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Having a pet can be a great blessing. Whether you have children or not, you can often find that your cat or dog feels like your baby. So much so, they’re often your first or last child! And when this is the case, they’re going to be just as integral to your everyday lives as anyone else in the family. You care for them, you look after them, you love them; just as you would a child. So when life changes come around, you have to make sure that you think about your pets during the process, just as you would your child.
And there’s no exception to this when it comes to moving house. We all know that moving can be one of the most stressful things you can do in life. Having to get everything you own together, pack it all up, and then move it and unpack it again someplace new, can be super difficult to take on - especially in a short space of time. It can also be quite unsettling. Moving is something that young children don’t always understand, because leaving their home can feel alien to them. It’s the same for pets too. So if you want to make sure that your cat or dog settles in well when you move, here’s what you need to do.
Plan Ahead
Whenever you move house, it’s always going to help you if you can try and plan ahead as much as possible. This can often ensure that you keep any stress to a minimum. It’s going to take you awhile to get everything sorted, so you really do need to give yourself as much time as possible. And when you have your pet to think about, you definitely don’t want to be leaving anything until the last minute. You need to be as organized as possible, particularly with their bits and pieces, so planning ahead is really going to help you here.
Stay Calm
If you’re able to nail that last point, then you’re definitely going to find this stage much easier, and it can be quite important. Your pets will pick up on your stress, and it is then likely to stress them out too; which is something you really need to avoid during the move. So these tips to help you stay calm should help you here. You have to be as relaxed as you can be during this, to keep your pets calm too.
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Stick To Their Normal Routine
At the same time, you really need to make sure that you’re staying on top of their usual routine as much as you can. As you will know, pets are often very accustomed to their routine. So when you start throwing things out, they can get restless and stressed. Be sure to keep their feeding times as standard, as well as walks for the dog, and let your cat out if you tend to do this at the same time each day.
Talk To Them
Next, you should think about talking to your pets when you can. It’s smart to talk to your pets just in general, but during potentially stressful moments and events, you should definitely think about doing this more often. Talk them through the move and reassure them too. It sounds crazy, but it works!
Pack Their Things Carefully
As you’re packing, you also need to ensure that you’re packing up their things carefully too. And this not only includes their bed and toys, but things like their Pet-Lock cat flea medicine and dog treatments especially. You need to make sure you have things like this to hand for when you get to the new place so that you can continue on with their normal routine right away. You will also need to help settle them in well, so be sure you have everything you need.
Change Their Collar
On your moving day, you’re going to need to change your cat or dogs collar, if they wear one. Because you need to make sure that you put their new address details on there. At the same time, you should also update the details on their microchip so that they’re also correct now too.
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Comfort Them On The Journey
Then, on the journey to the new place, be sure to comfort them the entire way. Even if you have them in a pet carrier, make sure that they’re happy and contented. Cuddle them if you can and make sure they have their toys with them. This part can feel like the worst if they are stressed out, so be sure to keep them calm where you can.
Get Their Stuff Settled In
When you get to your new house, your first job is going to be to ensure that they are settled in happily. Just like you would get your kids rooms’ set up first, you need to do the same for your pet. Their bed and toys are familiar to them, and they will have their scent, so these are things that are going to help them to settle in well.
Keep Them In
When it comes to your cat, you need to make sure that you keep them in for a period of at least two weeks. If you want your cat to be happy and healthy, their environment is healthy. They need to realize that this is their new place, and they have to get acquainted before they explore outside, otherwise, they may try to go back to your old home, or even get lost. So this step is essential.
Be With Them
And finally, during those first few days and weeks, you’re going to want to be extra sensitive to them. If you want them to settle in well, it’s essential that you comfort them and give them lots of fuss. You need to reassure them that although things have changed, they are still safe - and that this is their new home. If you can take time off work to be with them, that would be even better! But in general, you just have to keep them calm and let them know that you’re there.