Successfully Moving with Pets

Moving with pets can be challenging. Their health, safety and comfort must be considered when planning a move to a new home. My family moved recently to another state with four cats and a dog, and I would like to share what we learned. We were driving two cars to our new location and designated one car the "dog car" and the other the "cat car". Our pets' veterinarian explained the difference in the needs of dogs and cats while traveling in a car.

Most dogs are happy enough to take a ride in the car. They tend to enjoy looking out the window at the passing scenery. Our dog settled in to the backseat with a blanket and familiar toy. We stopped about once every one to two hours to walk her and give her water before resuming our trip. Life was good in the "dog car".

The "cat car" was not such a happy place. The vet said that cats are most comfortable when confined and unable to see the passing scenery. He recommended placing each cat in a carrier and covering them with a blanket to limit their view and provide semi-darkness. We boarded the cats at the vet for a couple of days before we would be leaving to keep them safe while the movers were packing and loading our belongings on the moving van. It also meant we knew exactly where they were located when it was time to leave and wouldn't be delayed by having to search for any of them. The cats in their carriers were loaded into the back of the SUV and covered with a blanket while allowing some ventilation. As predicted, the cats began their chorus of yowling. Fortunately, as the vet predicted, this fingernails-on-chalkboard-like cacophony only lasted about fifteen minutes. Then they settled down, and there was only an occasional meow for the rest of the drive.

Our dog has a history of motion sickness, so we asked the vet about medicating her safely to keep her from getting sick. We were given the proper dose of a popular over the counter remedy to prevent motion sickness in people. It worked great; no sick dog on the eight hour drive, and no apparent side effects.

We also asked about tranquilizers for the cats. We received a prescription medication that the vet said "would take the edge off" without rendering them unconscious or incapacitating them. We weren't comfortable with the results of this medication. Three of the four cats lost bladder control within the first hour, and they all seemed sort of wobbly and disoriented for several hours. On the second day of the journey, we did not medicate the cats. They were only slightly more vocal than when they were medicated and still slept most of the time we were traveling.

We chose to break our eight hour drive into two parts and spend the night at a motel part way to our destination. We found that not all motels allow pets, and some that do allow them have size restrictions. Expect to pay a pet deposit. The deposit amounts vary from one minimal deposit that covers all pets to a separate deposit for each pet that can become substantial with multiple pets.

One of our biggest concerns was that one of the pets would get away from us while we were travelling. Instead of relying on collars, which they are all good at slipping out of, we used walking harnesses. Each harness had a tag with a cell phone number. This worked great for the dog, but not so well for the cats. We apparently did not have the harnesses adjusted tight enough on the cats, because two of them were able to slip out of their harnesses. Fortunately, this only happened when in secure locations where we were able to capture them without too much trouble. Another option to increase the chances of finding a lost pet is to have the vet inject each of them with a microchip. Most vets and animal shelters use the universal microchip reader that will give them your contact information.

With appropriate planning, the challenges of traveling with pets can be managed. You can insure your pets' safety and comfort when travelling with them to your new home by preparing for the trip. Here are some things to pack for the pets:

Supplies to bring for dogs

Blanket to sleep on

Favorite toy

Water bowl and water

Dog food and bowl

Poop clean-up bags

Medications if needed
Collar or harness with contact information

Supplies to bring for the cats

Sturdy cat carriers

Towels or disposable pads for inside their carriers

Water bowl and water

Cat food and bowl

Litter box, litter and scoop

Bags for cleaning out litter box

Medications if needed
Collar or harness with contact information

Between the dog and the cats, the dog was definitely an easier traveler. The cats were manageable, but I'm hoping that we don't have to travel over a long distance with them again. With planning and preparation, pets can be moved to a new home with a minimum of trauma (for you or for them).