Back HomeTips For Moving With Pets
So, you’re moving to a new home. Congratulations! Whether you’re traveling across town or across the country, here are some tips for making moving day as easy and stress-free as possible for the entire family, including your beloved pets.
- Prior to moving day, make sure your pets are fitted with collars and ID tags with your name and current cell-phone number. Micro-chipping is also recommended and will serve as a backup if your pet loses its collar.
- If your pet is prone to car or airsickness, make sure you visit your veterinarian a few weeks prior to your move to get any prescribed medications and feeding recommendations.
- Ask you current veterinarian to make a recommendation for a new pet in the area you are moving to. Ask for copies of all of their inoculation records and keep them handy.
- Make sure you fill at least one week’s worth of your pet’s prescriptions since you will not have developed a relationship with a vet the minute you move in.
- For long-distance moves, be sure to identify pet-friendly hotels along your route and reserve rooms ahead of time. For a list of pet-friendly hotels, see www.petswelcome.com or www.pet-friendly-hotels.net.
- On moving day, make sure your pets are secured in a crate or closed room of your house or apartment until you are ready to load them into your car. The activities and sounds of moving day will be frightening to your pets, so it is important that they be kept in a secure area to reduce their stress as much as possible and to prevent an accidental escape.
- Always transport cats, small dogs and other small animals in a secure, well-ventilated pet carrier. Take the time to familiarize your pet with the container in advance of the move.
- Keep larger dogs leashed and under control at all times. The stress of a move can cause even the most obedient dog to run away in unfamiliar surroundings. NEVER transport any pet in an open truck bed, trunk of a car or storage area of a moving van.
- Prepare a pet first aid kit, including your vet’s phone number, gauze to wrap wounds or muzzle for your pet, adhesive tape, non-stick bandages, towels and wipes, and hydrogen peroxide.
- When you arrive at your new home, set up the things your pet will need immediately and are familiar with such as their water and food bowls, toys, bedding and litter box.
For long-distance moves, make sure you give your pet potty breaks and fresh water whenever you stop for a break yourself. Make sure pets are leashed at all times during potty breaks.
Kim N. Bregman