How to Help Your Pet Adjust to a New Home: Stability Starts in the Bowl

Moving is often cited as one of life’s most stressful events for humans, but for your pet, it can be a complete upheaval of their world. Dogs and cats rely heavily on scent, territory, and routine to feel secure. When the boxes are packed and the environment changes, that security is disrupted, often leading to anxiety that manifests physically.

While setting up a "safe room" and maintaining walking schedules are essential, nutritional stability is an often overlooked tool in the moving process. Stress attacks the body-specifically the digestive and immune systems.

Here is how you can use ZEAL’s species-appropriate nutrition to act as a stabilizing anchor during the chaos of relocation.

1. Soothing the "Stress Tummy"

It is very common for dogs and cats to experience gastrointestinal upset—diarrhea or loose stools-during a move due to heightened anxiety. When the nervous system is ramped up, the digestive system often reacts poorly to heavy processing or difficult-to-digest ingredients.

• The Filler Factor: Feeding a diet high in fillers, grains, or artificial additives during high-stress times can exacerbate digestive issues. These ingredients are often harder for carnivores to process efficiently.

• The Gentle Solution: ZEAL’s air-dried recipes are crafted to be gentle on digestion. We include Ginger Root, which is naturally soothing to the stomach and acts as an anti-inflammatory. Additionally, Pumpkin (included at approximately 1%) provides soluble fiber to help regulate stool consistency. This nutritional support helps keep your pet’s gut predictable even when their environment isn't.

2. Enticing the Stressed Appetite

A common reaction to the confusion of a new home is a refusal to eat. Cats, in particular, are sensitive to environmental changes and may go on a "hunger strike," which can be dangerous for their health.

• Palatability is Key: You need a food that smells more interesting than the new house. ZEAL’s New Zealand Wet Food features 94% meat and organs, including liver and heart. These ingredients offer an intense, natural aroma that triggers the instinct to eat, even in anxious or picky pets.

• Hydration Support: Stress can also lead to reduced water intake. Our wet food is approximately 78% moisture, ensuring your pet stays hydrated even if they are ignoring their water bowl in the new, unfamiliar kitchen.

3. Creating Positive Associations with "High-Value" Exploration

To help your pet settle, you want them to associate the new space with positive experiences rather than fear. You can turn exploring the new house into a game using ZEAL Canada Air-Dried Food.

• The "Jerky" Reward: Because our air-dried food has a soft, chewy texture and doesn't crumble like a biscuit, it is the perfect high-value training treat.

• The Game: Hide small pieces of our Beef or Salmon & Duck air-dried food in corners of the new living room or near their new bed. This encourages your pet to use their nose and explore the space confidently. Finding a delicious, 96% meat reward creates an immediate positive emotional connection with the new territory.

4. Keeping the Routine "Clean"

While experts often recommend not changing your pet's brand of food right in the middle of a move to avoid further disruption, you can upgrade the quality of their current meals to provide extra support.

If you are already feeding ZEAL, sticking to their favorite recipe provides comfort. If you are feeding a different brand, using ZEAL as a topper can add a boost of Omega-3s (from Salmon Oil) and New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussel to support their immune system and joints during the heavy activity of moving days. The "clean label" guarantee—no fillers or gums—ensures you aren't introducing irritants during a sensitive time.

By focusing on digestive health and high palatability, you provide the physiological support your pet needs to feel at home faster.

Return the unconditional love™ by making their new house a home, one bowl at a time.