Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Tips for Moving With Your Pets and a Giveaway

Moving with pets can be stressful not only for you, but especially your pets. Pets don't understand everything that's involved with moving. The process can be scary. Traveling to and living in a new place could frighten them. There are weird sights and smells, and everything is unfamiliar. It's no wonder that many pets get stressed out during a move.
depositphotos/marischka

Plus, moving with pets to a new state or country can be difficult. You are going to want to make sure you do everything correctly because many of these places can have strict regulations on bringing new animals in.

Our friends at Movers.com have developed a helpful guide to moving with your pet. It's called "Along for the Ride: Preparing to Move Your Pet". The guide is complete with tips for preparing to move with your pets, traveling with your pets, settling into your new home, and even moving with small pets.

To prepare your pet for the move, there are several steps you should take care in:
  • Packing their belongings
  • Preparing your pet's carrier
  • Travel arrangements (This is very important, especially if you are traveling by air.)
  • Visiting the veterinarian before hand to make sure you have everything in order. (Vaccinations, microchips, etc)
  • Make sure your pet has proper identification. 
After you move to your new home, there are several steps you can take to make your pets as comfortable as possible. This will help minimize stress for them:
  • Unpack your pet's things
  • Move at your pet's pace
  • Keep routines similar
  • Stay calm and be patient
  • Give your pet extra attention
  • Check your new home for safety hazards
All of these steps are in the Along for the Ride: Preparing to Move You Pet guide by Movers.com. In fact, each step is covered in detail with it's own chapter. It's a wonderful resource for pet parents looking to relocate but aren't sure where to start. And yes - it is FREE. 



A Special Giveaway to Help With Your Move and Travels

If you are in the process of moving with pets or just want to make traveling with them a little easier, we have a special giveaway sponsored by Movers.com! Here's what you can win:
These items could prove very helpful for moving with your pets. And you can store them all in your new tote bag!



To enter the giveaway, simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below with as many entry options as you like. The giveaway is open to US residents only, ages 18+, except where prohibited by law. Colors of prize items may vary. This giveaway ends on August 18th at midnight CST. Good luck everyone!

Have you ever moved with a pet before? What tips do you have to share? 

This post is sponsored by Movers.com. We were compensated to help spread the word about e-book "Along for the Ride: Preparing to Move Your Pet", but Pawsitively Pets only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. All opinions expressed here are our own. 

70 comments:

  1. I have moved with my pets. It was pretty hectic moving all of them with their pet carriers and trying to make sure they stayed fed and weren't thirsty. Plus, all of those potty breaks were crazy lol. The portable food and drink system would definitely make it easier next time.

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    1. I have only moved once and Shiner was still a puppy back then. Plus, the move was just down the street so it was super easy. I can only imagine trying to move multiple pets long distance!

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  2. yes we have. it was not difficult. we did not move too far and my baby stayed safe in our car for the entire ride.

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    1. Awesome Lisa :) I'm glad that you had a safe journey to your new home!

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  3. What a smart idea to publish a free guide about that topic ! Good luck to our US friends ! Purrs

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  4. I have moved with a pet before, my dog and he adjusted well but had I had my cat at the time, I think it would have been a lot harder of a transition.

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    1. I agree. I think cats have a harder time adjusting sometimes. Then again, all animals are individuals and may not react in exactly the same way.

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  5. Yes I've moved with my 5 cats, I can't stress enough about checking for health hazards. I had assistance (a significant other at the time ) I asked him to put the cats in a small, secure room until I could get there. He put them in the attic, justifying it because it was carpeted (no logic whatsoever ). There was a subfloor and lots is hiding spaces. My guys were already terrified and cold (it was subzero winter temps) I had to stay in there 3 nights to get three of my guys to let me get them. I had to use a big have a heart trap in hopes of quickly getting my other two. I caught one and sadly I heard a faint sound and my boy Gabe had fallen between the inner andouter wall -there was a 6 inch -semi insulated gap. By the time we could break through the wall to get him and rush to the emergency vet it too late. The vet said it would be the most humane option to put him down versus attempting recovery. He was dehydrated, had broken bones, hypothermia, and breathing difficulties-most likely from the insulation, among many other issues. I'm crying as I type still thinking of how close he was and how scared he was. I couldn'teven look at my boyfriend after that, he was just lazy and didn't pay attention. It was the end of our relationship and I'd give anything for my Gabe back. So please, please check every thing-twice. Thank you.

