Tips for Texans Moving With Pets

There’s no doubt that moving into a new home can bring on plenty of emotions. Many of them can be good. This is a new chapter and in many scenarios means a fresh start, upgrade, or another exciting life event. On the other hand, there are still several stress points that can make the task less than enjoyable, to say the least. Moving with pets in Texas can be a source of both jubilation and stress. This is why homeowners and renters alike should prepare for the task at hand. Our tips will help you when moving pets into a new home.

 

How To Move With Pets

If you are moving, preparing is imperative. Moving with pets only adds to the different things you’ll need to consider. Everything from setting up your fur baby for a successful arrival, the travel beforehand, and even the time in your present home are all important concerns.

This is why we’ve put together these helpful tips for moving with your pet. In general, moving a dog or searching for tips for moving cats to a new house may have some practical differences, but are closely related. These tips can even help those with the most popular non-dog or cat pet in Texas, lizards.

Overall, you’re going to need to do what’s best for your pet, which you know as its owner. But these tips can help you along your journey and make the entire experience a much more positive one. Here are our top tips on how to move with pets:

 

Get an Early Start

Putting off packing can hurt you in more ways than one, including when trying to make a comfortable move for your pets. The sooner you begin packing, the better, as your animal(s) can get used to the process and hopefully become less curious over time.

It’s a common trend that pets will want to play, look in, jump on, and even eat your packaging. Obviously, none of this is ideal. When moving with pets, the early exposure can hopefully calm them down a bit so that when it’s time to make the move, they are less likely to exhibit such behaviors.

 

Maintain Your Pet’s Routine

Moving is a disruption and the more disruption in your pet’s life, the more overwhelming the experience is going to be. This can mean negative health effects for your pet, more stress on your end, odd behaviors, and much more.

Instead, do what you can to maintain their schedule. If you go running with your pet at a certain time, be sure to keep that going. Should your animal have a set time they are fed, try to maintain consistency even while moving.

 

Make Sure You Still Give Your Pet Attention

There’s a lot going on when moving with a pet but they are still going to need mental stimulation and attention. Entertainment and affection, especially during such a strange, stressful time, are important for your animal’s development and quality of life.

It’s not that moving, in particular, makes owners not want to spend time with their pets, but it’s more important to make a conscious effort as your to-do list grows longer.

 

Be Aware of the Laws And Rules of Your New Residence

Different laws, ordinances, and regulations can be in effect regarding pets. Everything from lease agreements to state laws can affect pet ownership and you’ll want to study up on them before making the move.

This benefits both you and your pet as there won’t be any surprises once you both arrive. Your household can also better prepare accordingly depending on where you are moving. For example, you can prepare ahead of time by getting your pet used to new leash laws if they are not already comfortable.

 

Speak to Your Pet’s Veterinarian Before Moving

Talking to your local vet is a great idea for many different reasons. First and foremost, they are the real animal experts and they also take care of your specific pet. This allows not only expert but personal advice delivered straight to you.

Notifying your veterinarian of an upcoming move can also help you stay on track with things such as vaccinations, maintaining records, finding referrals, updating your pet’s microchip information, and more.

This is a great time to make sure that your pet also has any medications they might need for the time being as you get settled. You’ll also be able to discuss potential sedatives or stress-relief options for the actual move as prescribed.

 

Pack a Travel Bag for Your Pet

Imagine this. You’re moving with a dog, and you’re 200 miles away from your new home when nature calls for your best friend before you get the opportunity to stop. There aren’t any stores for who knows how long and you need to act quickly. For a variety of reasons, an emergency travel bag is a great idea for humans and pets alike.

 

Consider a Pet Relocation Service

Pet transport and relocation in Texas just got a lot easier thanks to the many services available. Obviously, you’re going to want to do your due diligence to ensure your pet is with someone you can trust, but especially for longer moves, these services can help take away the stress both for you and your furry best friend.

