Last Friday, my wife, Susan, and I read the text from Melinda, our Portland, Oregon realtor, that is shaping the next chapter in our lives: “You’ve closed on your property; the county has recorded.”
And so continues our adventure of relocating to the Pacific Northwest. Time now to divest of items that we no longer use or bring joy. We’re hauling crafts and art out from their dusty closet caves and giving them homes where they can be loved and cherished by our dear friends and colleagues. The used U-Haul boxes we picked up from a generous neighbor from nextdoor.com are being filled to capacity with clothes and bedding and books.
For those of us moving with fur children, there will be more to moving than cancelling the paper, turning off utilities and forwarding our mail. Here is a partial list of things we’re considering:
Update contact information for every pet’s implanted microchip. The chip is connected to a registered database, it is not a GPS system. Its effectiveness hinges entirely on a Good Samaritan bringing a lost pet to an animal care facility equipped with a scanner that “reads” the parent’s contact information so they can get in touch.
In this same spirit, have new ID tags made up to reflect new contact information and change them the day of relocation. One may or may not want to change their cell number(s), but, in some service areas, we'll need to get a land line in order to get internet. Check out reviews.com for a list of ways to get internet without buying a land line.
Scour the internet for a highly-rated vet in our area. Visit their medical group or office and determine whether they would be a good fit. If they are open (a good clue to a good fit), talk to them briefly about our pet’s special needs and/or ongoing medical issues. Once we’ve made our selection, have our pet(s) medical records transferred. moving.com provides an excellent resource.
Animal companions always sense that something’s up when we mobilize to leave the house. Imagine this feeling magnified 50 fold when the whole house is being packed up! This is the time for extra attention and special times, all the while maintaining a matter-of-fact attitude. We may be headed toward the next big chapter in our lives, but we should treat it as if we’ve been there before.
To help alleviate the stress around moving, schedule play dates with favorite pals before moving day. If this can be done in groups, so much the better. Having set the precedent for being social, it will be easier for our new-kid-on-the-block to make new friends. WE should be careful, though, to limit our pet’s direct contact with animal companions who are sick.
Some dogs and cats travel well in planes and cars. For those skittish about pet carriers and back seats, a few drops of CBD can go a long way. Try desensitizing your pet to the car or carrier. If we’re traveling by air, be sure to obtain your airline-specific ESA letter from our mental health professional in advance and be prepared to present evidence that our pet is well-behaved. We want to be good stewards for ethical travel with our pets.
No major life transition is seamless. But, with a healthy dose of compassion and mindfulness, our most precious cargo will happily adapt to our new home.