Make Moving Stressless for Your Pets

By Rebecca Alston

If  you  have  a  furry  friend,  you're  probably  aware  of  how  stressed change can make them. Since they all have their routine and their own favorite spots, you're right to worry about what to do with them while you move houses.

All  the  moving  around,  the  boxes, and the strange people in the house can all make your pet nervous, and they might even try to make a run for it to get away from all the noise. 

In  cases  like  this,  you'll  have  to  take  care of them and keep them as far away from the commotion as possible.

After   that,   you  need  to  help  them  adjust  to  a  whole  new territory -  their  new  house. That involves easing them into it, making  sure  they have enough space, and much more. Today, we'll  talk  about the things you can do to make the big move as stressless for your pets as possible.

Keep Your Pets Away From the Commotion 

As  we  mentioned  before,  you need to keep your pets away from all the noise. Your house will start losing it's form way before the movers  arrive,  and  you  might  even want to get a head start on all the moving by dismantling some furniture or taking care of the mirrors.  UMoveFree has an interesting remark  about  this on their website: We encourage you to disassemble your bed frames in advance.  You  should  also  remove  any  mirrors  from   furniture  and/or  dressers.  The  movers  can  Pet-proof  disassemble  and reassemble these items, but if you're able to complete this yourself, it will save you time. 

With  all  the  noise  and commotion, your best bet is to leave them with a friend or a family member in a different house, and if that isn't possible, you can just keep them in another room.

Ease Them Into the New Home 

Once  you're  done  with the whole transition, bring your pet to  their  new  home,  but  do  it slowly. The key is to create a sort of  home base for them, with their toys, the litter for cats,  and  all  the  things that make them feel right at home. Once the whole house is set up, you can slowly start moving everything  to  where  it  belongs,  and  your  pet  will  barely notice.

Prepare Them For the Road Trip 

If  your  new  home  is  a long drive away from your current one, you  need  to start preparing your pets for the drive a month or two  in  advance.  Cats  and  dogs can get jumpy in crates if they have  to  stay  there  for long, but not when they’re slowly eased into it.

Buy  that  crate  for  them  a  month  or  two  in  advance  and  give  them their food in it. Make them associate the crate with happy emotions by marking the end of crate time with a treat or playtime. 

You  can  carry your pet around in the crate,  and  even  take  them on short drives. By the time the day of the move comes by, your pet will settle right in and not think much of the whole situation.

Pet-Proof Your Home 

While  your  pets  are  still  getting  used  to the new place, keep things that could harm them away from their reach. Sure, you keep things  away  from  your  pets  even  on  regular days, but pets are extra inquisitive and curious about new surroundings, and they'll probably go sniffing everywhere. Pet-proof your house so they don't end up in any unfortunate accidents. 

Dogs  and  cats  especially  have  been  known  to  eat  things  like  silica gel packets, and parts of packaging are best left out of their stomachs. 

The  key  to  not  stressing  your  pet  out  when  it comes to virtually any time of change is to be careful and ease them into it. If you introduce  it  to  them  all  at once, they will most likely panic, resist, and their mental health and overall mood might decline. On the other hand, if you're inching it closer to them bit by bit, it can be business as usual.

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