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Please, board your cats and dogs about a week before your move… A cautionary tale

By Todd Clark - Retired

Real Estate Agent with eXp Realty LLC 200311024

March 09, 2011 10:22 AM

It has been a couple weeks now since my buyers moved in to their new home, yet something seems to be missing. The family cat came up missing a day before the move, they did notice the cat was acting a little weird a couple days before close and just really didn’t think anything of it.

Board your pets or you may lose them

What had happened was the cat was getting just as nervous about the move as the family and though they were keeping it in the house, she managed to escape and now hasn’t been seen since. This was an outdoor cat, but even family pets can get caught up in the stress of a move.

This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of a pet running away during a big move. Pets don’t know what is happening and, like children, get nervous. But, unlike a child, you can’t tell them that everything will be alright in a couple days.

So, please help keep your family pets and board them before your move and once you have moved in to your new home, then go pick them up, give them all the love they deserve and show them they are a big part of the family. It is a small gesture that really is saving their lives.

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Joanna Szwyd

StoneHouse Properties - Great Barrington, MA

Good advice! It is probably the last thing on anybody's mind, but the dogs and cats can actually "feel" that something is going on. Their behavior, therefore, might be totally diferent than usual.

Mar 09, 2011 10:31 AM

Steve Simer

FREEDOM REALTY - Barksdale AFB, LA

Moving to Bossier City Call(318)218-2824

Great advice!!! Good READ!

Mar 09, 2011 10:35 AM

Joni Bailey

101 Main St. Realty - Huntsville, TX

Your Huntsville / Lake Livingston Area REALTOR®

Wow! I had not thought of that. Its never happened to me but my kitties have always been indoors. Thanks for mentioning this!!

Mar 09, 2011 10:39 AM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Good suggestion Todd to assist in pet de-stress. Sorry about the runaway there.

Mar 09, 2011 10:48 AM

Michael Jacobs

Pasadena, CA

Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Todd, you are right and this is a great suggestion for us as Realtors to include in a checklist for sellers and buyers alike.

Mar 09, 2011 11:40 AM

Susan Neal

RE/MAX Gold, Fair Oaks - Fair Oaks, CA

Fair Oaks CA & Sacramento Area Real Estate Broker

Excellent advice, Todd. And when you bring them to their new home, please do not let your cats outside for a couple of weeks or so until they become familiar with all the new sights, sounds, and smells. Otherwise, they are likely to run in who-knows-what direction to try to find their way back to the home they know.

Mar 09, 2011 12:42 PM

Christine Pappas - REALTOR®

eXp Realty - Willoughby, OH

When You’re Ready To Move, I’m Ready To Help

That is sad! I hope the cat will be safe and found soon. Thanks for the advice, I've not heard of anyone with pet problems during a move and will keep it in mind.

Mar 09, 2011 12:44 PM

Ellie McIntire

Ellicott City Clarksville Howard County Maryland Real Estate - Ellicott City, MD

Luxury service in Central Maryland

Moving house really is a family affair and that includes all of the pets. Maybe a neighbor will spot the cat and re-unite everyone.

Mar 09, 2011 12:57 PM

Sheila Newton Team Anderson & Greenville SC

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices - C. Dan Joyner - Anderson, SC

Selling the Upstate since 1989

awwwee... I hope it comes back.. that is sad.. great idea about boarding though

Mar 09, 2011 01:07 PM

Jim Courtney

OklaHomes Realty, Claremore Oklahoma - Claremore, OK

CRS, GRI, AHWD

Very interesting tip that I had not thought of before. I will be sure to share with all my clients who have pets. :)

Mar 09, 2011 01:12 PM

Elizabeth Cooper-Golden

Huntsville Alabama Real Estate, (@ Homes Realty Group) - Huntsville, AL

Huntsville AL MLS

Todd, Great advice and I've had my own experience with missing pets. When I moved from Nashville to Huntsville, I couldn't find my cat, anywhere! The new owners called THREE days after close and our poor cat had crawled in between a pipe and the wall in the garage, scared to death over the movers, etc., I'm sure.

I'm going to start advising clients to board their pets, as you suggested! Why didn't i ever think of this?

Mar 09, 2011 01:32 PM

Don Hintz

2D-enterprises / HAUS Design, LLC - Anderson, IN

Todd,

That's a great tip. Now it makes sense why our pets (two dogs) acted so strange when we moved. We didn't lose them but our little "mixed breed" would wander and our chocolate lab would follow. It was very stressful on my wife, as she is very protective of our pets.

Mar 09, 2011 02:19 PM

Michelle Francis

Tim Francis Realty LLC - Atlanta, GA

Realtor, Buckhead Atlanta Homes for Sale & Lease

Todd,

I hadn't thought of that, but a new tenant had done some great research and had a great transition plan for moving their pets. Boarding and then the introducing the cat to the new house!!! When I saw the cat, he had been at the new place about 20 hours and was hanging out in the master bathroom, but was holed up in the new litter box. Definitely stressed.

Great idea to board for w week. Our dog gets nervous seeing the suitcases, so I can only imagine how stressed they are over a move.

All the best, Michelle

Mar 09, 2011 02:35 PM

Virginia Gardner

Roy Wheeler Realty Co. - Charlottesville, VA

Realtor, Charlottesville, Serving Central Virginia

I want to re-blog this over the weekend. It's so important, thank you. Let me know if it's a problem; I'll reblog just as it was done when the systen used to do it...

Mar 09, 2011 02:37 PM

Ellen Wright Adams

Academy Mortgage.......We are a Equal Housing Lender - Eugene, OR

LoansByEllen- Licensed in Oregon

Todd: given I don't have a cat or dog I hadn't thought much about it. This is a great reminder. Thanks.

Mar 09, 2011 03:20 PM

Dave Halpern

Dave Halpern Real Estate Agent, Inc., Louisville, KY (502) 664-7827 - Louisville, KY

Louisville Short Sale Expert

Todd,

That is a great idea. I wonder if the pets try to find their way back to the previous home.

Mar 09, 2011 04:12 PM

Martin Lopez

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Cerritos, CA

That's exactly what happened to one of my clients some time ago! A few days after they moved to their new home their cat was missing and gone forever!!

Mar 09, 2011 05:06 PM

Charlottesville Solutions

Charlottesville Solutions - Charlottesville, VA

Sounds like good advice, I will pass it on to clients. Thanks.

Your Friend in Charlottesville

Mar 10, 2011 02:44 AM

Lynda White

Bluegrass Homes & Farms Realty, Agent Know How - Louisville, KY

Admin. Mgr., Keller Williams Realty

Pets are a lot smarter than we think they are! I don't know if I would board them, but I would give them plenty of reassurance and keep them out of harm's way and keep them from escaping too.

Mar 10, 2011 07:23 AM

Todd Clark - Retired

eXp Realty LLC - Tigard, OR

Principle Broker Oregon

My clients tried to keep them from escaping, but with all the moving of stuff and the door opening and closing all the time, the cat still managed to escape.