My family and I just relocated from Southern California to the Pacific Northwest. Not only was this a BIG move, but this was my first time moving with pets, at least the first time moving farther than a few miles. There was a lot of planning that went into making this transition go as smoothly as possible for us and our dog and cat.
Here are my top 5 tips for moving with pets.
Plan Their Transport & Elimination
Have a plan for how you will transport your pets so they are the most comfortable. Will they ride in the car with you? Will flying with them be best? Do you have the appropriate equipment to restrain them? Are they used to these items yet? If not, how can you help make these things less scary and maybe even rewarding and comforting? How/where will they eliminate?
Supplies might include:
Here’s Bagheera in front of his travel litter box weeks before our moving day. I measured the footwell of my car and found a box that was small enough to fit in it (making sure the passenger seat still had enough leg for its human occupant) and large enough for a kitten litter box.
You can’t see it, but there’s a hole on the side of the box large enough for Bagheera to fit. I placed the empty litter box in it and only added litter the morning of our move. When on the road, like clockwork (the body is a machine), he got squirmy in his carrier at dinner time, exited his carrier (he was sitting in it while on my friend’s lap for the entirety of our road trip), used the boxed, jumped back up front and into his carrier and ate dinner.
Schedule An Appointment With Your Local Vet & Establish Care In Your New City ASAP
Visit your local Vet for any needed updated vaccines, as well as inquiring (and obtaining) medication to help reduce fear, anxiety, and stress for your pet. Make sure to practice administering the medicine so you’re not chasing your pet around the house as the movers are knocking on your door. Need help? Reach out for some pre-move private training.
Once you’ve settled in a bit into your new location, research and schedule an appointment with your pet’s new Vet to establish care. I recommend completing a handful of “Happy Visits”* first. This helped Neah immensely, as well as a clear conversation with the staff and doctors about her needs.
*A “Happy Visit” is a brief visit to your Vet’s office where your pet gets lots of treats and praise, as well as the opportunity to become acclimated to this space, the staff, and doctors (if possible, though they are often busy). You should reach out to the Vet’s office to confirm they are open to these visits as well as the best time to complete them. We went during their lunch break so other clients weren’t buzzing about the lobby.
Neah’s first visit was very short, maybe 2 minutes. She wasn’t relaxed but she wasn’t darting out the door. A few members of the staff lowered their hands to their sides, and with a flat opened hand at their side let Neah decide if she was comfortable to walk over for a treat. For some, she was, for others, not. We advanced this and on her last “Happy Visit” before her official appointment she calmly laid down and ate an entire chew stick.
Her actual appointment couldn’t have gone better, in part, because I also researched an office that understands nervous dogs and they lived up to their reviews (cut-up hot dogs and cream cheese ready in every room, staff and doctors that understand the best way to make anxious dogs more comfortable, etc).
Update Your Pet’s Microchip, Tag, and License Information
The size of a grain of rice, a microchip helps protect your pet if they become lost, but only if the correct information is stored on the manufacturer’s database. So update your pet’s microchip information with your new address, emergency contact, etc before you move.
You should also cancel your dog’s license in your prior city and register them in your new city. Licenses are another way to ensure you’ll get your pet back if they become lost.
If necessary, get new ID tags for your pets too. I have Neah’s license information on a Boomerag Tag which means I have to get a new one printed with her new license number.
Don’t worry, I didn’t drive with Bagheera on my lap. We’re just enjoying each other’s company on a bathroom stop. While driving he was in his carrier on my friend’s lap (his preference) and his carrier hooked into the seat belt as well!
Familiar Items, Reducing Stress, and Safe Spaces
Familiar smells and items can help reduce your pet’s stress and make them feel more comfortable. Inevitably you will have more and more boxes and fewer and fewer things that represent your home. Leave out their favorite blankets, cushions, toys, beds, etc, including in a “safe room” for when the movers are busy going in and out of your home.
It’s best to block off this safe space with a baby gate, a large note on the door (knob), and verbal instructions to your movers.
Transition these items to the car or with you on the plane, as well as into your new space. Think last out, first in as these items will help your pets feel at home in their new space from the start.
Here’s the crew. Bagheera was most comfortable in my friend’s lap (who is frowning because this was it, I was moving away :(), but we had the backseat as an option too (if we moved the familiar items around the car. Instead, Neah had them making a nice head rest 🙂
Easily Accessible Food, Water, And Meds
Have I said moves are stressful? We helped ourselves and our pets by putting aside at least a week’s, if not two, worth of food, treats, and medications, as well as extra bowls, travel utensils, a few gallons of water (for the car), and any other beverages and snacks the humans would want in the car so we didn’t have to spend extra time in gas stations, etc other than bathroom breaks.
To ensure these weren’t lost in the mix with the movers, we put all of our “car items”, including any extra comfort items, in our laundry closet and let the movers know not to touch anything in there.
I’d love to help. Reach out to schedule your complimentary phone consultation so I can learn a bit more about you, your dog, and your training goals.
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