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Moving House With Pets


Moving house can be extremely stressful, but understandably this is also the case for the pets in the household. I have moved house with my cat Pickle 4 times, and she is the one I worry about least! However for Eaton and Casper, we moved them for the first time nearly a year ago, and we have recently moved house again! This was due to us renting temporarily before finding the right home, and this last move was a big one!

1: Plan Ahead & Organise The Pets Movements:

Getting the pets away from the stress of the big move can also help reduce your own stress, as you know that they are safe and out of the way. It's really helpful if you have a family member or friend who could keep your pets while you physically move. I had my grandparents who had the cats for 4 nights, beginning the night before the removal men came, as we had two days with them moving us and packing furniture! I find with my cats that it's best to completely take them away from the move, so Pickle doesn't get in the way and in everything (she would be the cat loose in the lorry), and Eaton doesn't have to try to hide from all the strangers and loud noises in his house.

however for Casper, I prioritised keeping normality and routine, so I didn't miss any nights at training and he went to stay with Will's mum during the day, which he does anyway when I'm working. All he had to deal with was some boxes appearing during the lead up, spending one night in the old house with minimal furniture, and then coming home to the new house for the first night!

2: Calming Remedies:

I have used calming remedies before for different stressful events. For Casper this was when he was castrated when he was 1, and when he was 2 he begun feeling anxious when travelling in the car. For the cats, I've used calming remedies for vet trips, a long car journey to Brighton for a photoshoot, and for a period of time in the last house for Eaton specifically, as he had made himself severally ill with a UTI which was nearly fatal, due to becoming stressed from neighbourhood cats.

My favourite herbal remedies are the Beaphar Calming Spot On for Cats & Dogs and the Pet Remedy products, which are multi mammal. The Beaphar Spot On is like a flea treatment sot on, however instead of putting it on the back of their neck, you put it in the middle at the top of their head between the ears. This is due to it working through aroma therapy as it is an extract of valerian. Each pipette lasts for a week, obviously unless it gets washed off, and you get 3 weeks worth in one box. The valerian extract will be activated within an hour of applying it, so this is good to apply then, before the predicted stressful event. All three of my pets had the spot on at the beginning of the week for the move!

The Pet Remedy collection use a mixture of different herbs: valerian extract, vetiver, sweet basil and clary sage, making them great for multi mammal households! I used their diffuser last year when we moved, and as they can last up to 8 weeks, I only had to use one refill as it helped them initially settle in to the new house. Also, I always have their spray to hand as I used this a lot at the time Eaton was poorly. This was to make him feel more comfortable being in the new house because he was having trouble outside with the neighbourhood cats! This was key not only to make him feel happier being at home, but for Eaton to go to the toilet! He was so stressed outside he was staying out all night fighting and not going to the toilet, and from this he gave himself severe urine crystals and very nearly blocked himself up! Female and male cats can get urine crystals but it can be fatal to males due to this blocking up, as well as it being horrible and painful for them! I was very lucky I noticed the change in size of his pee "clumps" in their litter tray, as the vet said after the out of hour rush with a worrying looking sample, that she didn't know how he wasn't already blocked up! I furthermore also use the spray in their carry cases whenever they are going in the car, but I have also used the Pet Remedy wipes for this, and it worked really well!

When Casper became anxious travelling in the car he would visibly tremble and drool. It was horrible to see and we will never fully understand why, my only guess is from one car journey when there was loud torrential rain, it all started then! I started with the Pet Remedy spray, and this reduced the amount of drooling, but not completely and he was still trembling, so I turned to the Adaptil spray to use alongside it. That is the best thing with calming remedies, that you can use them together, you can't overdose herbal remedies of pheromones! Adaptil is an amazing range of products which are synthetic replicas of the dog appeasing pheromone which the mum bitch gives off to her puppies, they're like comforting messages. This is only perceived by dogs which is why Feliway is the cat alternative, and they're also odourless. This makes their products highly effective and I would 100% recommend them to dogs or cats which don't respond to herbal remedies well.

Like Adaptil, I use Feliway alongside herbal remedies for the cats when they need it. The Feliway is a synthetic replica of the F3 facial pheromone, which is one of the 5 different types. This is the one released when you see a cat "bunting", when they're rubbing their heads against something like a door way in the house, which Eaton is constantly doing! This facial pheromone makes them feel more comfortable in their environment as it's a way they scent mark and communicate. I'm lucky with my pets that I don't need calming diffusers plugged in constantly, so I only turn to them in events where they may benefit from then. So for the latest move, I currently have both diffusers plugged in, and I'll keep them on until these refills run out. By then, Casper will be comfortable being left and the cats will be happy in their new territory. But it's good to know that if I ever needed to I can just plug a new refill in again.

I have used the calming sprays and discussers myself, but they also offer Adaptil collars and Express Tablets. Flyway also have Feliscratch, to help redirect scratching and Feliway Friends, which helps cats to get along when they're living in multicat households.

3: For The Cats... Keep The Litter Tray!

I learnt how important the litter tray can be for cats once I had Eaton. Especially with multicat households the litter tray can be a big factor in causing stress as well as comfort. Ideally you should have one litter tray per cat plus one, so in theory I should have 3! I am guilty that I've only ever offered them two, and once settled they'll have one available to them, and that at times I have had none out. However, this is through my own judgement of my cats. When they are shut in they have one each, but they are comfortable enough to use them in the same quiet room, in their own corners, but they aren't picky which one they chose to use... as long as they're clean! I know that I am pretty lucky with mine bacuse cats can be so ridiculously picky about their trays. Tiny changes like the type of litter yo use to the positioning of the tray can make all the difference! <-- That is a whole other blog post!

Once the cats are going out Pickle will never really use the tray again!! She is comfortable enough to go to the toilet outside, as going to the loo is a very stressful and vulnerable time for them, and for Eaton this can be too daunting for him to do straight away. This is why even when they're going outside I'll always offer them the opportunity to use a tray indoors. You never know what is going on outside for them, any change can stress them out, and if they feel like their territory is threatened, you want their home to be their safe place.

This image shows Pickle's desperation to get out! this was within the first week of us moving and you wouldn't believe the lengths we went to trying to stop her from getting to the cat flap in the first place! Those locks mean nothing to her!

Eaton (ginger) my male 4 year old & Pickle (black) my female 9 year old.

4: Lots Of Cuddles & Treats!

This is already the case but it definitely helps! One of the best ways to make Casper and the cats happy is through treats and food! So whenever I leave Casper, he is still having his mental stimulation games and treats, and it tempts the cats back into the house if I want them in, like on fireworks night/week. With leaving the dog in the home for the first time, try to increase the time you're leaving them slowly, even if they are happy with being left usually, just to be safe. Routine and normality will help them to treat the new house like their home. Casper will never miss his morning cuddle in bed, and he will continue to sleep in his bed next to me in my room because it's where I know he feels most comfortable. If for example I wanted to make any changes like where he sleeps, this is best done once they are settled, and to be safe I'd give them a good few months before making changes to their routine.

Moving house with pets can be very challenging, but I hope these tips would help you like they have helped me! I t's not always so simple and I'd love to hear any of your own advice and experiences!

Thanks for reading,

Amy & Casper


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