Top Tips For Moving Home With Pets

Moving home doesn’t just mean a change for you and your family, it also means upheaval for your pets.

Pets may bring an extra complication to an already stressful moving day, so it’s best to prepare in advance so you and your pet can enjoy a smooth, seamless relocation to your new home.

Plan Ahead

Ideally, you should make considerations for your pet before you buy a new property. When exploring the market, think about how suited the home and area is to a pet: Are the roads busy? Is the garden big enough? Is the interior size dramatically different to what your pet is used to? Feel free to ask the current occupants if they have pets and whether or not the house or local area is suited to them. Knowing you have chosen a place where animals can feel safe and comfortable will definitely stand you in good stead for moving day.

Once you’re set on the move, make sure your pet has a collar with your contact information listed, and get them used to wearing it before moving day arrives. You might also consider a microchip if your pet doesn’t already have one.

Packing

Moving can be distressing for animals due to the rapid change of routine and frantic nature of the removal process. Making the process as stress-free as possible for your pets is important, so try to save packing up things like their bed, tray, toys and bowls for last. Start packing a week or so in advance so your pets aren’t faced with an immediate change of surroundings on the day. Remove things bit by bit, and allow your pet to become familiar with the changes so they are as comfortable and relaxed as possible come moving day.

Before Moving

You will want to keep an eye on your pet’s temperament and mood in the days leading up to the move. Cats – especially those who enjoy spending ample time roaming around outside – might become distressed by the changes, and letting them out of the house immediately before moving is a bad idea, as they may try running away.

You can ask your vet for advice on how to keep your pet calm and docile before the move, and you may wish to use specific products to help keep your pet calm. Pheromone products may help instil a feeling of security in your pets, making them much easier to handle and less likely to act erratically on the day.

The most important thing is maintaining a normal routine before the move so your pet doesn’t become distressed early on.

Day of the Move

It will be hard to keep a calm, ordered routine on the day of the move, so it’s wise to confine your animal to a single, comfortable room for the duration. Surround it with familiar items, check in regularly to provide it with attention and any food or water it might need and remember to pack up your pet’s things last.

Calming products may help your pet with the journey itself. If they aren’t used to being confined to pet cages, you will want to familiarise them before moving day. Leave a cage open in a particular room, and line it with comfortable bedding and some toys to coax them into investigating. If they are comfortable with the caged space, that will make the trip much easier.

Make sure to keep your pet with you at all times during the journey; don’t let them travel alone in a removal van or in the boot of your car. Constant contact with a familiar face will help reduce their stress and give them something soothing to focus on.

Moving In

The most important thing once you’ve moved into your new home is continuity. Settle back into the same routine as your old home as quickly as possible to help ease distress. Cats especially can be very nervous in new surroundings, so let them explore rooms one at a time, at their own pace, and place familiar toys or items around the home to help them settle.
Cats can also have a strong attachment to your old home, and their homing instinct may cause them to flee in an attempt to find their old surroundings. This is why it’s best to keep your cat inside for a week or two, so they can become better acquainted with their new home and start to recognise it as such. When it is time to let them out, try to keep it short at first before letting them out for longer periods once you think they are comfortable.

With dogs, try to take them for a walk as soon as possible after moving – later that day, ideally. This will get them used to the neighbourhood early, which will play a huge role in making them feel comfortable after the move.

At Simon Long Removals Gloucestershire, our team provides an efficient and professional removals service to all our customers, working with your specific needs in mind to help ease the stress of moving day. To find out more about our comprehensive removals services available throughout the South West – including Gloucester – get in touch with our friendly team today.