Tips for Pet Owners Selling a Home

Selling a home can be a stressful time for the entire family. It may be equally stressful for your pets. As with humans, pets are very sensitive to changes in their surroundings. Seeing the house filled with strangers, especially when you’re not there, can be stressful and sometimes agitate your pets.

Having “telepathically” communicated with your beloved pets for as long as you've had them, you probably know exactly when they're happy or cranky. There's never a better time for you to utilize this important skill than now.
Know what it will take for your pets to be comfortable during each stage of the process: showing the home, inspection process, and don’t forget special attention for the big move!

Selling:

Talk to your pet! Explain the process to your pet of selling the home and moving together to your next home. Let them know people will be in the house and that it’s okay. Tell them they will be going with you when you move.

Make sure each of your pets has their proper collar with ID and rabies tag. Some pets are natural “escape artists” as soon as the front or back door is opened. Special instructions from the showing office can alert agents showing your home, but extra precaution is best. In addition to ID methods on your pets, keep clear photos of them handy, along with a written description of their appearance. This will aid you and others in searching for your lost friend.

Some other veterinarian recommended forms of ID:

• Tattooing is a permanent ID system that involves marking pertinent information on the skin of the pet. The finder must call a database and use the code tattooed on your pet to get your current address and phone number. This is invaluable ID should your pet be stolen for research, since laboratories will instantly know the animal is not abandoned, but a beloved pet.
• Implanting a microchip - a tiny electronic capsule - into the pet enables anyone with a scanner (like many animal care and control agencies, veterinary clinics, and research labs) to quickly identify a code which, when the database is called, will identify you as the owner.

However, both tattooing and microchipping only work if you keep the information stored at the database current.

Post photos near the entry of your home with the pet’s names and where they might be (“Morris the cat – probably under the bed”, “Fido – in kennel in bedroom”) to “introduce” anyone seeing the home and reminding them pets live here.

If appropriate, leave treats for pets available for showings.

Have your pet checked out by your veterinarian for his current health condition and watch for any changes in your pet’s behavior. Knowing your pet as they do, ask your vet if they have any recommendations for this particular animal. If they tend to become overly stressed, does the vet recommend a homeopathic remedy to calm?

Perform a daily "health check" on your pet when away from home. Watch for changes in your pet’s health and behavior :

• Abnormal discharges from the nose, eyes, or other body openings
• Loss of appetite, marked weight losses or gains, or excessive water consumption
• Difficult, abnormal, or uncontrolled waste elimination
• Abnormal behavior, sudden viciousness, or lethargy
• Abnormal lumps, limping, or difficulty getting up or lying down
• Excessive head shaking, scratching, and licking or biting any part of the body
• Dandruff, loss of hair, open sores, and a ragged or dull coat.
• Foul breath or excessive tarter deposits on teeth

Some animals are more comfortable and quieter if left in a crate designed to kennel animals. If your pet is used to being in a crate, or your veterinarian recommends crating them for the showing process, get professional advice on size, location, ventilization etc. Sometimes a towel or blanket on top of the crate will give the pet a sense of quiet and comfort. Make sure fresh water is available. Don’t you get thirsty when stressed?

Make sure pets get plenty of exercise, playtime and extra affection. Especially if crated, try to go for a run, play Frisbee, or fetch in the morning before you leave. The more tired they are, the more they’ll rest quietly! Then exercise again in the evening – it’s good for everyone!

Have your carpets professionally cleaned before showings begin. Demonstrating that your home is well kept will allay any fears some potential buyers may have about pet odors or stains remaining after the sale. Have carpets cleaned again just after you move out.

Keep your pets clean and groomed during the showing process is another way to show how well your home is kept, and feels better for the pets (and pet-ters!)

Keep litter boxes clean – even the “automatic” kind. Many people (even pet-people) are very sensitive to litter box odors.

If at all possible, take pets for a walk or a short ride in the car during showings. It’s great for their morale, is another bonding time for you, and lets the potential buyer and their agent have a worry-free walk through the house. Take advantage of your local parks, greenbelts, walkways while you still have them!

If your pet is a dog and you do go for car rides, pack a “suitcase” you can grab quickly for your pet (along with some additional items, this comes in handy for the move, as well)

• Spare collars & leashes
• Bottled water (or water from your tap). Your pet’s stomach can be upset by a sudden change in the water.
• Plastic “pick up” bags for picking up waste
• Food and / or treats
• Water and / or food bowl
• Favorite toys and / or blanket
• Combs, brushes (might as well do some grooming!)
• Paper towels, sponges or towel for muddy paws
• Contact information for your veterinarian

Soaring temperatures are no more comfortable for dogs and cats than they are for people. Heat prostration is a common cause of summer illness that can, and does, kill many beloved pets each year. Be sure that areas in which pets are housed are secure and that pets cannot run into busy streets, fall into deep window wells, or become trapped within or under lawn equipment. Some of the worst summer tragedies involve pets that are left in vehicles in the sun with the windows partially or completely rolled up.

Temperatures inside a car rapidly climb to more than 100 F and can cause death sometimes in as little as 10 minutes! If you need to leave your pet in a car for any period of time, please do the pet and yourself a favor and leave the pet at home. When traveling with your pet, call ahead to make sure the hotel can accomodate them.

If your pet spends a substantial part of its day outside, be sure that you provide a cool, shady spot for it to escape the hot summer sun and plenty of cool, clean water and a “safe place” like a doghouse or comfortable spot on the deck with a clean bed where he feels safe and will remain quiet. A sheltered area must also be available so that the pet can escape summer storms.

Keep the waste picked up from the yard and keep it clean and fresh so people can walk comfortably around.

Although dogs and cats are the most popular companion animals, many people choose from the variety of other domesticated pets. Every animal requires proper care and respect. If you have exotic pets that many people would find frightening (such as snakes) you might consider a “foster home” like a relative’s house until your home is sold.

Some pets may not be able to become accustomed to showing your home. Consult your veterinarian about medication or sedatives to reduce or eliminate constant agitation, crying and stress.

Be well aware of your pet's normal behavior, so you can recognize what's not normal.

Reassure your pet throughout the process that you are all moving to your new home together!

Keep your veterinarian's telephone number handy with other emergency phone numbers.

At its most basic level, humane education is about learning to care for the animals in our homes and communities. It is about fostering kindness, respect and empathy for both human and nonhuman animals, and looking after the environment and its diverse habitats. Unlike science and other academic disciplines, humane education has a philosophical component that strives to establish a sense of responsibility and make the world a better, more humane place.

Also see:

Tips for buying a home with Pets

Tips for selling a home with Pets

Tips for moving with pets