Moving with pets can be difficult for you, your kids, and your pets. Pets, such as cats, feel comfortable and secure when they have routines and familiar places.
You should carefully move them to a new home to ensure their well-being. It is important to consider their need for stability and familiarity during the transition.
Taking the time to adapt to their new environment can help reduce stress and anxiety.
Moving might disrupt your pets' habits and cause discomfort. Simple things like familiarity and patience can make a relocation easier for everyone.
Your shoulders might be relieved with these pet-calming suggestions throughout the move.
We have recommendations to assist you in acclimating your pet to a new home.
What Can You Do To Calm Your Pet From Shifting To A New Home?
Consider calming aids
Pet calming aids can help calm anxious pets during long vehicle drives, air travel, or new environments. You can try Adaptil or Feliway sprays, diffusers, or collars.
Calming chews can help your pet acclimate to these changes without stress. A lick mat helps pets relax and stay calm.
Bring pet essentials
When moving across country with a cat, you must provide your pet with all they require during the relocation and in your new home. As you may expect, unpacking everything you need right away is difficult.
Pack your pet's supplies in a specific bag for the trip to your new home. It needs food, water, and your pet's favorite treats for the move.
Bring your pet's harness or leash, litter, potty pads, medications, toys, and other everyday needs. Includes pet messes cleaning products for your first week in your new place to give you time to unpack. This will simplify the next step.
Establish a routine
Plan your dog's care with your family.
Who will walk your dog when?
How many times should your dog eat?
Does your dog need to adjust to a crate or be permitted on the furniture?
Where will they sleep overnight? Do any rooms in the house have restrictions?
Prepare to arrive
Bring your dog home on a weekend or when you can be home. Relocating with a dog requires a relationship and spending time together.
Set up a pattern with your dog for the first few weeks so they know what to anticipate and trust you, but don't hurry them into strange circumstances.
For the first week or longer, keep things quiet and consistent. Your dog's food, walks, and work commute should be consistent.
Consider leaving your dog a stuffed treat toy or puzzle food bowl when you leave. This distracts mentally and physically and prevents anxiety due to separation.
Introduce your dog to new pets
Does your dog panic when you leave?
Consider that your new dog is not house-trained and proceed. Stay steady and routine. Take your house-trained dog out every few hours to avoid them eliminating themselves in your home while they adjust to a new schedule.
Before introducing your new dog, make sure your other pets are healthy and up-to-date on vaccines. Before adding a new family member, make sure all your dogs are healthy mentally and physically.
Within a week, take your new puppy to the vet for a checkup, vaccines, and flea and tick prevention.
Your shelter, rescue, or reputable breeder may have vaccinated, microchipped, and spayed or neutered your dog, but if not, you'll need to obtain a microchip and book an appointment.
You must schedule booster shots for your dog's life. Most vets send reminder emails.
Add familiarity to their surroundings
Small, common items might help a cat adjust to its new home when moving across the country with a cat. Bring your cat's litter box, pet bed, or favorite toy to familiarize the new home with safe stuff.
Traditional play can also reduce the stress of moving with pets. Bringing your old laser pointer will help your cat adjust and give you a respite.
Show them gradually
After moving in, it may be tempting to let your cat explore their new surroundings. This may overwhelm some cats and cause anxiety in your pet.
Instead, introduce them to one room at a time with familiar items to make them feel at home.
Slowly introducing items from the old home can help your cat adjust without being overstimulated.
Start by staying home as much as possible
If possible, stay home with your pet during the first few days. You may take a few days off or work from home for the first week or two.
Depending on where you work, you may be allowed to bring your dog or cat to work.
If not, attempt to go home during lunch or early. Ask friends or family in the area who your pet knows to check on them during the day.
Integrating the New Member into Your Pack
While initial introductions may indicate compatibility, pets should only spend time together under supervision until they are all comfortable.
Beware of hostile or defensive conduct.
Cats can display signs of fear or aggression. These signs include flattened ears, dilated pupils, a swishing tail, a curled tail, cowering, snarling, howling, or hissing.
Check for signs of aggression when planning relocating with a dog, such as glaring, growling, hair rising up on the neck, stiff tail, erect or pinned ears, bared fangs, or growling. If pets exhibit these signals, separate them before conflict.
Reward calm, non-aggressive behavior with praise and food, and be patient.
Adopting a new pet can be challenging, and first-time habits may include irritation and house accidents. Don't give up; observe your pet's behavior and let them adjust to your home at their own pace.
What Should You Expect in the First Few Weeks?
Expect your pet to feel anxious or withdrawn when they first come home. Pay attention to their behavior to help them feel more comfortable.
Some pets may need time to adjust to their new environment, while others may feel nervous on their own and prefer your companionship.
You may think a crate is a jail cell for dogs, but if your dog likes to den, it may be a room of their own and make crate training easier. The box should be large enough for your dog to stand, turn, and sit normally.
Dogs want your happiness! Give clear cues like a firm "no" or reward them with praise, pets, or treats when they do something good.
It's easier to encourage your dog to do what you like than to stop them. You and your pet can also bond through positive reinforcement training.
Consider taking a dog training class in person or online, or watching videos or reading books on positive dog training.
