Moving With Pets
How To Move With Pets?
Moving is one of the most difficult life events a person can deal with. Just imagine how anxious and stressful it can be for our small friends. Pets are very sensitive to changes in the environment. Feeling an instinct fear and stress, relocation may turn to be quite traumatic for them. For pets, it is very difficult to adjust to a new home.
What Is The Problem?
Lots of people have little furry friends. We call them pets. Pets are considered to be little family members. Sadly, but lots of people are enforced to relinquish their beloved pets to shelters. It is caused by difficult and problematic issues of relocation. People know that moving can be very stressful for the whole family. Taking the decision to give up their pets, they believe they’ll get rid of some problems. In fact, moving with pets can be easy and stress-free if it is wisely organized. You should know that with a proper preparation, your next move will be smooth and worry-free for you, your family and a furry little friend.
Solution
Take a minute and make a careful pre-planning, which will minimize or even avoid relocation problems. It will help you to avoid anxiety and create a friendly environment for your beloved companion(s). As soon as you know that you are going to relocate to a new place, you should think about pre-planning not only for your family belongings but for your pet(s) as well. It will keep you calm as well as will turn your relocation to be as easy as A, B, C.
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Make A Moving Plan
If you are a person, who wants to avoid stress and experience a smooth and carefree relocation, you should be ready to prepare a pre-relocation plan. Think carefully and attentively about all the home items you’d like to take with yourself. Prepare a pre-relocation plan for your little furry pet. Once you have a plan, you may be sure, it will be easier for you to take care of your pet and experience a worry-free and easy relocation process.
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Schedule The Appointment With Your State Vet
Try to do it as soon as possible. Consult the vet, prepare copies of vet records and vaccination certificates (make sure your pet has all the necessary vaccines for travel or boarding) and do not forget about health certificate (if your pet will travel by air). Every state requires health certificate listing to check whether your pet is really free from infectious disease. Take this document with yourself and keep it handy for your relocation to a new state.
If your pet has a condition, it will be wise to ask what treatment you need to buy and what procedures you need to do for your little furry companion. Ask your vet if he/she knows a great vet he/she’ll be able to suggest in your new hometown. Consult the vet about sedative for our pet. It will help a lot, especially if your pet has not traveled before. You should understand how to give proper doses of sedatives to your little friend.
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Prepare A Package Of Other Documents
You need to take care about your pet’s ID tag, with your furry friend’s name, your name (as an owner of a pet), your phone number, destination address and the emergency name.
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Prepare Prescription Pet Foods
If your pet has a specific needs, it will be wise to prepare prescription pet foods before your move. It will help you to avoid hassle in the strange town, trying to find and buy some foods for your furry friend.
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Create A Warm And Familiar Environment
It may seem for you to be funny, but pets (especially cats and dogs) have a lot in common. Arriving at a new home, they may feel an instinctive fear. It will be manifested in their intention to hide under a sofa, bed or a wardrobe. In order to create a familiar atmosphere, use your pet’s familiar food, toys, bed, and blanket. It will be helpful to place the familiar things of your pet in the same location as they were in your home state. Also, prepare grooming tools to take care of your pet and keep them comfortable during the first few days after the relocation.
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Learn Laws And Regulations
If you decide to move to the other state, you will definitely need to acquaint yourself with state laws and regulations to the entry of pets. Contact with the state vet of your new home state. It will be necessary to speak with the state clerk or town hall in your destination to learn more about the laws, license fees, and regulations which are allowed or forbidden for your small furry friend.
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Examine Your New Accommodation
Try to make it before you move. Do not let your pet to get out because it can get lost. Instead, carefully examine your new apartment. Find a park or a yard where you’ll take a walk with your pet.
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Make Airline Reservations
It’s one of the most important issues you should care about. Just imagine: you’ve prepared everything to move, but one thing was lost. This thing may spoil the whole your move to a new state, especially if you are going to travel by air. If your pet is small, he or she may fly in a small carrier with you in the cabin. If your pet is bigger, it will be obvious he’ll travel in the cargo area. If you want to be sure your beloved companion feels comfortable and secure, you’ll need to:
- Check whether airlines accept pets (you can check it before your fly). If the weather (temperature) is too hot or, contrary, too hot, airlines will not allow you to transport your pet in a cargo area.
- Inform the captain that your pet will fly in a cargo area. He’ll take it into consideration and take special precautions
- Ask about the additional cost you’ll be obliged to pay
- Ask if you must to provide your pet’s records beforehand
- Ask about the maximum of specific carrier measurements which will be allowed for your pet (food, water, and space to run). It is highly important to ensure yourself your little furry pet will feel comfortable and free
- Ask about your pet insurance
- Feed your pet 5 or 6 hours before a flight time
- Give your pet to drink water 2 hours before the flight time
- Encourage Your Pets
During the difficult days of relocation, you need to carry about various issues: pay attention to your kids, create a warm and home-like atmosphere in your new home state, unpack all your family stuff and more. Pets are often the last thing people think of. Believe you or don’t, but pets feel your attitude to them. They begin to feel unloved and neglected. Such kind of negative feeling may lead to a bad behavior of our little friends, as well as they’ll be off their appetite. That’s why you need to feed your pet with his/her favorite food, play as well as go for a walk with him/her.
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After The Move
When you’ve arrived at you new hometown, you should enter your new home. Before you bring your pet in, you need to check if there is nothing harmful in your home, as broken glass, bare wires, etc. Once you’ve checked that everything is safe, you can free your pet from the carrier.
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ID Card
Check again whether you’ve updated your pet’s card. If your pet is microchipped, update the previous information as well. You need to update new address and phone number. It will be very helpful for you in the case your beloved animal will accidentally lose in the new, unknown environment.
What Is Better: To Drive Or To Fly?
Everything is simple. If you are planning to relocate to a new house which is within driving distance, you can transport your pet in a car. All you need is a special kennel for your pet. If you do not want this, you can buckle your little furry companion up with pet seatbelts. If you plan to move with pets across the country, you’ll definitely need to travel by plane.
Summary
Moving with pets is one of the most complicated tasks. Lots of people do a mistake and give up. They relinquish their beloved furry friends to shelters. The one thing you need to realize is that moving to the other city or even across the country with pets can be easy if you prepare everything beforehand. Do not worry about your move and do not postpone your pre-moving preparation. Start to prepare your move as soon as possible and you’ll definitely find lots of time for planning a move for a little furry friend. Global Moving, LLC has prepared a great checklist to help you with your next relocation. All you need to do is just to follow our tips for moving with pets. And remember that careful planning always helps to minimize stress and avoid relocation problems.