Tips To Prepare Your Pets For A Move
Moving to a new house can be stressful for both you and your pets but there are a lot of things you can do to reduce the amount of stress you will go through. First of all you have to make sure you have everything you need for your new home. This includes veterinary records, permits and registration for your pet. Some states are extremely restrictive so be sure to check beforehand.
Before you go pay a visit to the veterinarian for a checkup for your pets. Don’t forget to get the records so you can forward them to the new veterinarian.
While moving locally can still be annoying, it usually only requires a short drive across the city or state. Long distance moving, however, is a different matter. Still, daunting as this task may seem people do it all the time, and if they can do it, so can you.
Tip 1: You must know how you’re going to transport your pets
Plan your moves in advance. There are a variety of transportation methods you can use. You can either take your pet on a ride in your personal car, or you can opt to fly your pet. There are also various pet shipping companies that specialize in safely moving pets of all breeds and sizes safely over long distances.
Small animals can fly in the passenger cabin. Otherwise they’ll have to be transported by the air fright. Making your decision beforehand will reduce stress for both you and your pet since you don’t have to do any last minute changes.
Tip 2: Pack for your pet as well
Your animal will require food, water, toys and distractions wherever he or she goes. It’s a good idea to leave your pets a familiar T-shirt or blanket, so they will have an easier time relaxing and hopefully find a little extra comfort during the ride.
Reducing your pet’s anxiety is, in fact, your top priority. If your pet gets scared, or anxious, it may lash out at people or against its cage and end up hurting itself or someone nearby. Make sure to stop occasionally to check on your pet and make sure it has adequate food and water and a clean cage. If you have dogs make sure to give them plenty of opportunities to do their business, otherwise their business may end up being yours and anyone else unlucky enough to share the vehicle with you at that time. Ensure your pets are comfortable and won’t rattle around or slide with every turn so that they can sleep through most of the trip.
Tip 3: Don’t expect fully accustomed pets immediately
Once you arrive at your new home, let your pets get a sniff of what’s around. This way they can get comfortable even though it’s a new environment for them. You can expect more difficulty adapting if you’re moving from an apartment to a house with a yard, and vice versa. For example, many apartment dogs suffer from separation anxiety so they may start reacting impulsively and pet cats tend to live indoors all their life so every outside experience is frightening and stressful
for them.
It’s also a good idea to keep ID tags or a microchip to ensure you can find your pets should they get lost. It’ll take some time for your pets to adjust to the new home, but don’t worry, they will be happy and cozy in their new place in no time.
Closing Thoughts…
Moving with your pets might seem daunting at first, but so long as you keep in mind the simple tips listed above you’ll find it’s much less stressful than you thought. For moving tips specific to different types of pets such as dogs, cats, reptiles, birds, and small mammals I recommend check out this great article by MoveAcrossCountry.net. I hope everything on your upcoming move goes smooth for you and your pets!
The tips for moving your pets are helpful for your move and thanks for sharing this information with us.
thanks fof taking the time to read the post! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
– David
Thanks for sharing valuable moving tips and good information!
Thanks for the awesome feedback Sophia! Its great to see that more moving industry peers like yourself have been co-signing and sharing my content. Take care.
David Johnson, Thank you for the timely advice. Having moved a couple of times before, you are right on! Great review for our next move.
Thanks for the awesome feedback Patricia! I appreciate it!
We have a strictly indoor cat who is 16 years old.
In 3 weeks we are moving from Maryland to Georgia, and dread having her in the car for that amount of time because she freaks out. Any suggestions other than giving her drugs for the trip? Boarding is not an option.
Hello Sharon!
Thanks for coming to CheapMovingTips.com to learn how to move with your cat to a new state. I’ve heard there are natural calming collars that can help during moves and essential oils that are relaxing for pets. Be sure to read the ingredients when purchasing as some may cause your pet to become more nauseous. Look for natural ingredients like chamomile. Also giving your pet some treats and covering half the crate with a towel or blanket may help as a natural relaxant. Also, make sure that you stay calm and let your cat know that everything is OK. Pets can pick up on your anxiety and it can add to theirs. I wish you the best on your move to Georgia…take care!
Sharon , take her for very short rides in your car with little treats often . If you get her use to pleasurable rides, she should not mind a long one. I did this with our old cat to get him use to riding before a 4 hour trip to our cottage for the summer. Good luck
Love these tips! Pets also get stressed when moving to a new place, so allowing them time to adjust is important. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely Lauren…and that goes for people as well! New places take some getting used to but hopefully, it’s worth the move. Thanks for stopping by for tips to move your pets.
Just an added note I work at a pet store and there are natural calming products that may help. I get a lot of positive feedback on a product called comfort zone which has a calming collar that can be used for travel. Great website by the way thanks for all the tips.
Hi Teresa,
Thanks for the great tip! I haven’t heard of that before but I’m sure that will be able to help a lot of people moving their pets who don’t want to sedate them with drugs. Cheers!