This week, Stephen hosted Dr. Samantha Barber, a Veterinarian from the Catawba Animal Clinic in Rock Hill, to discuss some tips for moving when you have pets. Moving to a new home is a big transition for humans, imagine what our pets go through when we up and move them to a new place. Check out a few tips from Stephen and Dr. Barber for ways to making you and your pets move smoother:
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- Acclimate to New Home – Introduce your cat or dog to the new house prior to move in day, walk them around the inside and outside of the home. For dogs, taking them on a walk thru through the neighborhood, allowing them to begin to familiarize themselves with their surroundings. This will help to eliminate anxiety and being overwhelmed once you actually move in so at the very least it’s not brand new when you move in. ‘Acclimating them to one area of the home first before you get them in the huge house, just not to overwhelm them. Even before you unpack everything, having one room set up that’s kind of similar to your old house and has the old smells,’ said Dr. Barber.
- Pro-Tip: For outdoor pets, it’s a much harder transition to a new environment as they may attempt to go back to their ‘home’ or an area that they’re familiar with. We recommend taking them to their new yard several times before actually moving, bringing toys and treats to reinforce this is a safe place. We also recommend keeping cats indoors as it’s safer for them.
- Safety – Although it’s hard to imagine, a pet can get lost during the moving process. Be sure to have a plan in place before transporting your dog or cat to the new home to keep them safe during this transition. Ensure that you have the proper equipment to transport them in such as a crate, leash and collar. Additionally, Be sure to inspect your new home for any potential hazards such as small areas to get stuck that your previous home did not have.
- Keep Your Pet Calm – This is a big transition for them as far as new environment: new home, new yard, new smells, new EVERYTHING. Just like with a child, it’s a good thing to remember their emotional state may not be calm so do all that you can as a proper pet parent to put their nerves at ease.
- Deep Clean – Often times you can run into issues with marking, specifically with cats, if the previous owners had a pet that marked his or her territory. Having the home deep cleaned prior to moving in should help alleviate this urge from your pet.
- Acclimate to New Home – Introduce your cat or dog to the new house prior to move in day, walk them around the inside and outside of the home. For dogs, taking them on a walk thru through the neighborhood, allowing them to begin to familiarize themselves with their surroundings. This will help to eliminate anxiety and being overwhelmed once you actually move in so at the very least it’s not brand new when you move in. ‘Acclimating them to one area of the home first before you get them in the huge house, just not to overwhelm them. Even before you unpack everything, having one room set up that’s kind of similar to your old house and has the old smells,’ said Dr. Barber.
For more details, check out the full show: