Moving with pets – tips and tricks

Pets are ones that can make our lives much happier and easier. On the other hand, they can also make it much harder, especially when choosing a reliable moving company and relocating. Moving with pets is quite a challenge since you can’t make them calm down if they are agitated. Moving is very stressful for both the owner and the pet so there are some things that you have to know if you want to have stress-free relocation with your pet.

Go to the vet

Before you do anything regarding the move, you have to prepare. You should go to the vet before the move so that you can know whether there is something bad going on with your pet. Even though pets are very durable, they can get sick and that could ruin your whole move. That is why you should go to the vet one or two weeks before hiring moving services so that you have time to cure if there is something with your pet.

a vet - moving with pets
Go to the vet before relocation

Keep your pets away from stress

We are used to everyday stress. Some people can manage high stress while some manage lower levels of it. No matter in what group you are, we still know that it will pass. Pets are different though. Their bodies are different so big amounts of stress can damage them. Moving with pets is a high-stress situation because there are so many things that you have to do. Pets feel the pressure and get stress themselves. In order to preserve them from all of this, it would be good if your friend could pick them up. If you can’t do that or nobody is available at the moment, then put them in the room where you have packed all the stuff. Just be sure to leave them everything that they may need in there.

Pack important things when moving with pets

Moves can be exhausting and can be very long. Even there are a lot of good long-distance movers across the country, they still can’t predict any problems that you may have. Or your pet in this case. There are some things that you have to prepare and pack for your pets:

  • Dog food
  • Kitty litter 
  • Toys
  • Grooming tools

Go with your own vehicle

Moving with pets is different because pets are very dependent. They require attention and you are the only one they feel safe with. Every change of environment is very stressful for them and that is the thing you have to avoid. If this happens, pets usually become very agitated and that makes relocation with them impossible.

Make sure that your pet rides with you during the trip. The trip alone is enough to make them nervous. You can very easily stop and take a quick break for them to relax.

Use carriers

Many people make a mistake and let their pets free. It is a noble gesture but the problem is that you will regret this decision real soon. They accumulate stress and you are the one to pay for it. The reason is simple. Pets are just not used to the fast change of picture in your eyes. In order to prevent this from happening, be sure to put them into carriers and lock them in. Some people also put the blanket on top of it since it prevents your pets from seeing fast picture changing before their eyes.

a cat in a carrier
Use carriers for your pets

Do not let your pets out!

Pets usually take more time to adjust to the current situation. Relocation with pets to a totally new environment is very challenging. The unknown conditions make pets want to find the known conditions. That is the reason why some pets get lost once you relocate to a new place and let them outside. 

In order to prevent this from happening, do not open the carrier until you get into the new place. Once you get them inside, be sure not to let them outside for a couple of days. This will give them time to adjust to the new conditions and get familiar with their new home. Even though your pet may be calm and docile, you have to be sure that they are adapted to your new place. After you see that your pet is behaving like its old self, you can let them in the backyard.

Do not bring them to an empty house

There are some things you can do in order to speed up the process of adjusting to the new conditions. In order to achieve this, it is good if you can unpack at least one room in your new place, no matter whether it is a house or an apartment. Once you get to a new place, you can put your pet inside the room that you have previously unpacked. 

Pets usually have something they are bond with. It is usually some toy or a blanket but there is no limit. If your pet has something it is bond with, be sure to give it to the pet. These kinds of things usually tend to calm them down and that is certainly a thing that you could use in the whole moving process.

a dog
Give toys and blankets to your pets to speed up the adaptation process

Summary

Moving with pets is a very challenging process. The most important thing about it is that you have to stay calm and to keep it together. People are used to stressing and you have coping tactics that make the whole process much easier. Pets, on the other hand, do not have these mechanisms on how to cope with stress. Yes, it will fade eventually but it can make a lot of trauma for the animal. That is why you should do everything that you can in order for your pet to stay calm during the whole process. We have listed a number of things that you should do if you want to have a peaceful and easy move. Of course, every animal is different and you can even include some of your own tactics to cope with relocating with a pet!

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