What to know when moving with pets
It can be extremely traumatic when moving your pets. They have emotional territorial claims to your residence and they have favorite hiding spots and play areas. So, on move day, with all kinds of strangers present (the humans helping you to move), they can become very, very upset as their dukedom (so to speak) is being dismantled.
Cats can spray and scratch. Dogs can growl, bark loudly and maybe even bite someone. Cats or dogs both can frantically tear around the house, or run out of the house and get lost, or get underfoot and end up getting hurt. With open doors in cold weather, birds can get chilled and die. So, when moving, your pet needs special consideration to avoid such problems.
How to move with pets to another home
The best policy on moving day is to isolate pets away from the moving origin and destination sites and into as comfortable a temporary surrounding as possible.
- Try to provide them with familiar human companionship, food, water and a place to relieve themselves.
- Try to visit and reassure them as often as possible during the move.
- Try to be as sensitive as possible to their potential for an emotional upset. When the move is over and all the people are gone, then move your pets into the new residence.
If you can, take your pet to the new residence prior to move day and let them get acclimated to it – that will solve your pet’s moving reorientation problem wonderfully. By doing sensitive things like this when moving pets, they will settle in as quickly and nicely as possible.
Human interaction with pets
Many folks are afraid of animals, or dislike them, or are allergic to them. By removing the pets from the origin and destination points during the move, these kinds of fears are allayed and dislikes have no reason to manifest.
It is a good idea to suggest over-the-counter anti-allergy medications for friends or relatives who will be helping you or for the professional movers. It is also a good idea to warn your movers if pet odors, pet hair or stains are to be contended with on moving day so that they can emotionally set themselves to deal with this.
