Moving Tips for Pet Parents

There’s so much to do when preparing for a move. With the focus being on logistics for your belongings, it’s easy to overlook minor but important details related to your pets. To minimize the last minute stress of moving with pets, we’ve prepared some helpful moving tips for pet parents.

1 – Prepare a Moving Kit

To help your pet on moving day, prepare a special moving kit with everything that you will need on the big day. This will be convenient but will also prevent essential items from accidentally being packed and out of reach. Include your pet’s bed, food, bowls, treats, collar, leash, and familiar items such as blankets and toys. With so many changes taking place, having these items will be comforting to your fur babies.

2 – Pet Proof Your Home

As soon as you reach your new home, pet proof it. In fact, think about it ahead of time so you can purchase supplies and have them ready for moving day. This ensures that your pets will be safe and that you have less to worry about. Be sure to think about where your pet will remain while movers are going in and out of the house. A separate space, away from the hustle and bustle of the move will help avoid irritation and stress.

3 – Show Your Dog Around the New Pad

As hectic as it may be when you arrive at your new home, take a few minutes to show your dog around. Take them through the different rooms and use either a calm or happy voice. This creates a positive association with the space. Avoid getting there and yelling at your dog, which would create a negative association with the space. Also, take items from your moving kit and place it in the home, as a sign to your pet that this will be his/her new home and is a safe space.

4 – Update Tags & Info

The most important of our moving tips for pet parents is to update the tags on your dog’s collar. Dogs are more likely to get lost on moving day because there’s simply so much going on. If your dog is lost and the phone number on the collar is old or missing, you decrease the chances of quickly finding your pet. If your tag has a chip or other registration, be sure to update that as well with your new phone number and address.

5 – Provide Attention & Comfort

Finally, our last tip is to pay attention to your pet, and provide comfort as needed. It’s easy to be distracted on moving day and fail to notice obvious cues that your pet is in distress. Be aware that some seemingly naughty behavior may be result of their discomfort. Make a conscious effort to pay attention to pets and be extra caring on this difficult day.

Summary of Moving Tips for Pet Parents

We hope that these moving tips for pet parents are helpful during your next move. Moving can be filled with both stress and excitement. With some forethought and planning, hopefully there’s more of the excitement and less of the stress.