Read on for tips and tricks to moving with the most important family of all, your pet! From preparation to moving day itself, be prepared in order to de-stress the experience for your dog or cat.
Pablo wants to choose a new house, you say? Maybe Bowser isn’t feeling the neighborhood cats anymore. No matter what your reason, moving isn’t just a big stress for you and your kids, but also for the fluffiest member of the family!
Anything you can do to ease this transition for them will make a big difference in their eating and behavior habits.
Animals react differently to stress. Some begin to cry and moan, some change their eating habits drastically causing stomach issues, and some (usually cats) don’t really seem to care, but then end up going into hiding. What you can do to make this move simpler for your dog or cat is important to do.
Your vet knows your pet’s disposition best. They may prescribe anti-stress medicines if your animal is easily stressed out. They might also talk to you about a diet change during the process with more soft foods to ease the pressure on their stomach.
If you are moving across the country or out of your vet’s area, ask them for recommendations in your new local spot and as well to transfer all your pet’s records.
You may want to ask them for a paper printed copy in case anything gets lost in the process and keep these documents with your other important papers in your essentials bag.
The whole process for them can be overwhelming. Many pets spend 75% of their time just lounging around at home so uprooting them from their familiar spots can be stress-inducing.
Spend some extra time with your fluffy friend. If you are moving close by, take them for walks near the new home and familiarize them ahead of time with the new home.
Studies show a significant stress reduction when your pet has already come into contact with the new home. Giving them treats and positive feedback and associations will ease them into the new home.
This is an important step to the move for your pet as if they go missing in their new area, they are not likely to know the way back home yet.
Pets that wander astray usually can easily make it back home when they are familiar with the area, but pets that wander in a new area are bound to get lost.
Having your updated address and phone number on their collar and updated for their microchip is very important.
Book your pet sitter, or set a time that a family friend will be available to come take your pet and take them for a fun day! Dogs can become aggressive when they see a mover enter their home space and become territorial growling and barking.
Avoid this stress both for you and them by having them taken care of in a neutral space. If you don’t have a local solution, look up a local doggy daycare center that you can pay by the day for care.
Ease the transition to the new home by having their bed and favorite toy in your car and saving their spot for the ride to the new home. Make it a road trip and stop for lots of pee breaks.
As soon as you arrive at the new home, create your pet’s space in whatever designated corner you choose. Have their bed ready, a blanket, their favorite toys, and most importantly their food and water dishes.
Don’t make any additional changes to your pet’s lifestyle like a new bed or food change to reduce stress. Having their designated area is critical for your pet’s confidence.
If your home is full of dangerous items from the move, think about putting your pet on another day of doggy day care to ensure their safety. Make sure all dangerous chemicals, paint jars, and whatever other items you wouldn’t want your pet putting their nose in are closed off and unpacked away safely in their spots.
Having cartons and tape around your pet shouldn’t be an issue, but make sure to pet-proof your house and give it a one-over walkthrough before letting Bruno roam freely.
If you have a backyard that is fenced in, double check there is no holes in the fence that he can escape through before releasing him free.
If you follow these simple tips, you are bound to really reduce the stress levels for your pet. Take it from Petal and Rachel who have moved homes multiple times lately.
By taking proactive measures to ensure your pet's safety and comfort, you are making the moving process as smooth as can possibly be with a pet. It’s all about planning ahead and asking for help where needed.
Many of the movers on iMoving also offer pet transport, so this is one viable option.
Another way is to actually fly your pet with you. Your vet will need to prepare all the pet’s documents and puppy passports ahead of time, but it is well worth it to have them arrive safely with your flight to your new state.
Another option is paying a driver to transport your pet cross country. This can be pricey, but you can find many car dealers who are driving vehicles from state to state so maybe your fluffy friend can hitch a ride.
Start by creating a personalized inventory list of all the items in your house including the state and quality they are in.
Once you have this, enter iMoving’s moving marketplace and input all your details including address, moving dates, flexibility with time and date, any additional services needed such as packing and unpacking, VIP transport of items, and more, and walla you will have yourself a binding quote from multiple moving vendors all at the same time with the click of your mouse.
Moving labor is a helpful and dandy service you can book with iMoving if you're planning on DIYing most of your move on your own.
Rather than a full-service moving team that does it all, moving labor can show up whenever you order them, help with packing, and help with the heavy lifting.
Think of moving labor as that helpful set of uncles you just don’t have. Everything else will be up to you for the unpacking part unless you book a moving labor team to meet you at your destination as well.
If you are doing this look into pricing as it might just make more sense to book a classic moving team.
If a moving company is expecting you to pay for your entire move up front, this is a terrible sign of a scammer. If you pay upfront, there's no guarantee they'll even show up or care at all about your stuff.
That being said, paying a down payment before the big moving day is relatively common and should be expected and calculated.
Expect to pay a few hundred dollars or about 10% of the price of your entire move as a down payment. Obviously, if you book with iMoving you won’t have to worry about accidentally booking scammers.
Make them an active part of the planning phase or at least have them feel that way. When they too feel like a decision maker they feel in control of their reality. If you can, visit the new home with them and start planning out their room design.
Take them to buy new bedding and decor to make them excited about the new changes they are about to undergo.
Take them to the local parks and fun surrounding areas to acclimate them. If possible set up a play date with a local family so they will already have a friend to associate the place with.
If you can, visit their new school with them ahead of classes so they can feel familiar with the hallways and classrooms.
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