Moving House? How To Stop Your Pets From Disappearing

Copyright (c) 2012 Max Stern

Moving is said to be one of the most stressful
life events that someone can experience. Often
we presume our pets are oblivious to what's
happening in our lives, and are unaware of our
moods and emotions, but this is not true. Our
pets are very much in tune with how we're
feeling, as our emotions and hormones are
interrelated. Animals identify our mood by
sensing scent changes that take place within our
hormones, and these hormonal changes alter our
emotions. Another way they're able to identify
our mood is by studying our facial expressions
and vocal tone. Have you noticed that pets look
into your eyes when you're communicating with
them? "The eyes are the window to the soul" and
our eyes, facial expressions, hormonal changes
and tone, allows them to gather information
about what we want from them and how we're
feeling.

Animals sense the stress we experience when
moving and this creates uneasiness within our
pets. Animals (just like people) are prone to
feel a little insecure when changes take place
and they (like us), start relying on survival
techniques (get away from the commotion) when
their world has been interrupted. Because cats
are naturally very territorial, they will take
being disheveled a lot more dramatically, than
people and dogs. Luckily dogs are easier to
manage and can be kept within the residence,
however, cats are notorious for being
professional escape artists and setting
boundaries for them, is not an easy task. They
are free spirited and detest being cooped up for
any measure of time, especially when it's not on
their terms and house arrest was not part of
their agenda for the day.

The last thing you want to do is to add to the
stress of moving by losing sight of your
animals, so it's very important to keep them
(especially cats) in an escape proof, cool or
warm (depending on the climate), quite area with
food, lots of fresh water (stress causes
dehydration) and a litter tray - 24 hours before
you're going to move them. From my own personal
experience, a cat going missing right before
you're due to leave for the airport - is not an
event I'd like to repeat. Remember that they see
the removal truck, the boxes and the dishevel
belongings of their owners, as well as hearing
the sounds of moving furniture and taping up
boxes and these are foreign, unsettling, scary
and loud sounds that resonates throughout the
house. Now turn those sounds up a couple of
notches (as they hear a lot better than what we
do) - and you'll have some idea of how
frightening the experience of moving can be for
them.

Great! Now that your pets are safe and
hopefully feeling secure, the trick is not to
disturb them too often and when checking up on
them, open the door with great caution as their
main focus at this time will be to escape. There
might be a bit of meowing and whining from time
to time, but it's normal as they want to be in
your company, so put some time aside to play
with them and consol them. You'll be grateful
when you wake up in the morning and don't have
to stress about searching for your cats and dogs
just before they need to be moved. Take the cat
carriers and dog leashes into the room and make
sure their traveling gear is secure before
taking them out of the room or the enclosed
area.

Now that you've reached your destination, it's
important to note the following:

Before releasing your dogs onto the new
property, make sure there are no gaps in the
properties surrounding walls or fencing in which
they would be able to fit through or leap over
and thus, run away. Also check for dangerous
objects that could cause injury in any way and
either remove or stabilize these objects. Allow
your dog's the freedom and space to explore,
roam and mark the new territory - they probably
won't eat for awhile, due to excitement, but do
make sure water and food is easily accessible.
When the removal truck arrives you may need to
put them somewhere safe while the gate is open
and the heavy furniture is being off loaded -
dogs have a tendency of tripping people up and
this is the last thing you need when you're
carrying you're prized Great Grandmothers
antique vase.

Because cats are incredibly territorial, they
are prone to run away when moved to a different
home. The reason for this is that they will
attempt to get back to their previous home and
eventually end up lost, homeless or even dead if
they're not found. Therefore, it is crucial that
they are kept in one place (like you did 24
hours before the move) for at least two weeks
after the move, and then slowly introduce them
to the rest of the new home, garden etc. This
process may be a little trying on your patience,
but if you treasure your cat(s) and her safety,
then it will be well-worth the effort. Placing
their blankets, beds and toys around them, will
also help with the transition as they will smell
familiar scents on these items and feel more
relaxed and less stressed. During this time of
slow introduction, cats develop a mental mind
map of the area and after two weeks they would
have claimed the new home as their newly found
territory and the desire to protect their new
territory will become their main objective.


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Saying I am an animal lover is an understatement.
Nothing beats the unconditional love and loyalty
of a beloved pet and writing about them is my
way of giving them a voice. I also love to
travel and write about many different topics
that catch my attention. Be sure to check out my
blog:

http://maxsternsblog.wordpress.com/


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