 

When Possible, Get Your New Space Ready Before Your Pet Arrives

While this can depend on your move, it’s always advised that homeowners moving with pets take the time to prepare their new home beforehand. This provides a safe space for your pet to reside once the journey is made. Here are some common things to take care of:

• Pet-proof your home and yard to avoid injury to your animal.
• Remove potential hazards including poisonous plants from the home or outside.
• Make sure there aren’t places for your new, curious animal to escape from both in your home and yard.
• Remember your potential for liability risks. Be sure to put up signs or fencing when necessary to avoid potential injury from visitors to your new home.

 

Limit Spaces When Arriving

When moving with animals, it can be tempting to allow your pet to go through your new home and get a feel for it. But this can be an overwhelming experience for your pet and it also hinders your ability to keep track of them in the process.

Your pet will adjust over time and will need to explore to get a feel of its new home, but it’s always a good idea to take this step-by-step. Not only does this take away some of the stress for your pet but you can also unpack more in peace and better monitor the animal.

 

Moving in Together With Pets

Moving in together no matter what your relationship is going to bring about new dynamics. Of course, there are even more when pets are involved. Here are some tips for making sure your move is smooth for everyone:

• Take your time introducing them and monitor their interactions. If possible, try to set up playdates beforehand so that they can get to know each other before the move.
• You’ll also want to train your pet to ensure that they can safely interact with other animals. This is especially important if they are not used to being around other pets.
• If you have a pet that is new to the environment while the other is used to the home, you may need to isolate the newer pet for a period of time. Each animal should also receive a safe space to call their own.
• Again, it’s going to take time and you’re going to need to be patient, loving, and attentive throughout the process.

 

What To Do With Your Pets on Moving Day

Having a pet sitter is a great idea for moving day and can go a long way for both you and your furry friend. Moving day may call for a quiet, secluded room if a pet sitter or boarding is not an option. But however possible, keeping the routine for your pet is still key.

On the day of your move, you’re going to have a lot going on which can create an unsafe environment for your pet. This includes open doors, moving vehicles, strange people, a lack of supervision, and much more. No matter which method you decide, keeping your pet safe and calm is priority one.

 

Reduce Your Stress, Even When Moving With a Pet

When it’s time to move, there are a lot of things to consider. This means reducing your stress wherever possible is important. Moving ironically has a lot of moving parts and one of those includes handling your home insurance.

Every homeowner in Texas should review their coverage at least once a year and when you move, this is the perfect time to do so. Here’s why:

All homeowners insurance policies are different depending on your home. Therefore, when you move, you’ll need to adjust your policy limits and coverage, regardless. This includes moving into a similar home of the same value and even in the same area. When you move, you’re going to have to change up your policy.

Because you are adjusting your coverage, it can pay to review it as well. Auditing your protection needs and shopping around for your coverage can help save you more money.

This is due to the fact that not only is each home going to be insured differently, but every brand is going to provide coverage in a different manner. While all home insurance carriers may look at similar risk factors including location, size, the amount of coverage you need, etc., they will each do so in their own way.

Homeowners will notice that because risk factors are viewed differently, premiums will vary. Therefore, you can enroll with one brand with the same level of coverage and end up paying more money when you move than you would with a different company purely based on how they view your new home’s risk factors.

Discovering opportunities to save and discrepancies among your coverage options is why comparative shopping is so important. Here at Freedom Insurance Group, our agents have been helping Texans compare coverage and save since 2005.

Our team works with over 25 top-rated insurance providers in the state of Texas and shops among them to consistently deliver lower rates for home insurance. On average, our clients save 40% on premiums when switching their coverage.

Pet owners understand the bond and love built within their family with their pet and the humans, but for some, home insurance can also see an increase depending on the breed of your pet.

We help you navigate such situations and fight to provide you with lower rates that protect your household, including your pet. Our agents are trained to do the heavy lifting for you so that you can focus on other aspects of your move.

For a free online homeowners insurance quote, you can use our online tool, or you can give our team a call, for an accurate, no-obligation quote for your coverage. Moving with pets is stressful enough, give us a call today to have one less thing to worry about and save money in the process.