Moving with Pets: How to Help Dogs and Cats Adjust to a New Home

Before even moving to your new house, take note of your pet’s routine so that you can replicate it in your new home. What time does your pet eat? When do you take your dog out for a walk? Do you have a scheduled play time? “These kinds of routines can really help your pets adjust. They’ll think, ‘Oh, I don’t know where I am, but here’s my food, just on time.’ And that’s really good for them,” says Bright. 

Cats and dogs use smell and hearing to know they’re in familiar territory. A new home will smell and sound entirely different from a pet’s old environment, which can be quite upsetting for the animal. That’s why it’s important that you bring that fur-covered bed when moving with a dog, or the cat’s old scratching post, or your pet’s favorite chew toy (which may or may not be torn to shreds) — at least until they get used to the new house. These familiar items will help reduce your pets’ anxiety in their new home, says Bright.

Just like you do a walkthrough before closing, take your pets for a quick visit before you actually move into the new home. Once you move in, walk around with your cat and dog and allow your pet to explore the house again. “With your cat, you’re probably going to want to keep them confined in a room (where their litter box is) for periods of time. This shows your cat that ‘this is your territory,’” says Bright. Try to spend as much time as possible around the house and when you’re there, stay close to your pets in the first few weeks. You’ll also want to pay special attention if you have male cats and dogs who will want to mark their territory.

So, how long will it take for your pet to adjust to its new home? Keep following these tips until the animal’s behavior is predictable and it’s no longer showing signs of fear. This could take weeks or even a couple months, says Bright. But the most important thing to remember is to be patient with your pets and let them adjust at their own speed.

Be on the lookout for fearful behaviors in your pets. For instance, if their ears are back, their eyes are wide, they’re staying low to the ground, they’re trying to hide or they’re shaking, they may be scared. If that’s the case, says Bright, stay with them as much as possible; reassure them with love and attention; give them lots of food, treats, and toys; and make sure to play with them. “This shows your pets that this new house is a really fun place to be, despite it being a new environment,” adds Bright.

If you’ve taken all the steps to try and help your cat or dog adjust to a new home — but they continue to show signs of fear or anxiety — a veterinarian may be able to help give your pet relief by offering an anxiety-reducing medication.