By Julie DeLong, A-1 Freeman Moving Group
Here is how you might keep your household pets stress-free and content while you move to Houston--so at least someone in the family is not a tense wreck.
Cats
Felines are inclined to connect to places more than people--stories of cats who come with the homes aren't actually apocryphal. They're a issue if they're outdoors cats and you will be executing a long distance move--cats are known to leave the new home to go back "home". This is not a great issue if you are going down the block, otherwise, it's a tremendous challenge.
Consider it--your felines do not go to the door to go for an adventure when you get your car keys; they may be entirely happy to continue sunning themselves on the windowsill--until you begin packing and the windowsill vanishes behind a stack of cartons. Here is how to take care of your felines.
· Contain free-range felines, commencing a few months prior to when you move to Houston. Get them used to remaining inside with you--if this means late-life litter box coaching, so be it. Lure them in a cat carrier for a couple of hours every day, so that they are not yowling crazies once you place them in your vehicle. Bring the cats out for short rides when you are doing errands--certainly in the carrier.
· Moving day, keep your cat as well as all cat accessories within a room with the door shut. Once the professional movers have loaded the moving trucks and you're able to vacate, insert Kitty in the carrier. If the kitty does not travel nicely, your veterinarian might prescribe something, so your cat doesn't have a breakdown inside the car, thus making you along with the family dog plus the kids to have their own mini-meltdowns.
· When you are installed in the new house, duplicate the moving-out procedure for a few days. Keep the cats confined in a room together with their stuff, while you manage the busyness of moving, unpacking, and settling in. Even with indoor felines, they will be more comfortable--and less inclined to display their discontent by overlooking the litter box--if you wait until you've settled in a bit to permit them to roam free inside your home.
· For outside felines, they will need some time to adjust to the new smells of the house and to realize this is the place their people are, before they ought to be let out to roam. Set a bit of food outside to help remind them exactly where home is.
Canines
Your dog merely wants to be around you, but he will get anxious if you are anxious. Canine stress is greatest pre-move, so here is how to keep Fido relaxed and cool when you're losing your head.
· Allow plenty of time for packing, if you're packing yourself. Watching a bit of activity on a daily basis is not a big problem; heading to puppy day camp for the day and coming home to an empty house may freak him out.
· Remain in your normal schedule--walks, dinner, anything you do, keep doing it.
· Update the contact details if he is microchipped; you can generally go online to make those changes.
· At the new house, show him the backyard, take him out for a stroll, and make sure dinner time is constant.
Fish, Hamsters, Birds
Secure the crates in the back of the car or make use of a pet mover to handle them. As fish tanks and fish may be a obstacle to move, you could think about offering the aqua-pets to an elementary school.
Get copies of the pet's veterinary reports before you move to Houston, so you will have all the immunization files on hand if you have to board before you'll visit the new vet.
Keeping your family pets content while you move to Houston will go a considerable way to keeping you glad. Following these guidelines will alleviate the stress of moving the pets, at least.
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