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    1. Oh my gosh! What an awful story and I'm sorry you had such a terrible experience. :( I don't think the attic would have been my first choice either. Thanks for sharing your story with us so that others might gain some knowledge from it.

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  6. moving is not easy for peeps&pets, it's good if you find answers and tips that way. we had the problem that the dog for the first time tried to go "home" to her old place...and that strange people were in "her" backyard was something she couldn't believe :o)

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    1. Oh no! I hope the old place wasn't too far away. Pretty smart dog though. They don't understand the concept of moving, so I'm sure she was just doing what she thought was right.

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  7. Great tips. With all that going on, the pets can easily be overlooked.

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  8. Those were good tips! We've not moved but the peeps have moved several times with pets and they say it doesn't have to be difficult.

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    1. No, it certainly doesn't have to be hard. I don't have much experience with it though. I guess if you prepare for it properly, everything will go smoothly!

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  9. This will definitely come in handy for us - the for sale sign is on the lawn and I'm cleaning closets!

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  10. Yes, we moved twice with my pets. It was pretty stressful for them

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  11. I've never moved with Katie and Waffles...but have moved many times with other pets. If only I knew than what I knew now! I had a horrible scare when moving into a new apartment with my previous cat, Nikki. While I was letting him get used to the empty space (we arrived before the furniture) he found a small hole in the wall behind the hot water heater. He went WAY inside and hid. I had no idea where he was. Frantic, I searched for hours until help arrived and tried to calm me down. Eventually, we determined there was no way he could have gotten out of the apartment so we focused on looking inside and eventually found the hole.

    The morale of the story for me was to check every INCH of the space, even deep in closets, before I brought my pet in.

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    1. This story sounds very similar to the one shared by Raine up above. Except I'm grateful that Nikki was left unharmed. Great advice - thank you for sharing!

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  12. I've moved multiple times with pets, but for short distances. I can't imagine doing a big move with 3 cats. Short moves were bad enough. The cats either moved first or last. I kept them confined to one room while the movers went in and out. They weren't happy about being locked in one room for the whole day.

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    1. I don't travel much, so it's hard for me to imagine moving with multiple pets as well. I did a short move once with my dog, and that was very easy.

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  13. We moved about 100 feet, so all went well

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  14. Great tips, and giveaway too!!! Good luck to all my U.S pals!
    ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!

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  15. I have moved with cats, dogs, chickens, ducks and geese. Not for the faint of heart! Very stressful.

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  16. Years ago I moved from Manitoba, Canada to Oregon, USA with my 4 dogs, 6 hamsters (each with their own cage) and 7 chinchillas (4 cages). It was a Summer move and we drove during the night to keep the animals cool. We spent 4 days on the road but everything went well :) We stayed at pet friendly hotels on the way.

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  17. We all love moving! We have moved in the same country as well as over the Atlantic. It is one big fun adventure and we love finding all the new stuff at our new home. Even the cats love moving with all the new places to explore and the best part for them is the boxes!

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  18. I have moved with a pet before but it was only 20 miles away so it really did not impact my dog. It took him a while to get accustomed to my new house though.

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  19. I have moved with my dog. Thank goodness it was in the same town and a friend took her for the day. She took the new home in stride....no problem.

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  20. grate tips guys....when gram paw dude moved with de food servizz gurl.... it waz kinda all most thiz short.... oh like a trip ta hell ina hand baskit....honest ta cod him waz act shoo a lee hoarse... bye de time her getted frum A ta B; never mind that him hid under a pile oh blankitz that de food serviss gurl dinna see him go UNDER... sew her wuza baskit case til her saw de blankitz....move..... ~~~~ ♥♥♥

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  21. The only time I moved with my pet is driving from AZ to FL in a VW Beetle with my Maine Coon Cat taking up the back seat. He was harness trained and easy to travel with.

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  22. I have never moved with them, but we do travel with our dogs often! This would be a great help!

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  23. We moved about 2 years ago - 10 hours away with 3 dogs - that was fun :) ....

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  24. I will be moving next month with my dog.. I'll let you know how it goes :)

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  25. Yes, it wasn't far so it wasn't too bad

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  26. The first time I moved with Carmine, he totally freaked out (which is so unlike him) and hid under my oven!! It took a while to get him out so we could go to our new place. It took him a few days to adjust, but he did okay in the end. :) I found that Feliway was really helpful when we last moved. I think it made Carmine and Lita feel more comfortable in their new space.

