Moving With Pets
Homeowners often feel frazzled as moving day approaches; it’s not easy to relax when you’re surrounded by boxes. For pets, moving is especially stressful. They don’t know why you’re putting all those things into boxes and scooting furniture around. You can help minimize stress for pets when you take the right precautions.
Plan Ahead When Moving With Pets
Advance planning will make your move less stressful on you and your pet. Pack over a period of time, and try to maintain your pet’s normal routine.
Purchase a new ID tag for your pet. As soon as you know your new address, get a pet ID tag that includes your new address and telephone number(s). (Or obtain some other visible form of pet identification such as a collar with ID information imprinted on it or an identification band that attaches to the collar but does not dangle like a traditional tag.) An up-to-date ID tag is a lost pet’s ticket home.
Acclimate Them to Crates and Cars
Invest in a high-quality, sturdy pet carrier.
Some dogs love riding in the car. Cats, however, don’t appreciate car rides or being stuffed into a cat carrier. The act of getting a cat into a carrier can be traumatic for both pet and owner, which generally results in a cat being anxious before even entering a vehicle. Practice your cat-wrangling skills in advance of your move, putting your cat into the carrier for a few minutes at a time, then letting it out and giving it a treat.
In the months leading up to your move, acclimate anxious pets to the car, taking them for short drives around the block. They may eventually realize that riding in the car isn’t the end of the world.
Talk to your veterinarian. If your pet doesn’t enjoy car rides, consult your veterinarian about behavior modification or medication that might lessen the stress of travel. Depending on your destination, your pet may also need additional vaccinations, medications, and health certificates.
Put Them Somewhere Safe
On moving day, the best place for cats is in the room that will be moved last, with the door closed. Put a few empty cardboard boxes in the room to serve as cozy hiding places, so cats will feel more secure.
Place a large sign on the door that says, DO NOT ENTER, and be sure that friends and professional movers are aware that the room is off-limits.
Dogs generally want to be where the action is and maybe more anxious when confined to a room. Consider sending the dog off to a friend’s or relative’s house for the day.
Whether you have a cat or dog, if they’re roaming freely throughout the house during your move, they might try to escape when the door opens, or they may dart into your path and inadvertently trip you.
Keep Your Pets Safe During Travel
If you’re traveling by car and your dog enjoys car travel, you may want to accustom him to a restraining harness. Because most cats aren’t comfortable traveling in cars, it’s best (for their safety as well as yours) to transport them in a well-ventilated and securely placed carrier.
Never leave pets alone in a parked vehicle during warm weather as the temperature rises quickly and can injure or kill them. In any season, a pet in a parked vehicle is vulnerable to being harmed or stolen. Never put an animal in the trunk of a car, the open bed of a pickup truck, or the storage area of a moving van.
Find Hotels in Advance
Listings of animal-friendly hotels will help you find overnight lodging during your move.
Plan Ahead for Air Travel
Check with your veterinarian, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the airline if your pet will be flying. You will need to take precautions to ensure your pet’s safety, so give yourself ample time to work out all the arrangements.
Introduce Them to Their New Home
Take with you all the familiar and necessary things your pet will need from day one in your new home: food, water, medications, bed, litter box, food and water bowls, and health records. Also have on hand a recent photo of your pet, for use if your pet becomes lost.
Cats are often overwhelmed by new spaces, so introduce them to their new home gradually – first, putting them in a quiet room for a few hours or a day, then opening the door slightly, so they can explore when they’re ready.
Dogs adapt more easily to a new home, but before you let them loose in the backyard, walk around the yard with them to look for any hazards you might not know about, like a hole in the fence, or objects you wouldn’t want your dog to have.
With lots of patience and affection (and treats), you can help your pets transition to their new home.
