Tips & Tricks When Moving With a Pet

Whether you’ve just found your dream home or are temporarily moving to a new house, it’s important to take precautions when moving with pets to ensure they are safe and happy at the new home. Moving is stressful and can sometimes be a challenge with animals involved, but here are a few tips that will hopefully make the experience smooth sailing:

PREPARE AN OVERNIGHT BAG:

(Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash)

No matter what type of animal you have, they all need to eat, sleep on something comfy and (most importantly) play with toys! Preparing an overnight kit before the move will help keep them comfortable with some of their most-favorite things. A few ideas might be:

• Meals for breakfast and dinner
• Any medication they may need
• Their favorite toy
• The comfiest bed/blanket
• Something that belongs to you that they can sniff (they love their human smells)

GIVE THEM SOME SPACE:

Time to unwind is best once you get to the new home, but more freedom might come with a bit of anxiety in a place that is foreign to them. This might look a bit different depending on what type of animal you have and what their temperament is in everyday normal life.

Cat:

Before: If possible, leave them at the old place with some of their belongings during the move, and take them to the new house once everything is inside.

During: A dark, small cat carrier is suggested and makes them feel safe. Make sure they use the restroom before, OR ELSE.

After: Give them space to roam in a small room and figure things out–put a cat tower in the room along with their favorite toy and let them go for a while. Cats can act….weird in new settings but they will eventually get used to it so just keep this in mind.

Dog:

Before: Get them TIRED. Go for a long walk or run (if you do that) and play, play, play! You know what they say, a tired dog is a good dog 😉

During: If your dog(s) enjoy car rides, this makes things so much easier! It is suggested to have most things moved to the new home BEFORE moving pets so they have something familiar to walk into.

After: If you have an anxious dog, put them on a leash and walk around the house with them, this ensures that they have their source of comfort with them exploring something new and they can sniff the entire place.

Guinea Pig: These pets are very susceptible to change, specifically their hearts. You just need to ensure that they are transported in a warm, comfortable, and small carrier.

Fish: These animals respond very negatively to stress and it can often be fatal. If you are going a very long distance, the best advice out there is to give them to a new home and buy a new fish after unpacking. If you are traveling a short distance, make sure to transport them in bags with their old tank water.

Bird: Be sure that you cage your bird until they are safe in the house, even if they normally stay right on your shoulder, you don’t want them to get out.

UPDATE THEIR INFORMATION:

Calling your vet to update any address information or finding a new vet might be in the cards if you moved far away. Always call your microchip company or pet insurance company to update your address information in case your pet gets lost, so they can be easily found!