Moving With Pets
Making your pets comfortable in your new home. You may not know this, but dogs and cats can encounter many of the same problems people have, in moving into a new home.
They must become used to a new house, neighborhood, unfamiliar sounds and strange postal carriers. They may need to get used to different water, that does not agree with them, and even colder or warmer climates. But with a little help from a friend, your pet will soon settle down and enjoy their new surroundings!
Although it may seem cruel, it is advisable to keep your pets confined for a few days – even a few weeks, until they realize that this is their new home, and that the family is going to stay. Otherwise your pet may wander off and try to return to their old home. This is especially true of cats – they should be watched for several weeks.
To speed up that “at home” feeling, use familiar food and water dishes, your pet’s bed, blanket and toys etc. Also, try to put things in the same sort of location, as they were in your old house – like putting their water dish in the kitchen, or at the back door. As for birds, keep them in a quiet room, where they will be undisturbed until they become used to their new surroundings.
Other small pets, like hamsters and rabbits, usually have few or no adjustment problems other than becoming used to a change in their water supply. This is also true of fish. To avoid harming them, test the water for similarity to that of the water in your old home, and adjust it to the particular requirements of your fish.
With a little bit of care, your pets will soon enjoy their new home as much as you!
Moving with Plants
Moving your houseplants can be hazardous to their health.
If you have plants and are planning to move homes, you’ve got 3 options. You can give them away, throw them or take them with you.
If you happen to be one of us that can’t bear the thought of abandoning our precious plants, you’re in luck. The National Gardening Association has some great advice:
Going airborne? If your belongings will be shipped by plane, your first step should be to contact the airline. Most airlines have strict regulations when it comes to transporting plant life. They will tell you what you can and can’t take, and how they should be packaged. Another worthwhile phone call would be to the Department of Agriculture, in the area that you are moving to. Some provinces and states forbid the importation of plants, to prevent the spread of pests (harmful insects) and agricultural diseases.
Hitting the highway? If your belongings will be shipped by car (truck), you should check the containers in which you are planning to transport them in. Terra cotta pots for example are very fragile and may break. It would be wiser to transplant them into plastic pots. But be careful when transplanting. Make sure you do not cut or tear the roots, and always sterilize the pots before replanting. Some pots, especially used ones, may still have bugs or bacteria in them, thriving on old soil.
Regardless of your method of transportation however, the most important thing to do is keep your plants moist throughout their journey. Aside from giving them a good watering, you can try wrapping the soil tops with sphagnum moss soaked overnight. Also, wrap your pots in newspaper and then burlap. Leaves and stems can also be wrapped (loosely) in burlap, to avoid breakage.
An alternative to transporting the entire plant, would be to take only ‘cuttings’ of your favorites. Cuttings (small clippings of your plants) can be wrapped in wet moss and again in newspaper. Then place the wrapped cuttings in unsealed ziploc bags and put them into cardboard boxes ready for transportation.
With a little special attention, your plants will soon continue to grow and flourish in their new home.