How to Prepare Your Pet for a Move

Selling a house is a tricky proposition, and closing a deal so that you can say goodbye to your familiar home usually feels like a big win. The next challenge is moving your household to a new home, and you need to take a little time to consider the needs of your pets during that process. This guide will help you make the transition to a new house as smooth as possible for your family’s animal members.

Pre-Move Preparations

Hopefully, the new home you’ve chosen is a place where your animal friends will feel comfortable. You can give the new home a “field test” by bringing your animals to visit, if possible, so they can get a feel for the house (or apartment) and the neighborhood.

In many cases, you’ll need to transport your pet yourself during the move, and that means putting them in a crate. Give your pet plenty of time to acclimate to this by introducing the crate as early as possible. Feed them in their crate for several days so that they form positive associations with it.

Let your pets get comfortable with the moving process by starting to pack things up slowly. If you can, leave one room your pets like unpacked until the last possible moment. This will give them a safe space even during the busiest part of the move.

Moving Day Concerns

Have all of your pets’ record-keeping concerns sorted out before you move. If you’re leaving your preferred veterinarian behind, make sure you get copies of your animals’ medical records and fill their prescriptions. Get new tags made with your new address so that your pets will be easily identifiable.

During the move itself, try to minimize the amount of confusion your pets are exposed to. You might want to look into boarding your pets with a friend or a commercial kennel; this is often the best way to keep them from getting loose during the loading and unloading parts of the move.

Acclimating Your Pet To Your New House

If you’ve purchased a newly-built or renovated home, be aware that fresh building materials may release harmful chemicals (especially fumes) to which pets are especially susceptible. Air out your new home thoroughly before the move so that your pets aren’t exposed to an undue amount of toxins.

Pack your pets’ essentials (food, bedding, toys, grooming necessities, etc.) in a convenient place and make unpacking them a priority as soon as you’ve moved to your new home. You want to create another safe space for your pets so that they have a refuge in their new home. If you have enough supplies you might even be able to do this before moving day.

Even though your schedule gets very busy following a move, make time to keep up with the schedule your pets are familiar with. Feed and walk them at the times they’re used to.

Moving can be a hectic experience even for capable people who fully understand the process. It can be much more stressful for animals who are unlikely to comprehend what’s going on. Use the advice presented here to minimize the confusion your pets go through after you sell your home and move to a new address.

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