Moving is known to be stressful but moving with pets, well, it is more stressful. Your furry friends have a hard time dealing with change especially when it comes to their personal space. Cats and dogs develop a strong connection with their homes over time and get really stressed out when something goes wrong. This may manifest itself into the animals losing their appetite, becoming irritable, or losing interest in activities that they usually love.
The best packers and movers consider these things when they are moving your house. If you have pets, you can speak with your movers and let them know beforehand. On the other hand, if you are moving on your own, you can follow a few tips to make it easier for your pets.
Fortunately, we have it all listed down for you here. So, let’s dive in!
Be positive
Animals are very sensitive to their surroundings. They may not be able to speak with you but they have other senses that are far much stronger than ours. They usually sense that something is about to change and it shows in their mannerisms. To make them feel at ease, it is important for you to be positive about the whole situation. Your energy rubs off onto them and they feel much better.
In the midst of the clutter of packing and moving, it is crucial that you talk and walk ‘positive’. This will go a long way into helping your pets deal with the change.
Pay special attention to cleaning
Ensure that the house you are moving into is cleaned properly before you let your pets into it. This helps to clean the place from unpleasant smells and marks left by pets that used to live there. Also, an empty house usually becomes a breeding ground for insects and germs. Your pets will be able sense all of this. A deep clean of your house will let your pets establish their territory and accept it as their new home.
Visit the new house with your pets before you move in
After you are done selecting a house, take your pets to it for a day before you move. Let them explore the new place and become familiar with it. Let them sniff around and find out more about the hidden nooks and crannies. You can do this more than once as well so that this familiarity increases and they feel much more comfortable once you finally move into the house.
Shift your pets to a friendly place on moving day
On the day of the move, things will become really messy – literally. With furniture movers and ground staff moving around, your pets are likely to get scared and hostile. The best way to deal with this and to also make it easier for the Movers and packers is to shift your pets to a house which they are familiar with. The options may vary – it can be your parents; house or your best friend’s place. It just depends on where they feel comfortable and are away from the stress and the mess of moving.
Make a comfortable space for your pets at the new house
As soon as you move in, or even before that (if the new house is close by), you should make a safe space for your pets. Place plenty of food and water for them there and also their favourite toys. Make them visit this area as much as you can so that they accept it as their comfort zone and go there automatically if they feel uncomfortable.
Don’t mess up their schedules
Animals just like us flourish when they follow a set routine. It is simply healthy and comforting. Even we, as humans, feel out of place and irritable if our body clocks get disturbed. Ensure that your pets routine does not change much – ideally, it shouldn’t change at all. You can accomplish this by making sure that their feeding time and their walking time does not change. Give them your time as you normally do even on the day of moving.
Treat them well and walk them often
After you get settled in the new house, it is important that you spoil your pets a little bit. We know that dogs love to go out on walks. You can increase your time on these walks until they are also settled in at the new house. Give them treats often and do things that make them happy and at home.
Get professional help to move
If your budget allows for it, get the best packers and movers in the area to help you move. They will make sure that the move goes down efficiently and quickly. Also, make sure that your furniture movers are skilled and trained to work with pets around. The best advice still is to send them to a friend’s house on the day of the move. Anyway, the packers and movers will help you achieve that ‘stress-free’ move that you’ve always dreamed of.
