Moving with Pets: Tips for a Smooth Pet Relocation

With all the moving parts and shifting deadlines, moving is stressful enough, whether you’re doing it DIY style and renting a moving truck or using a professional moving company.

But moving with pets adds a whole new layer of anxiety, and not just for the pet owners.

Pet relocation is stressful in any context, whether it’s dogs and cats or any other pets – especially when you’re juggling pet carriers with moving boxes.

And since your little buddy is an important member of your family, you’ll want to do all you can to ensure a smoother transition that maintains animal health and doesn’t risk behavioral changes.

No doubt moving with pets requires some additional planning on your part. This helpful guide shares some tips on how to keep all of your furry friends safe and happy throughout your relocation journey.

We’ll also explain how to use SelfStorage.com to take advantage of storage deals that can help ease your pets’ transition into their new home. 

Preparing to Move With Your Pet

As their caretaker, your pets depend on you to ensure their well-being and comfort during the moving process. Whether you’re moving a few blocks over or cross country, you’ll need to develop a pet relocation plan.

The first part of your moving with pets checklist covers the preparations you should make before moving day arrives.

Maintain Consistency

If you’ve moved before, you know how hectic things can get before the actual moving day. As chaotic as things may feel, you must maintain a familiar and consistent schedule with your fury friends leading up to the big transition.

• Keep up with your regular walks and feeding times, and treat all other routines like business as usual.
• If you use one of the dog walking services, for example, keep the service active and the walk times the same until moving day.

The less stress your pet has before leaving their current home base, the better. 

Get Your Travel Plan in Place

Don’t leave the “day of” pet plan for the last minute. Arrange for a pet sitter to spend the day with your pet while you worry about boxes, trucks, and GPS coordinates.

They won’t have to deal with the stress of all that’s happening, and you won’t have to worry about tending to them or tripping over their toys. 

If that isn’t possible, prepare a dedicated room for them on both ends of your move where they can chill alone with essentials like food, water, dog toys, a litter box, and some familiar items like their dog bed or kitty scratching post.

Visit the Vet

Visit your primary veterinary office one last time to ensure all shots are updated and prescriptions are filled, and vaccination records and medical records are transferred to your pet’s new vet. And if you don’t have a new veterinary hospital lined up yet, add that to your to-do list.

Letting your vet know you’re planning to move also prompts them to check for any health or immune system issues or immune system issues that might make traveling with a pet more risky.

Your vet can then provide the health certificates that are required to transport pets over state lines in some situations.

Check Local Regulations

Whether you’re crossing state lines or moving to the next jurisdiction over, be prepared for new legal animal health requirements. Local ordinances vary when it comes to vaccinations and licensing. If you’re moving with a pet, you must be aware of and ready for new rules.

• U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website hosts an Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service section.
• This section links to all the different state regulations.
• Rabies vaccination certificates or rabies tag laws,  kennel cough vaccine requirements, and leash laws all vary from state to state.

Last In, First Out 

One of the best things you can do to ease your pets’ moving anxiety when leaving their old home base is to pack familiar items like toys, bedding, and feeding bowls last.

And when you’re unpacking in your new digs, be sure to set up their things first. Having a safe space for your pet to stay during packing and truck loading, and having their items set up and waiting when they enter their new home for the first time, helps them feel at home at each step of the process.

Plan Your In-Between Accommodations

We can’t always spend moving day in our new home, either because it’s far away or won’t be ready for move-in right away. If you’re staying on the road for a few nights in between, be sure you find some pet-friendly accommodations. If you’re staying with friends, be sure they live in a pet-friendly apartment.

If you’re booking some nights in between, be sure you’re staying in a pet-friendly hotel or Airbnb. And if the drive is more than two hours, be sure you map out some dog parks for your family’s furry friend to relieve themself and stretch their legs along the way.

How to Move When You Have Pets

When the big day finally arrives, you’ll want it to be easy-peasy for your pet, so keep the following tips in mind when:

Moving With Pets by Car

With the right planning and tools on deck, a road trip with your pets can be a fun and exciting adventure. But you aren’t prepared; the interstate movement and being away from their familiar items can make the pet travel process a disaster.

Here are some tips for moving with pets in a car:

• Pack a small bag just for them. Ensure you have all their food, water, medications, leashes, and familiar items like toys or blankets all in one place — these pet-friendly items provide a sense of safety and familiarity during the in-between.
• Plan to stop every two to three hours when traveling with dogs. Identify rest areas, dog parks, and other suitable stop locations in advance.
• Consider a comfortable crate or travel carrier for cats and smaller dogs. Start training your pet to sit inside a crate a few weeks before the move.