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  27. The only pet that I moved with was my cockatiel & he did not like it!
    thank you

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  28. Yes! My dog and I moved out of my parents house 6 years ago. Luckily she adjusted very well and realized that she would still be seeing my parent's every day because they watch her for me while I am at work. We didn't move far away either so it helped!

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  29. These are great tips and can really help when it comes time to move. Which for us could be in about two years. Thanks for sharing the great info. Love Dolly

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  30. I've never moved with pets. We would definitely follow those tips if that time ever comes though!

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  31. I have never moved with pets, but it would definitely be helpful to read these suggestions if I ever do!
    Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net

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  32. I haven't had to move with my cats yet..I've lived in the same place for years.

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  33. I have never moved with my pets

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  34. I moved with my cats several times. He wasn't very good at traveling, he would always cry..

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  35. Luckily, we did not have any pets when we moved. Now we have a German Shepherd, and moving would be hard for her. She is very territorial.

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  36. We've moved but luckily it was not even ten minutes away

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  37. No, I have not but I am sure there will be a future time when so. - shaunie

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  38. We moved last year with 2 dogs, but it was just a local move. Really wasn't bad they adjusted quick.

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  39. No I have never moved with my pets but I have taken them on vacation with me.

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  40. We haven't moved with Luma, but we may be doing so in the future since we are considering a move.

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  41. We're still in the middle of a big move. We sold and moved out of our house two months ago, are temporarily living with my sister, and hope to be moving aboard our sailboat in a little more than a week.

    We're all pretty crazy looking forward to settling in.

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  42. I am in the process of moving with my pets right now. I have two dogs and two cats and I am most worried about my cats. Mostly for the car ride to move. I do think that they will adjust alright in the end but it might take some time :)

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  43. No, I've never moved with a pet before.

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  44. I moved with Layla - its was stressful but my friend stepped in the day the moving company arrived, she took Layla to her place with all her things to ease it - Layla was not happy but I personally think it was the right thing to do as I was able to finish off without having to worry about her

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  45. I've moved with pets once, but thankfully it was only about 5 miles, so no that stressful for them!

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  46. Yes, with 3 cats and 2 dogs. The dogs adjusted faster than the cats. Just introduce them to a small space at first and over a few weeks gradually increase the space they can roam till their comfortable!

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  47. Heather Hayes PanjonAugust 13, 2015 at 6:31 AM

    Yes, We Moved A Couple Years Ago With Our 2 Dog's. They Really Adjusted Well, They Seem Calmer And Our Happy With A Bigger Backyard.

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  48. Yes I have. My dog at the time seem to adjust really well....as long as we were around, she was happy.

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  49. Oh, yes. I've moved with my pets. Moving to Rochester NY from Akron OH was the longest and most nerve-wracking move. My cat screamed the entire drive, despite being drugged. And the dog kept jumping out of his elevated car seat and would be hanging over the edge while his car harness was still tethered. Not to mention that our stuff wouldn't arrive until two days after we did. So the cat was alone in the apartment for a few days while the dog and I stayed at a B&B.

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  50. No, I never have moved with my pets.

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  51. It's been 30 years since I moved with any pets of my own, but two of my daughters have and I've done what I could to help transition their furbabies.

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  52. I moved with five cats. I made a point to bring many things of importance in their life with them and set them up in a room with them. They were nervous, but once they saw the bed set up and the old bedding on it (I didn't put fresh bedding on it) they were okay.. it was pretty interesting how well they took it.

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  53. I have moved several times with my pets. I usually just put their individual crates in the back of my SUV and after the cat wails for a few minutes, they settle down and sleep through the trip.

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  54. I moved so many times with my first dog, since I got her right out of college. I think it would be really stressful to move with Ruby given her reactivity, so thankfully we have no plans to go anywhere soon!

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  55. Have never moved with pets, but I can't imagine they'd like it very much.

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  56. We moved with our two Alaskan Malamute and they did great. Loved the larger fenced yard and the new neighbors. I would never dream of leaving my pets behind.

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  57. Yep, numerous times. Nobody knows how many cats I actually have. :)

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  58. Thanks for the helpful post! I'm moving in few months and I'm taking my dog with me. It's our fist big travel together and I hope it will be more funny than stressful. Tips and hints you've given are very useful . Thanks for the information!

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  59. My cat is extremely friendly and she adapt very easily to the new environment. However there are pets that need long time to used to live in the place! Your tips are very helpful in this cases!

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