When Spring Is In the Air, Moving Trucks Are On The Road. Here Are 7 Helpful Tips To Prepare Your Pet For A New Home.

Tis the season for lawn mowing, garden planting, trips to the Home Depot and for some, moving into a new home.

While we all can get preoccupied with boxing, taping, cleaning and closing, sometimes we forget to pay attention to our pets. They can be just as stressed as we are when planning and packing before a move.

With that in mind, here are a few tips to keep your pets safe and stress-free when the moving truck arrives.

1. No Pit Bulls Allowed? When planning to relocate, be sure to check with your potential new hometown for any restrictive local pet laws. Some townships do not allow certain breeds like Pit Bulls or varieties of animals like ferrets. Also, if you are moving overseas, check into the required vaccinations as they are often different than in the USA.

2. By Plane, Train or Automobile. Figure out the most sensible way to move your pet. For short moves, pets can easily be transported in a vehicle. For longer moves, you may want to look into a pet transportation company to ensure your pet is “shipped” in the safest manner possible. Pet transporters can range from companies that can arrange safe transportation on standard commercial flights like AirAnimal to airlines that specialize in only transporting pets like PetAirWays. For fish, visit a fish specialty store and ask about Styrofoam fish transportation containers.

3. Lodging for Fido and Fifi. If your move requires finding lodging, you will need to check into pet friendly hotels. PetsWelcome and BringFido are great resources not only for moving, but also if you are looking to vacation with your pet!

4. Pack A Pet Kit. Be sure to pack the things you need when traveling with your pet like food rations, a bottle of water that they are used to drinking, a first aid kit, a leash and poop bags, etc. If your pet is on a medication, like insulin, be sure to have plenty on hand. Crazy things can happen that effect the timing of a move. Also, have your pets medical record on hand in case of an emergency.

5. Blankies Anyone? Make sure no matter what type of transportation you arrange, keep familiar items with your pet. Make sure to bring their favorite blanket, toy, an article of clothing with your scent on it, and provide fresh water. If you are moving via airplane, make sure your pet has been familiarized with their shipping crate so they are not surprised on the day of travel.

6. Utility Bills and Pet Tags. When you have finally made the move and unpacked a box or two, while you are updating your address on credit card bills and transferring your utilities over to your name, don’t forget to update your pets ID tags and microchip information. Also, register your pet with your new hometown and ask for references for a new veterinarian. Your current veterinarian or a local pet sitter can be a great source for this type of information.

7. Adjustment Time. Make sure to spend some time in your new home with your pet to help them adjust to their new environment. Keep cats in the home for at least 24 hours before letting them outside to make sure they know where home is.

While we hope to have you and your pets as clients for years to come, we know sometimes you need to move out of our service area. If you do, do not hesitate to call us for referrals to pet sitters and dog walkers in your new area.

Happy moving season everyone. If you are selling and having trouble keeping your pooch under control during showings, or you are unable to come home during showings, let Floofins & Co. help with our new Dog Staging Service.