Moving Out – Easy for You, Not So for Your Pet

Posted on 28/04/2015

When you have planed your removal, there is one thing that you have probably not considered. There’s one member of your family that can’t say whether he likes the new place or not, and who is not even asked if it wants to move out. This someone is your pet – cat, dog, bird or another animal. Pets usually get used to the house they’ve lived and when they change the setting for a while, it’s very stressful for them. Imagine how they would feel if you change their familiar setting and take them to a completely different place. Here is some advice about how you can help them get accustomed to the new home.

First, keep his stuff, don’t throw anything away. Gather his toys, bowls, the bed, even his favourite old shoe that he likes to chew. The next thing is to try to arrange them as in your old house. Place the bowls for food and water in one corner of the kitchen, his litter box – in your bathroom, etc. Make sure that the next time when he needs water he will know where to look for it and won’t go around the house looking for it. Knowing where his litter box is will also spare you some unwanted spots on your carpet.

Second, show your pet the entire house so that he wil feel it is part of his territory. It’s very important for dogs to know their territory, to know is the layout of the house around them. So when you finally move into the new home show your dog around the house. He might be a bit nervous and insecure at first but gradually he will understand that there is nothing to be afraid of. Once all this is done, you can be sure that your dog will be the perfect guard of your new home. With cats it’s a little more complex, especially if you let them out of the house. Cats get quite attached to the building itself, so sometimes they tend to go back to the old house, of course before they get used to the new one.

Third, maybe the most important and effective means through which you could solve the problem is to give your pet more attention than usual – play with him, walk him, pet him. In this way he won’t feel rejected and unwanted in the new place. Pets are just like people, they also feel fear, loneliness or joy, that’s why it’s important to take care of them. What’s more, the frequent walks in the neighbourhood will help your dog to get more familiar with the houses and people nearby, for example.

Last but not least, you should not forget one main thing – what pets are actually attached to is you. Not the house or the neighbourhood, but you and the people you live with. That’s why as long as he stays with you, he will be OK and the stress from the move will soon be gone.

We often consider the move to another home a very important event. We are so excited about the change that sometimes we don’t see how this change affects the other (non-human) members of the family. It is often said that pets get quite used to the place they live, and it is very difficult for them to adapt to the new environment. Yet, like any other problem this one also has a solution. Here, attention to your pet is the most important means through which you can deal with this obstacle.