Moving is stressful, no matter how many times you’ve done it before. It’s even more difficult when you have to move with your pets because there are so many things that need to be considered. There are some items that every pet-owner should consider bringing with them during the move.
Preparation Day
1) Spend some time choosing a moving company.
Your first step should be to find out which moving company you want to use. You can do this independently or by getting recommendations from friends and family. Be sure that the mover has experience with animals because calling ahead of time is not enough to ensure they can accommodate them.
If your cats are particularly skittish, consider bringing them to a friend’s house for the day before your hired movers arrive. They will be less stressed if there aren’t any strangers in the house when they first arrive at their new residence.
2) Decide where everyone will go during the move.
Moving can take several hours to complete, and that’s not counting the time it takes to pack your things. If your dogs are like mine, they probably won’t be able to sit still for such a long period.
You’ll have to plan, so everyone has a safe place to go. Bring them all into one room and close the door. They’ll need water and a place to go the bathroom, so you should provide one litter box per cat and one designated area for your dogs.
3) Throw out old food and set up new dishes.
As long as it’s been since you packed up your old house, this shouldn’t be a problem; however, there’s no need to make it harder on yourself by finding old food and making a mess of your new cabinets.
All you have to do is set up the food, water dishes, litter boxes, and designated potty areas for your pets. Dogs need room to roam during a move, so keep them in a single room with the door closed until the moving crew arrives.
Moving Day
Busting a move can be an emotional process for everyone involved, and that’s even more true when you have to make it happen with your cats. Cats are inquisitive creatures, so they will want to know what is going on. If yours aren’t used to coming out of the room where you left them, this could take some time.
If they don’t budge after an hour or two, pick them up and move them to the new house. Once you’ve got everyone situated in their designated areas, go back for your dogs.
Settling In
After the big move is over, don’t expect your pets to know exactly what’s going on. If you have a dog, he’ll want to run through the house and check every room out. Set up a calming dog bed for him to find in his new place. On the other hand, Cats will want to stay put in their territory for at least 24 hours.
Remember that cats are creatures of habit, so they like to know what to expect in any new situation. If you normally feed them at 6 pm every evening, don’t be surprised if they act out or get into your trash can during that time because that’s what they’re used to doing.
Keeping everyone on a schedule is hard enough, but the biggest challenge is ensuring they have everything they need. While you’re unpacking and getting oriented, your pets will be wondering where their stuff is as well because it’s not in the familiar place.