Moving With Your Pet: Tips for a Smooth Transition
Considering making a move to a different apartment, neighborhood, or city? Whether moving to greener pastures or just because you need a change, your furry friend is probably a high priority as a pet owner. However, downsizing to a new home doesn’t have to be a stressful and anxious time for either of you. Here, we share top tips to make the transition run as smoothly as possible.

Keep Your Pet Engaged
Every pet needs movement and exercise to be its best, most thriving self. Get your puppy acclimatized to the new environment by taking them on walks in your new neighborhood or exploring nearby parks. Don’t forget to increase the frequency and length of each walk; dogs thrive when they’re kept physically busy. Once you move in, ensure you’re taking them out for a game of fetch in your new backyard so they start regarding your new home as theirs, too.
Explore the world of pet toys, such as puzzles, chews, games, and more, to keep your pet happy and content. Your pet will ease into the transition (and offer more cooperation) if they’re engaged and stimulated. You want to avoid them getting bored at all costs, as this can lead to tantrums and the destruction of your belongings.
Your stress can rub off on your pet, whether from the move, work, or other things. Keeping your pet engaged can help them to release this stress and anxiety. You may find that the walks and activities help you, too, as being outdoors and exercising have been proven to reduce anxiety in humans. When taking your pet outdoors, ensure they have a proper harness and leash.
Toilet Training and Feeding
If your pet is used to doing their business a certain way, you’ll need to guide them to learn how and where to go in their new home. If you have a cat, teach them to use a kitty litter tray or get your dog doing their business outside while on walks. Set up alarms on your phone, and be sure to feed your pet at a consistent time every day. They will then begin associating certain times of the day with feeding time, giving them a (much-needed) routine and habit to adhere to establishing daily habits. (Note: you can find the link below this post. )
Get Property-Ready
Of course, the most significant part of downsizing is purchasing your new home. To find the perfect property within your price range, you’ll need to calculate how much you can put away each month toward your mortgage. Lenders typically use a debt-to-income ratio to determine if you’ll be able to repay the mortgage reliably every month. And you’ll need to check your credit score to make sure that you can qualify for a new home loan.
And don’t forget the other non-pet-related tasks you’ll have to carry out too! Be sure to clean your old house before you stage it to attract new buyers. It’s also essential to make some modifications for curb appeal, and you may need to paint and upgrade hardware inside and outside the house. You’ll also want to set up the internet in your new home. Bundling internet services with TV and cable is also a great way to save money in the long run.
There’s so much a pet has to take in during a move. From the large moving boxes, movers, and packers everywhere, to new smells, greens, and gardens to take in — it can be a lot. Luckily with a bit of preparation and finding the right home, you can significantly ease things for your pet pooch.
We hope you have enjoyed this guest post by Kristin Louis.
Kristin Louis is a former advertising copywriter and mom to two rambunctious boys, 10 and 7 years of age. She created ParentingwithKris.com to share her experiences with the trials and tribulations of parenting. What she loves most about the website is the opportunity it gives her to connect with and offer advice and resources to other busy parents. Kris, her husband, their two boys, and the family pup live in Durham, NC. When she isn’t working on her website, she loves working in her flower garden, reading historical romance novels, and traveling with her fam in their new RV.

Follow up by reading: Importance of Routine Cat & Dog https://www.zoetispetcare.com/blog/article/importance-routine-cat-dog.
Follow up by reading: Redfin.com/credit-score https://www.redfin.com/definition/credit-score.
Follow up by reading: Most Valuable Home Improvements Moving.com.
Want to write a guest post?
If you want to write a guest post for our site, please fill out the Contact Us page. Be sure to add a website or author page information. But no live links because they trigger our spam catchers.
Sign up for our free e-newsletter
Thanks for reading Dog Leader Mysteries and be sure to sign up for our free email newsletters. Be the first to know when new posts get published and enter our giveaways, book contests, etc.
P.S. We never rent or share your private information, email address, or name.