Your furry friends are an important part of your family. According to the 2019-2020 National Pet Owners Survey, sixty-seven percent of all US households own a pet, equating to roughly 85 million families. With that many family pets, it is inevitable you are going to have to relocate with yours one day. In this article we will go over tips to help keep your pet calm and out of the way during your moving day.
Moving day can be a very stressful time for your household animals. Having to watch strangers take all of the items out of your house can set off some alarms in your pet’s head. If possible, the best case scenario would be to find a family member or friend who can watch your pets for you on the move date. This will help prevent anything happening between your pets and the moving crew. However, we understand this is not always possible and have laid out some ideas to help keep your pet calm on moving day.
Prepare an overnight bag
Moving day can be a very chaotic and fast-paced day. Keeping track of certain items, such as dog food or leashes, may be a rather difficult task. We recommend preparing an overnight bag filled with all of your pet’s essentials and some food the night before your move.
Consult your veterinarian
If you feel your pet may not react well to having movers in your home or the potentially long car ride to your new residence, you may want to consult your primary care veterinarian. Often times, veterinarians can prescribe mild sedatives or other medications to help keep your pet calm throughout the moving process.
Keep your pets in a separate room
Once your movers arrive, you should relocate your pets into a room in which there are no or limited items to be moved. Places such as a bathroom, closet, or outside would be ideal locations to keep your pets while movers are loading your items. Notify your movers which room you have your pet in and tell them to keep the door shut until it is time to load the items from that room.
Take your pet with you in your vehicle
This one seems like a bit of a no-brainier. The safest, and most familiar, place for your pet during the drive to your new residence would be in your personal vehicle. In fact, moving companies are not allowed by Texas state law to move live animals without a special permit and equipment.
Give your pet time
Just like humans, getting used to your new home will take your pets some time as well. From their eyes, there is so much new to explore, and smell. It all might be a bit overwhelming at first. Make sure to set up your pets’ food and water dishes as well as their beds in their new respective places as soon as the movers leave, so your pets can begin the process of feeling comfortable in their new home.
