Moving your Pets

Home is… your Pets Favourite Place!

Moving can be stressful but imagine how stressed your pets are when they see you packing up their favourite toys. Any random activity in the house or a new environment can cause distress when moving your pets. Although there is no easy formula to follow when introducing your fur baby into a new environment there are a few things you can do to mitigate their anxieties.

Create a care package when Moving your Pets

You’ll need to have an overnight care package including enough food, kitty litter, their favourite toys and grooming tools that will sustain them while you unpack over the next few days.

Contact your Vet

Moving out of town? Take this time to check in with your vet about any prescription medications or records you need to bring with you. Maybe you can offer them a referral for a new vet closer to you!

Keep your pets away from the action zone

While you’re in the thick of moving the best thing you can do to lower your pets anxieties is to keep them in the quietest place possible. Although it is recommended you leave them at a kennel or with a friend, the alternative is removing them from the action. For example, you could empty a bedroom on another floor and close the door, or put them into a carrier or kennel in the garage (check on them regularly to make sure they’re in safe temperatures and have water and food). Make sure you take them for walks and feed them as you would during your usual routine to keep things as normal as possible.

Don’t let your pet out until you arrive

The most delicate of all is transporting your animal into your new neighbourhood because if they do get out they can get lost easily. When you’re all settled in the car, it’s important not to open the kennel until the pet is safely inside it’s new home even if your pet is well-behaved or docile. Be patient, give them a few days to adjust to their new home and surroundings. For cat owners, it’s worth noting that more and more people are keeping their cats indoors for safety reasons and your next move could be an opportunity to get them used to being inside as they won’t be used to being out in the new home.

Keep your pet secluded

Don’t move your pet before you’ve moved homes and set up as much as you can, even just in a room. Before you introduce the animal to the new home confine them to a section of the house and give them space to adjust to their surroundings. Give them lots of attention and introduce their own toys or blankets to the space as soon as possible. You want to make them feel just as much at home as you do!