Moving house with dogs, cats or any other pets can often become stressed or anxious.
They don’t know where they are, they don’t know where they have been, and they don’t know where they are going. They no longer have access to familiar smells and people and streets, so they have no landmarks to guide their way. This can make them fret even more and act out by reducing their food intake, becoming restless or displaying other signs of stress.
Moving is an adjustment period for pets and they need time to settle into their new surroundings and become familiar.
This blog will guide all pet owners to move houses with pets easily and help their pets settle in quickly at the new place.
5 Things You Can Do to Move Houses with Pets Smoothly
The best advice is to move slowly, allow your pets to become familiar and comfortable with the new surroundings. Your pet will need time to settle into their new environment and you need to provide adequate time for them.
1. Prepare Your Pet for the Travel
One of the hardest things when moving house is getting your pets used to their travel arrangements. Some pets are quite used to being confined in cages or carriers. And if so, then you won’t have much problem during the transportation.
If not, you need to ease the process of travel.
First of all, you need to get your pet accustomed to the crate, cage or carrier. So place them inside the container in the living room. Next, you need to give your pet plenty of positive reinforcement to keep them engaged. If your pet is nervous about the container, use their favourite treats or toys to get them excited.
Finally, you should begin practising with shorter periods in the crate. Start with a couple of minutes, and work up to several minutes. Once your pet is comfortable spending several minutes in the container, start driving around the block with them.
2. Talk to Your Vet
It’s essential to have your pet checked over by a vet and make sure that your pet is up to date on all shots and vaccinations.
It’s also a good idea to talk to your veterinarian about potential anxiety issues. They can advise you on possible options, such as calming supplements, which can help pets prone to anxiety. Also, the vet will advise you whether or not your pet is fit to travel and whether or not crates, carriers, or travel cages are needed.
3. Create a Safe Space During Packing, Loading and Unloading
Pets are territorial, so if you think your four-legged or three-legged friends may be afraid or upset about the goings-on, it’s wise to keep them in their own space if possible.
A safe space should feature all of the things your pet associates with home and be quiet, ideally in a corner or a room where sounds and activity are limited.
To re-create their familiar home, place comfortable bedding, toys, towels, or clothing in the space and distract them with a favourite toy or treat. Also, make sure to keep them away from high-traffic areas and big movers when they are packing, loading or unloading.
4. Have Familiar Things Around
When the process of moving house stresses pets, it is important to minimise the stress they experience.
Pets need their familiar environment – the rooms, furniture, smells, sounds and activities they are familiar with. They like to feel settled and at ease in their surroundings.
You can minimise disruptions to your pet’s routine. If possible, arrange for their food, water bowls, litter trays, litter tray liners, toys, scratching posts, scratching pads, trees and furniture to arrive before they arrive.
5. Maintain Your Pet’s Routine
It’s scary for pets to be in a new environment. They can get stressed by changes in routine and new situations. Some pets stop eating because they are worried or frightened.
So keeping the same routine when moving house can help your pets make the transition.
It is best to feed your pet its usual food, and if your pet likes to get its food out of a bowl, put it in a bowl. Don’t make any drastic changes to their regular habits as it could throw them off.
Make sure to pack all of such familiar items of your pets in a separate bag and have them with you during the relocation. This is the best way to normalise the move as much as possible.
Wrapping Up
Moving with pets can be quite a task. But as you’re focusing on keeping your pets safe and calm, you may not have much time to focus on the actual moving of your goods. This is where you need reliable removalists to move houses with pets easily. The right movers can make it easy for you to take care of your pet while they take complete care of your move.
Book a Mover is one of the most reputed removalist companies in Australia and we’ve helped quite a lot of families with pets to move safely and securely. Call us at 0405008349 to know more about how we can help you.