Moving house is a new, excited and often stressful time for everyone involved. Adding pets into the mix can make the packing and unpacking even more challenging. We don’t know what our furry friends are thinking, but they often pick up on the worry we emulate.
This post covers some tips to make the move less stressful and more successful for everyone involved, including the four-legged members.
1. Pack their essentials somewhere easy to access
The unpacking phase of moving homes often results in things getting misplaced and lost. The last thing you need is to lose your pets’ food, water or kennel. Pack a box that has all the essentials your pet will need for the first few days. This could include water, feed, toys, bed etc. This will ensure that your pet will have all they need amongst the chaos that is unpacking! Keeping their favourite items and toys close by is essential as they will be covered in their own scent. This will result in some comfort when they’ve arrived at the new house which is full of strange sights and smells.
2. Keep calm
Animals pick up on our senses extremely well, if you’re stressed out they’ll likely feel it too. Trying to keep calm during the move, or at least when you’re around them will help comfort them greatly. Lots of pats, cuddles and the occasional treat will be much appreciated.
3. Get them settled
In the case of cats and dogs it’s a good idea to close off the house for cats, and yard for dogs for the first day or two. This will help them work out their surroundings and smells of the new place without getting overwhelmed. Cats have been known to run away in new situations, so keep an eye on them until you think they’re comfortable to be let outside. For horses, they’ll be in a paddock or stable anyway, but let them stay in that one space until they’ve recovered from the move and sorted out their surroundings.
4. Keep them out of the way of the move
Moving day is all go, there’s a whirl of action which can often spook pets involved. If you’re moving locally, it could be a good idea to send your cat or dog to the local doggy daycare/cattery. This will get them out of the way for the day and reduce their stress if they were to hang around all the action. Horses might be a bit more difficult, if your friend has a yard they could stay at this might be an option. Or else, you could get them settled into the new yard first and have someone watch over them while you move everything else into the property; then at least they don’t have to watch both the moving and unpacking chaos.
5. Update their info
For cats and dogs that wear pet tags, you should update their info once you’ve moved. You’ll have a new address and if you use a landline your number would’ve changed too. You might have to get another engraved pet tag, but this will give you peace of mind in case they do go wandering off.
6. Double-check the new residence is secure
Before you open up the crates or unload them from the truck make sure you’ve done the groundwork. For cats, dogs and other pets in the house make sure there’s nothing dangerous. You might need to check if the cat flap is working or install one yourself. If you have a fenced-off yard for the dog make sure there are no gaps in the fence or nails sticking out. For horses, make sure the fences are all in good order, no nails or wire sticking out, none that are loose and might be pushed over. This will leave you confident and worry-free on moving day.
7. Introduce the new area
Once the chaos of the move is over, you can introduce animals like dogs and horses to the surrounding area. Take your dog out for a walk around the block, or to the local park. This will let them take in all the new smells and senses along with getting an understanding of where they are. You might be able to take your horse for a hack around the neighbouring land, this will let them stretch their legs and orientate themselves.
8. Give it some time
It’s normal for animals to remain unsettled for a while after a move. Just like you, they’ve changed the bed they sleep in and have to adjust to completely new sights and smells. The first week they might be more on edge than usual, do your best to comfort them and they should settle in nicely.
9. Find the new essentials
If you’ve moved over an hour away from your old place you’ll have to find a new vet and animal sitter or place to board them when you go away. It’s a good idea to sort the vet and boarding places before you need them so you’re not in a panic when you need to access them. You could take a look at reviews, or talk to others in the area before making a decision. You can give the vet a call to introduce yourself and get on their books.
10. Get your adventure on
A great part about owning an animal like a dog or horse is it forces you to get out and explore the area. You might find some great parks, forests or lakes for your dog to explore on their daily walks. You might be close to some horse-friendly trails where you can take them out to stretch their legs. All this will get them more comfortable with the area and you might find some incredible places you wouldn’t have done without your four-legged friend.
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