By Julie DeLong, A-1 Freeman Moving Group
Here's how you might keep your domestic pets stress-free and content as you move to Denver--so at least somebody in the household is not a tense mess.
Cats
Cats tend to attach to locations more than people--stories of cats who go with the houses are not necessarily apocryphal. They're a concern if they are outdoors cats and you are undertaking a long distance move--cats are known to leave the new home to go back "home". This is not a real worry if you're going down the block, otherwise, it is a huge concern.
Consider it--your felines will not rush to the door to go for a ride each time you pick up your car keys; they may be perfectly content to continue sunning themselves on the windowsill--until you start packing and the windowsill disappears behind a pile of boxes. Here is how to deal with your felines.
· Contain free-range felines, starting a few weeks prior to when you move to Denver. Get them used to being inside with you--if this would mean late-life cat litter box training, so be it. Encourage them into a cat carrier for a couple of hours every day, so that they're not meowing maniacs when you put them in your car or truck. Bring the cats out for short excursions while you're running errands--certainly in the carrier.
· Moving day, keep the cat and all kitty necessities within a room in your home with the door closed. After the professional movers have packed the trucks and you are all set to leave, put your cat into the carrier. In the event your cat doesn't travel well, your vet may prescribe something, so she won't have a meltdown in the vehicle, therefore making you and the family dog plus the youngsters to have their own mini-meltdowns.
· As soon as you're set up in the new home, repeat the moving-out procedure for a few days. Keep the pet cats within a room with their belongings, whilst you deal with the hubbub of moving, unpacking, and settling in. Even with inside cats, they will be happier--and less inclined to demonstrate their discontent by ignoring the litter box--if you hold on until you've settled in a tad to permit them to roam free inside your home.
· For outside cats, they are going to take some time to adjust to the new odors of the home and also to recognize this is the place their people are, before they ought to be let out to wander. Place a bit of cat food outside to remind them where home is.
Canines
Your dog just needs to be with you, but he'll get nervous when you're uneasy. Canine stress is greatest pre-move, so here is how to keep Spot calm and cool if you are losing your mind.
· Give a lot of time for packing, for anyone who is packing yourself. Watching a bit of activity day-to-day is not a huge problem; heading to doggy day camp for a day and coming home to a vacant house may freak him out.
· Keep in your typical schedule--walks, supper, whatever you do, keep doing it.
· Update the contact details if he's microchipped; you can normally go online to make those changes.
· At the new residence, show him the yard, take him out for a walk, and ensure dinner time is steady.
Fish, Hamsters, Birds
Lock down the crates in the rear of the car or work with a pet mover to handle them. As fish tanks and pet fish may be a issue to safely move, you could consider giving the aqua-pets to an elementary school.
Acquire duplicates of the pet's veterinary reports before you move to Denver, so you will have the whole set of immunization files on hand if you have to board before you'll see the new veterinarian.
Keeping the pets happy as you move to Denver will go a considerable way towards keeping you content. Adhering to these pointers definitely will relieve the strain of moving the pets, at least.
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