vets in the immediate vicinity? Consider visiting one of the vets before you’ve committed yourself to a specific area.

Packing

Think for a moment about how stressful moving can be for humans, most of whom have the benefit of insight into the process. Then imagine just how much more frightening it can be for pets, who have no clue what’s going on. All they know is that something strange is happening. With this in mind, pack rooms slowly, rather than in a frantic panic. If your pet has a favourite room in which it spends most of its time, leave this room right till the end to dismantle. Your pets will appreciate being able to take shelter in it whenever panic overwhelms them.

Moving day

Before your removal company arrives, put all your pets in one room along with their favourite toys, a bed, plus food and water. You can then get on with clearing all the other rooms so that this room is done last.

Getting acquainted with their new home

After you’ve updated your animals’ microchips so that their new address and phone number is in place (do this before moving day), it’s time for them to say hello to their new home. With cats, leave them in a room with the pet carrier left open and let them work things out at their own speed. Bit by bit, you can give them access to additional rooms. Do a check of your garden, to make sure there aren’t gaps in fences or hedges through which an escape can be mounted.You can also buy feline pheromone diffuser from pet shops – this releases a stress-diminishing substance which will help your cats calm down.