As we all know moving to a new house can be very stressful for the family and as a result, it can be very stressful for our pets as well who of course most of us consider being part of the family. Dealing with getting a mortgage, a home inspection, and other home buying things are very stressful. As such, we need to ensure the safety of our pets during this traumatic and sometimes scary time for all of us including our beloved pets.
We realize that your pet doesn’t have to pack any stuff, register for new schools, transfer utilities or make address changes but your pet will still feel the stress just the same. He or she will still find itself in strange new surroundings and unlike its human family members, your pet won’t understand why he or she had to move away from its comfortable and predictable world, and why have things been turned upside down and inside out.
Here are the two most important things that you need to do to in order to learn how to keep your pet safe during the move:
- keep your dog or cat’s safe by knowing exactly where they are before and after the move
- once the move has been completed, we establish a daily routine closely mimicking your previous routine when you arrive at the new home
Moving Day
One good way to keep your pet safe on moving day is to come find him or her to a safe enclosed area thereby reducing the possibility of any accidental injury and limiting the chances of the animal being frightened and bolting out of the door in fear or worse biting and injuring one of the movers. A comfortable well ventilated carrying case will work great for smaller animals such as cats and Poodles or Chihuahuas.
Of course, the pet will experience fear and anxiety as all of his or her most familiar surroundings are removed piece by piece, your cat or dog may want to defend its environs understandably. The best thing that we can do is to make the pet feel as comfortable as possible. Keep them safe and do not neglect to give them reassuring attention.
After Moving to Your New Home
Your pets’ primary attachment and concern are to his family members and this is especially true for your dog, but as far as your cat it might be a bit different as your cats’ first concern will most likely be its surroundings. This doesn’t mean that your kitty cat doesn’t love you, or isn’t attached to you, it just means that your cat needs predictable surroundings to feel comfortable and safe and your dog still has its excellent sniffing capabilities and will most likely feel more comfortable as your sent has not changed. Your cat may require more time to become comfortable with it surroundings, so if your cat was an inside and outside cat and had free reign of the territory, you will need to make the cat an inside cat temporarily. Until the animal becomes comfortable and clearly non-stressed in the new home, and then and only then should you allow your pet to explore the outside neighborhoods again.
Spend some one-on-one time with your pets to ensure that they are happy and comfortable. If you have any other concerns regarding your pets you might want to consult with your family veterinarian’s
