Moving day will bring a mixture of emotions.
You’re excited to settle into your new property but dread the thought of packing and moving furniture. The realisation that you’ve accumulated far too much stuff hits you. But what about your furry friends?
Whilst moving house can be a stressful time for humans, it’s often even harder for our beloved pets. With everything in their environment changing and being moved, they can become quite unsettled.
Below are a few tips to help make the move as easy as possible for your furry family members.
Keep their threadbare blanket
It may be tempting to upgrade your pets bedding and toys when moving, under the guise of spring cleaning, however pets are comforted by familiar items and smells. Keeping their favourite, worn out toy or ripped-to-shreds bed can actually help to make the transition less stressful.
Acquaint your cat with a travel cage
Familiarising your cat with its travel cage well in advance can help make moving day easier. Make interacting with the cage a fun experience so that when it comes time to move, they won’t be as scared.
Maintain your usual pet routines
New environments can be stressful for dogs. The best thing to do once you move house is keep their routine as consistent as possible. Walk them every day, along the same route to familiarise them with the neighbourhood and allow them to get used to their new surroundings.
Inspect their new environment
Before releasing your pets into their new adobe, check the house to ensure fences are secure and screens are closed so they can safely explore their new environment.
“It is also important to check your new backyard and garden beds for items which may harm your pets such as rat or snail poisons, bones and rubbish. Your dog will be eager to sniff out their new surrounds so make sure anything exciting they find, won’t hurt them.”
Allow access room by room
Cats can feel overwhelmed in a new home, especially if it’s a big house. Try allowing them to become comfortable in one closed off room first and once they are, slowly allow them access to other areas of the house.
Update their microchip
Most importantly, make sure your pets’ microchip and council registration is updated with your new address and contact details. Update their identification tag with your new phone number so if they do go wandering, you can be quickly reunited.
Know where to find help
Finally, make contact with the local vet and keep contact details for emergency clinics easily accessible.
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