Moving With Pets by Air

If you’re traveling with your pet by air, there are several things to consider; however, these are the most essential: 

• Is your pet anxious, aggressive, elderly, pregnant, or ill? If so, flying may not be the best choice for them.
• Different airlines have different rules regarding in-cabin accommodations. You may have to stow your pet in cargo. Cargo pet travel availability is subject to safe weather conditions.
• You will need a vet-approved health certificate before boarding with any airline, so have one ready to go at least two weeks ahead of time.
• The Animal Welfare Act explicitly states that kittens and puppies must be at least eight weeks old before they can fly.
• Each state has different requirements upon landing. You may have to put your pet into quarantine after a flight. Do your homework to avoid any unhappy surprises.
• Think about purchasing a potty aid for your pet, especially for longer flights. 
• Consider pet relocation companies if you’ve got a little extra money to spend.  Pet boarding services and pet-friendly moving companies have streamlined their expert-level services. Pet relocation companies include: Air Animal Pet Movers, PetRelocation, and Happy Tails Travel.

If you’re uncomfortable or unable to take your pet on an airplane with you, you could hire a pet transportation company to pick up and transport your pet to your new home.  

After Moving With Pets: Helping Them Settle In To Your New Home

The physical move with animals can be tricky, and so can the settling-in phase. Luckily, certain things will make things easier for you and your newly uprooted pet. 

Check the Overall Safety

Are your new home and yard safe for animals? If not, address whatever issues need to be dealt with ASAP. For example:

• Make sure your pet can’t escape from the yard. 
• Check that all windows, screens, and doors are secure.
• If you have a balcony, keep your pet on a leash or put up a safety barrier. 
• Inspect the property for traps, pesticides, poisons and other dangers such as small objects that a pet might ingest. Keep all chemicals safely stored. 
• If your furry friend doesn’t have a pet microchip, be sure your dog has updated pet ID tags on their collar in case they get startled and run off on moving day.
• Get a friend or pet sitter to spend some time with the dog if you’re unable to stay home the first few days after you’re all moved in, both to burn off some energy and to put them at ease during the transition.
• Keep in mind that small pets like hamsters, guinea pigs, and gerbils are affected by drastic climate changes – adjust your house temperature to accommodate them.

Introduce Them to the New Home and Neighborhood

You know your pet better than anyone. Are they super skittish? Consider introducing them to their new home one room at a time. If they go for walks, keep them short and take the same route for a while.

If possible, give your pet their own special place in your new home, complete with all their favorite things.  

Ease them into meeting the neighborhood dogs, avoiding any neglected or aggressive animals you may encounter.

Stick to a Routine

One of the best things you can do once you’ve introduced your pet to its new home is to stick to a routine. Whatever you did in your previous home regarding feeding, exercising, playing, etc., keep it as similar as possible. 

How SelfStorage.com Can Help When You’re Moving With Pets

Yes, moving with a pet can be challenging. Remember, the less chaos there is, the quicker your pet will adapt to its new surroundings.

But there’s no denying that the transitional period requires flexibility, support, and taking things slow.

As experts in the self-storage space, we can’t help but mention a few ways you can use a storage unit to ease that transition:

• Temporary storage for pet supplies: Store pet food, toys, bedding, and accessories in a unit while you’re in transition between homes. This keeps these items organized and accessible without cluttering your current space or new place while your pet gets adjusted.
• Staging and furniture overflow:  Store furniture or cardboard boxes in a unit. You can free up more space in your new home, giving your pet more room to play, explore, and move around during the transition period.
• Bridge the gap until it’s time to move in: If there’s a gap between when you leave your old place and when you move into your new one, a storage unit provides short-term storage for your belongings while you arrange short-term pet boarding or leave your furry friend with a trusted pet sitter.
• Consider climate-control storage: Use a climate-controlled unit to store temperature-sensitive items – like medications or specialty foods – without risking damage from extreme heat or cold.

The key is choosing a storage facility that allows access during hours that work for you, so you can retrieve your moving boxes or pet supplies as needed. Some storage units provide 24-hour access and increased security measures so you can grab what you need at all hours without hesitation.

You’ll also want to be sure to book a storage unit near your new address, so it’s close by.

But not all storage units are created equally. How do you find a storage unit near your new address that has all the features you need? And how are you supposed to set up a unit ahead of time if you’re not super familiar with the area you’re moving to?

Don’t fret – SelfStorage.com is here to help you out.

Just enter your new zip code into our signature self-storage.com unit search tool. We limit the results by price, features, distance, storage unit size, and ratings based on filters you set, ensuring you find the storage unit you need, where you need it, at a price that fits your budget.

We’ll connect you with over 10,000 self-storage facilities across the country, from major cities to rural areas. We post customer reviews, vetting each facility in our database so they all meet our standards.

A storage unit could be the transitional tool you need to give your pets the time and space they need to adjust to the new living situation. And before you know it, your new home will be your pet’s new favorite place.