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Whether you’re making an international cross-border move, or simply moving across country, there are many potential stresses that come with the process moving to a new home - and that’s just for us humans! If you’re moving house with pets, imagine how stressful the process must be for your beloved animals. Pets are creatures of habit, they love their home comforts, and moving away from everything they know and love can be a big jolt for them at first. Of course, they’ll easily settle once they get to their new home, but there are a few things you can do to make the whole process a lot easier for them. Here are our top tips for moving with pets...
Pack for your house move gradually
When moving house, animals (especially cats) can get really nervous if their whole environment changes dramatically and suddenly. So don’t pack all your belongings at once, take your time. If there’s one room in particular that your pet spends lots of time in, pack that room last so they can escape into it while you’re working on the rest of the house.
Keep some familiar objects to hand while you’re moving
When packing each room of the house, especially your animal’s favourite room, make sure that not every last item goes into the moving van - keep some familiar objects somewhere that’s nice and easy to access! Maybe make a kind of ‘moving house overnight kit’ with enough food, toys, grooming equipment, and litter to keep your pet comfortable during the journey to your new house, and the first few days after you arrive. Another tip is to unpack pet-related items in similar places to where they were in your old house e.g. put their bed in the same area of the living room that it used to be in. This way your pets will be calmer during the move as well as while you’re unpacking in the new house.
Take a trip to the old vet before you leave, and contact a new vet before you arrive!
When moving house with animals, if you’re going to be living in a different area, you’ll need one last visit to the vet before you go. For most states, you’ll need to obtain records and medications from your existing vet before moving. Don’t forget to ask if your pet will need any vaccinations for the new area you’ll be living in! It’s also a good idea to ask for vet recommendations in the new area - contact the new vet before you leave to double check whether you will encounter any pet entry laws or regulations while moving. (You may need to pay a license fee for moving with animals to certain states)
Update your pet’s address
Just as you’ll need to update your important information to notify of a new address, you’ll need to do the same for your pets when moving house. If they have any ID tags with emergency info, or even a microchip with information on it, you’ll need to update it with the address of your new home.
Let your pet move with you
Depending on which method of transport you will be using to move home, it’s best to try to keep your animal with you - either in your vehicle or on the same plane as you (remember to check rules, regulations, insurance, and transport charges for this!) You animals will feel far more comfortable travelling when they can see that you aren’t too far away, so avoiding being away from them will avoid any unnecessary distress. Also, try not to let them out of their carrier until you can actually take them into the new house and let them get used to it - the last thing you want is your pet getting out of the car and losing themselves in a completely new neighbourhood!
By following these tips you’ll be sure to minimise any stress and discomfort for your animals while you move house. To avoid any stress and discomfort for you during your move, make sure you contact a great moving company - like us! At QMM we have years of experience in making your move as effortlessly easy as possible, get in touch to find out more about what we can do for you.
