It’s well documented that moving house can be extremely stressful – and this applies to your pets too. Cats and dogs are truly creatures of habit, so they can find the upheaval of a house move very unsettling. But the good news is, there are lots of ways you can make the transition easier for them.
We spoke to Brook Nelson, a registered veterinary nurse at Animal Magic Family pet retreat, to find out how to make moving house as calm and safe for your furry friends as possible. Here are her five top tips …
1 Preparation is key
You’ll have lots to think about in the run-up to moving house, but Nelson recommends you spend some time and energy preparing your pets for the big day. “In the lead-up to the move I would be getting my dog used to going in the car, if they’re not already,” she says. “For cats, I’d leave their carrier out for a month or so before you move. Put it in a place they’re familiar with and put some nice, comfy bedding in there – you can spray it with pheromone spray as well to make it extra comforting.”
When used correctly, pheromone sprays and plug-in diffusers are great tools for helping both cats and dogs cope with the mayhem of a move, Nelson says. “It actually takes about six weeks of being in an animal’s environment for these pheromones to start having an effect, so I recommend you start using them in your current house about two months before your move,” she says. “Then on the day of the move, plug in the diffusers in the new house, and spritz the sprays in areas where your pet spends a lot of time, like their bed. That will help to make it a much nicer experience for them.”
2 Create a safe space
There’s no getting away from it – moving day will be busy and chaotic. To shield your pets from the eye of the storm, Nelson recommends bringing them over last, and, if possible, setting aside one room to be their sanctuary.
“With cats, if you can have one room ready, then you can pop them in there with the door shut,” she says. “Open the carrier door, but don’t pull them out of it – let them come out in their own time. Keep the door to that room shut and let them explore. Try not to interrupt them too much – just leave them be. Let them get used to one room, and when they’ve done that you can start progressing to the rest of the house.”
Although dogs will generally be less affected by the chaos, Nelson says: “I would really consider that the first day you bring the dog to the house is a day when you’ve not got a lot of errands to run, and you’ve not got to go out to work for nine hours – just a day that you can be with them to prevent any separation anxiety in an unfamiliar setting.”
3 Let Ring security cameras be your extra eyes and ears
Obviously, you can’t keep your eyes on your pets all day – which is where Ring’s range of indoor and outdoor security cameras come in. “It’s worrying to leave your pet in a new place and not know how they’re coping without you,” says Nelson. “Separation anxiety can be triggered or start as a new thing by moving house. They could be barking or yowling all day, hiding away, or just having a lovely nap. These cameras are great, because you can see how they’re doing and what, if anything, you need to work on.”
For indoors, Ring has two cameras to choose from. Its Indoor Camera (2nd gen), is a plug-in camera, which features real-time 1080p HD video. Meanwhile, its Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera offers a 360-degree pan and a 169-degree tilt coverage of every room. For outside, there are multiple options, including the Outdoor Camera, the Outdoor Camera Plus, and the Outdoor Camera Pro, as well as two Spotlight cameras and two Floodlight cameras. But for those looking for an easy way to add flexible protection to your new home, the Outdoor Camera Plus is the one for you with its Ring Vision feature, which combines hardware, software, and behind-the-scenes fine-tuning to deliver Ring’s best image quality yet. It’s also weather-resistant, and all cameras also have Colour Night Vision – so you’ll be able to see what your pets are up to 24/7.
To get the most out of your cameras, download the free Ring app to access features such as instant notifications, Live View and Two-Way Talk. Meanwhile, a Ring Home subscription allows you to review, save and share your videos, and starts from £4.99 a month, for each device. And anyone who’s signed up to Ring’s Home Premium plan (£15.99 a month/£159.99 a year) will be able to make use of Ring’s newly launched Smart Video Search, an advanced AI feature that makes it simple to find specific moments in your Ring event history using everyday language such as “black dog playing”.
4 Introduce the great outdoors slowly
It’s not just your house that will be new, but the surrounding environment too – so it’s important to introduce your pets to their new stomping ground slowly and consciously. “I would keep cats inside until they’re settled in the house,” Nelson advises. “And when they do go out, I recommend leaving a litter tray outside – cats can smell their own urine from miles away, so that can help them get back to the house if they’re feeling a bit lost.”
As for dogs, she advises: “I wouldn’t be letting my dog off the lead or letting them interact with other dogs straight away – it’s a lot for them to take in all at once. I’d start off with short walks in a quiet place, five minutes at a time, and then you can increase gradually.”
5 Keep things familiar
With so much change happening all at once, one of the best things you can do to help your pet feel settled is hold on to as many familiar aspects of their old life as possible. “If you can stick to your regular routines – feeding and walking times, for example – that will be really grounding for them,” Nelson says. “I know when people move house they love buying new things and redecorating but, for your pets, keeping their scent on as many of their belongings as possible will help them feel relaxed. If they’ve got their favourite bed, even if it’s tatty and old and it doesn’t suit your new house, I would keep it for a little while until they’re settled, and then you can start introducing new things for them.”
To find out more about the Ring video doorbells and security cameras, visit en-uk.ring.com
