Moving Pets: How to Safely Move With Your Pets

Moving overseas or across states may require you to hire pet removal services, but for local moves, pets can conveniently be brought along inside your vehicle. Nevertheless, these prior pet arrangements must be settled before your house moving day:

Secure your pet’s documents

The first step to preparing your pets for a move is to research the pet laws and regulations of your destination state. Secure all the documents needed for your moves like permits, veterinary records, and clearances. If you are moving into a condo or an apartment building, check with your property manager if there are any building restrictions concerning pets.

Visit your vet

Schedule an appointment with your vet to acquire your pet’s records and obtain a health clearance. This may be required if you are moving interstate or into an apartment with strict pet regulations. If you are moving further away from your current suburb, it would be best to look into veterinary clinics near your new address ahead of time.

Consider using carriers

To guarantee the safety of your pets while on the road, it is advised to place them inside carriers even when travelling inside a private vehicle. This will give your pet protection in the event you get into a minor bingle, and restrain them from distracting you while driving.  Choose a carrier that has proper ventilation and is big enough for your pet to stand, lie down and turn around in.

Conduct an ocular visit

Animals are very sensitive to changes in their environment. There have been plenty of instances where dogs – most especially cats – have strayed away from their homes immediately after a move. If possible, take your pets with you to visit the new home before you move.

Light feeding before leaving

Overfeeding your pets before a move is not advisable, dogs and cats can get nauseated during a long drive (or flight) causing them to chunder along the way. Feed your pets a light snack and provide ample hydration before the move

Keep pets away from removalists

Confine your pets inside an empty room (with a bowl of drinking water) during the moving process. Pets can get agitated and aggressive by seeing several unfamiliar men going in and out of the home while items are being carried out to the truck. Keeping them isolated for the time being will help your pets and removalists alike.

Update collar and microchip tags

As a safety measure, update the address and contact number on your pet’s collar and microchip tags. In the event that your pet will stray or get lost after the move, people will still be able to locate your new whereabouts.

For more tips on how to safely move with your pets, check out our helpful tips on moving with your pets.