What’s the best way to move house with pets and settle them into a new home?
In our last post about moving with pets, we gave tips about what pet owners can do before moving to prep their pets. In this post, we’ll look at the actual move, and how to settle your pet into their new digs. At Australis Removals, we know that pets are valued family members and owners want to minimise their stress. Read on to find out some great ways to do this.
Moving Day
Before loading your pet into the car:
- If your pet is staying with you through the move, then during the packing process, confine them to one secure room. This will help to keep them safe from injury or escape while removalists are going in and out of the house. Leaving them in a quiet room, like the laundry, with their favourite blankets and toys will help minimise their stress and keep them safe.
- Place your cat’s travel carrier in the same room as them and leave it there with the door open for several days. Most cats will adapt to it, start to explore the carrier and may even begin to sleep inside. If you feed Fluffy close to the carrier and eventually inside it, she’ll feel far more comfortable when it comes to putting her in and closing the door. For moving purposes, place an extra absorbent towel in the base, perhaps even a couple of towels, so that you can remove the top layer easily during transit.
- Make sure you’ve put your pet’s identification tags on them— if they escape, rescuers can call you quickly!
- If you’re travelling a long way, such as from Adelaide to Melbourne, don’t feed your pet for twelve hours before the journey. This will help prevent travel sickness, but if you know your pet typically does suffer from motion sickness, stock up on appropriate vet-prescribed medications.
- Before firing the ignition, ensure that your pet is safely secured in their carrier or harness.
- If possible, it might be better for you and your pet to leave them with a friend, relative or at a boarding place on moving day. That way you can introduce your pet to their new home after everything is unpacked and the chaos has settled.
During your move
- Don’t leave your pet in a hot car, or out in the sun in their carrier. A car can reach dangerous temperatures within 10 minutes, even on a relatively mild day, which can result in illness or even death.
- Unless you’re undertaking a long-haul move of twelve hours or more, avoid putting food and water in the pet carrier. For long journeys without regular stops, you’ll need a carrier big enough for a litter tray and food and water bowls that won’t spill during transit.
- Ideally, you want to give your pets regular toilet and water breaks. You might prefer to tackle your trip on one long grind, but your pet won’t. And keeping your pet restrained and contained in your car for hours at a time can lead to a fear of car travel. Make frequent stops, just as you would if you had small children in your car. And, if you do have small children along for the move, well then – two birds with one stone!
- While frequent breaks will keep Fido happier, be careful he doesn’t get over-excited and escape when you let him out. Keep leads at the ready for this, even for cats.
In your new home:
- When you arrive, keep your cat in the carrier or your dog on the lead until you can place them inside a safe, secure room. Do not be tricked by crying or whining. If you open the carrier to ‘comfort’ him before you’re in an enclosed space, he will likely dash out in an attempt to escape the mayhem.
- In your new home, choose a small room such as the bathroom or laundry to leave your pet while removalists unload your belongings. Make sure they have food, water, litter trays and toys to keep them happy while the unpacking occurs.
- Before letting your pet into the rest of the house, unpack your essentials so that there are some familiar items within the unfamiliar environment. It can also help your pet to feel more secure if you set your furniture up in a similar way to the old house.
- Don’t let your dog out into the garden until you have checked that your fences are secure, high enough, and ‘hole free’. If there are obvious escape routes, then only allow your dog outside while on a lead until you can fix things.
- Cats can take a while to adjust to a new home. Keep them inside for several days to several weeks to stop them scarpering back to their old home. And if they do show signs of stress through misbehaviour, consider ways that you can reduce their stress. An AP (Appeasing Pheromone) plug-in device might help.
- Don’t punish your pets for initial misbehaviour as cats, especially, will not understand and will only get more stressed. Don’t make a fuss, punish your pet or draw attention to ‘bad behaviour’ because it can just make the problem worse. Quietly pick up any toilet messes and thoroughly clean the area to get rid of the smell. When your pet goes to the toilet in the correct area, praise them.
- Cats are creatures of habit, so moving can be particularly stressful for Fluffy. To minimise this, keep your cat confined to one room for the first few days. Put favourite things in that room that smell familiar and ensure he’s comfortable. After a few days, allow your cat access to another room, and gradually allow him to explore his new environment.
After the move
- Do not let your cat outside for at least two – four weeks after a move. When you think he’s ready, make sure to supervise his first outside outing and ideally only allow him out into a fenced backyard. Cats are easily startled and will often dash out into another cat’s or dog’s territory, or the road. Be on guard to keep your cat safe.
- The RSPCA recommends keeping your cat inside at night to protect both your cat and wildlife.
- If your cat or dog is micro-chipped, remember to change their records to your new address.
- Sticking to established feeding and walking routines will help your pet settle in quicker. Don’t change the amount of attention you pay to them as this may cause anxiety or over-dependence on you and lead to behaviour problems.
- Help your dog to settle in by taking them for lots of walks. This will help your dog get to know their new neighbourhood.
- If you have any concerns about your pet or suspect they’re not settling in as well as they should, speak to a vet. Pets can’t tell us when they’re sick! If you have ongoing issues with your pet after a move, a vet can tell you if medication or behaviour retraining may be required.
It can be tough for humans, let alone pets who don’t understand what’s happening and why to settle into a new home. We hope these tips help you and your fur babies and if you have any more pointers about moving with pets, we’d love to hear them!
