We all know that moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do, but what about for your furry (or not) friends? Making a move as stress-free as possible is in your own interest, but it’s also a time of great upheaval for your precious pets.
For a start, your pets will probably be able to pick up on your own fluctuating emotions, so they’ll know something’s up. But it’s also a time of new, unfamiliar surroundings for them when you move into a new space. New sights, smells and mountains of boxes can be scary for your pets, so we’ve got some tips for keeping the move as calm as possible.
Break from the Chaos
Your pets make your home their home and that means having spots they like to chill out and escape the madness in for a quick kip. In a new property, they’ll be unsure about where these places are, especially when you’ve not unpacked everything.
This can be really overwhelming for them so if you’ve got friends and family nearby, it’s well worth asking if they can look after your pet for a few days, so you’ve got time to unpack and make your home look more homely.
There’s also all sorts of bits and bobs around, which could be unsafe for pets until you’ve organised them, so it’s good to pack your pet off for a mini getaway. That way, when your pet comes back into your new home, there won’t be too much more upheaval, so they can start taking stock of their surroundings and finding their new places to hide and snooze!
Familiarity!
The chances are that your pet uses their sense of smell to find out all sorts of things about the world around them. So, when you move somewhere new, it’s going to be completely unfamiliar and new for your pet, which can be quite disorientating for them. A good thing to do is to try and bring some familiar smells into new surroundings.
This can be as simple as keeping the same blankets and toys unwashed before you move, so that you can have something that they recognise as soon as they come into a new room in your new property. They’ll feel less anxious if there’s something that’s still the same amongst lots of other new things.
Try to set up your pet’s beds and feeding stations in a familiar way to your last property as well.
Give them Time
Be prepared for a period of time where your pets might not be themselves, as they’re getting used to a completely new life…that goes for human residents too! Your pets will adjust to their new surroundings over time, but Rome wasn’t built in a day, so give them time and space to get their heads around what’s going on and find new ways of going about their day.
Offer reassurance to pets and try to give them lots of attention, which can be difficult when you’ve unpacking millions of boxes, but remember that you’re their main source of comfort, so help to alleviate anxiety when you can.
For more advice and info on moving, contact our team at Home EA today.
