Tips for Moving with Pets

At Daniel’s Moving & Storage, our residential movers go above and beyond to ensure that every member of the household—including pets--are well-taken care of throughout every step of the moving process. If you’re planning a relocation of your own and wondering how to make it easier on everyone involved, take a look at these tips from our team on moving with pets to help you plan your next move. 

1) Visit the Vet

Gather your pet’s medical records together and make sure that there’s nothing missing. If they’re missing vaccinations, need a refill on medicines, or something else from their doctor, it’s better to take care of these things earlier than later. If you’re leaving the area, it could be a good idea to have the last check-up with their veterinarian before moving away. Also, some airlines, boarding kennels, or pet shipping services require an updated certification of health from a registered veterinarian, so make sure to get this taken care of early if necessary.

2) Take it Easy

Your pets might not be able to understand why you’re stressed, but there’s no doubt that they know that you are. Seeing you stressed will undoubtedly make them feel uncomfortable—which will make them even more so on moving day. Instead, try to maintain calm and composed, and to do everything you can to make the move relaxed and stress-free for you and for them. Relocating can mean a stressful few weeks and a chaotic few days if you’re not prepared. Instead of leaving everything until the last minute or doing everything by yourself, start moving early and get the help you need to avoid emotional and physical burn-out. 

3) Give Them Some Kennel Time

If you’re traveling long-distance and need to put your pet in a crate or kennel for the journey, give your pets some time to get used to that space. If they’re not used to being confined, giving them the opportunity to see what it’s like will make this part less stressful for them. Take a few minutes out of every day to let them hang out alone in the closed kennels. Give them a blanket and a couple of toys they’re familiar with, some water, and some food. Start slow, letting them stay for up to ten or fifteen minutes at a time, and increase the amount of time they’re in there little by little. This will help them adjust to the kennel and feel calmer when it’s time to hit the road. 

4) Choose Your Transportation Method Early

If you’re moving locally or relatively close by, there might not be a real need to worry about transportation beyond your own car. However, long-distance moving trips usually require more thought and planning. Typically, people have three options when moving animals—their cars, the airport, and a pet-shipping company. 

Take some time to consider the three options and which one will work the best for you, your situation, and your budget. Be sure to figure this part out early to avoid scrambling at the last minute for travel arrangements. Flights can sell out, and pet shipping companies can become quite busy. 

5) Get Acquainted with Your New Surroundings Together

Moving into a new home and a new neighborhood can be a lot to take in for a pet. Once you’ve arrived at your new home together, it could be a good idea to take your pet out on a walk around the block to get accustomed to the new sights, smells, and tastes. However, don’t forget to take a baggie with you to pick up any droppings your pet might leave—you don’t want to upset the new neighbors as you’re moving in!

High-Quality Relocation Services from Daniel’s Moving & Storage 

Moving is a huge ordeal, whether you’re moving locally, long-distance, or internationally. At Daniel’s Moving & Storage, our trained residential movers are waiting to help you make the process easier with high-quality relocation services customized to suit your needs. We’re a full-service moving company, which means that we’ll take care of everything you might need to execute the perfect relocation—from custom crating and shipping and commercial moving to short-term and long-term storage services, and more.