How To Move Long Distances With Your Pets

Your family may be ready for the next chapter in your lives, but there’s no way to tell your pet that you’re moving across the country, or even to another country, so there could be some surprise if you stuff your pet into a carrier and they pop out on the other side hearing different accents.

All of your personal items can be taken care of by a professional removals company; whether you’re doing house removals Blackpool or any other city, you’ll find a quality company. But you will need to be responsible for everything with your pet.

There are some methods to make the process smoother, and depending on your pet, they may not really care that they’ve moved. Typically territorial pets will have the biggest adjustment issues.

In most cases, it would be safer to keep your pet inside for at least a week or on a leash when outside to ensure there is no running away back to their old territory.

Listed below is some general advice to help make the move more successful and stress-free for your pet and to keep them safe during the entire process.

Moving With Your Pets

Assuming your move involves driving to the destination, you may want to get a mechanic to check your car and ensure there won’t be any breakdowns that cause additional delays and stress for both your family and your pet.

Consider how you’ll keep your pet in the car. In most situations, it’s best not to let them roam freely. It opens up the opportunity that someone will open the door for the bathroom or snacks at a petrol station, and your pet could escape in a strange area.

The best palace is in the backseat inside a travel case that can be attached to the seat, much like a baby seat, so that sudden stops or issues don’t have the case flying off the seat. If this is not possible, then consider putting the case on the floor for safety.

You can set up pet barriers or travel harnesses, which may not be as good, but could be options for larger pets and where you don’t want to buy a more expensive travel carrier that you might never use again.

The only main recommendation may be to test the method out before the actual day to ensure there won’t be big problems that require you to have a free-roaming pet in the car during your relocation.

Vet Visit

Now’s a good time to go to your regular vet to have a check-up, get any shots needed, new supplies of flea meds, and anything else you think would be helpful for your pet in the next short timeframe.

While your trip may not be too far, it could take you some time to find a good new vet that isn’t overcharging for their services, and if you do happen to be moving to a new country, then you’ll be able to get some boost shots or any other required shots for your pet.

Build A Travel Kit For Your Pet

You don’t need to build a crazy or expensive travel kit for your pet, but the necessities required for the trip would be ideal for putting together beforehand so there are no issues or things missed that your pet has to live without the trip.

Consider getting travel food and water bowls, and these will need to be used beforehand; otherwise, your pet may not use them on the trip. Many animals don’t want to drink out of somebody else’s bowl.

You should also bring some water from home, as there may be a preference in the water consumed in a strange environment, so your home tap water would be ideal for keeping your pet at ease.

Bring a bag or baggies of food for your pet and some treats that they like, so they can have a full meal or just some snacks in the car, which will be especially helpful if they’re upset during the trip.

Bring a few toys they love to play with or just snuggle with so they have something soft and enjoyable to hold onto during the trip. You should also bring a warm, soft blanket for them to lay on or be wrapped in to stay warm.

Not specifically for your travel kit, but remember to bring an extra bag of food in case you can’t find their favorite brand at your new location, and then you can gradually transition them off to something new and better.

Get ID Updated And Attached

Make sure that your pet is wearing a collar with ID on at all times. This may include your city animal tag but should also have a specific tag with details to contact your family.

You may also want to get your pet microchipped or tattooed so that if the collar comes off or they even go to a vet without you, the vet can hopefully scan or see the ID and follow up on that.

Having the ID updated with current information will be crucial; you’re moving, which means a new address and potentially new phone numbers. Change the details on the tags, chips, and wherever the tattoo leads to.

Keep Feedings On Schedule

Keeping your pet happy and comfortable with the least amount of stress as possible will require you to keep their regular feedings coming; even if there are time zone changes, you should calculate and accommodate them as best as possible.

It’s a simple thing that will make sure they know that everything is ok, they’re not in trouble in any way, and they don’t need to worry about food or feeling hungry.

Make Stops Where Appropriate

You’ll want to make frequent travel stops so your pet can pee and not feel anxious inside the car or the pet carrier. You really need to ensure that they are securely on the leash and that somebody strong enough to control them will be taking them on a short pee walk.

Don’t put the responsibility into your kid’s hands, and pets can act quickly and strangely when in new environments. You don’t want to lose your pet, and you don’t want your kids feeling like they lost the family pet if it does happen.

Book Hotels In Advance

If this is going to be a multiple-day trip, you’ll need to book hotels, and not all hotels are pet-friendly, or the expected hotel may be out of pet-friendly rooms, which means you need to find another location.

You don’t want to leave your pet in the car overnight by itself. This is stress-inducing for the pet and could lead to destructive situations between your pet and your car, so if you do this, don’t be surprised if your pet has ripped apart the upholstery in the morning.

Moving With Different Types Of Pets

What pet or combination of pets you have can play a big part in what sort of pre-travel work needs to be done, how you handle the actual travel, and even what needs to be done once you arrive at the destination.

Fish and small animals that spend most of their time in cages won’t really be too impacted by the move. They’re going to be mainly in the same environment, and their window scenery might change a little.

Indoor pets that never go outside should be mostly fine as well, though their trip there could be a little traumatic for them, and precautions always need to be taken so they don’t do a runner and can’t be found easily.

You then have indoor pets, which could be cats or dogs, who just happen to go outside sometimes for fun but aren’t too territorial or worried about where they are aside from close to you and their food bowls.

Territorial cats and dogs will be the most difficult to move, and you need to have a firm handle on the situation for pre-trip, travel, and destination. It’s imperative that you don’t let them outside without a leash at any point from 2-days before you leave until at least seven days after you’ve arrived.

You should be walking your territorial pet on a leash in the neighbourhood and ensuring they are happy with their surroundings. But even then, you need to be wary of their intentions. Many territorial pets will try to run back to their territory, which may or may not be possible for them, but it doesn’t stop the attempt, so you need to be careful with them.

Moving With Cats

Your pet cat is either an indoor cat or an outdoor cat that comes to visit for extra food; there are a few differences when bringing your pet cat with you on a move.

Listed below are some thoughts on how to handle each type of cat so that your pet is happy and comfortable no matter what.

Indoor Cats

Indoor cars are likely to have a stressful journey, and they can become stressed as you pack things up in the home, and they start to notice big changes happening. So start packing as early as possible, bring boxes into the home so your cat has a chance to adjust to the situation, and the move will be a little less stressful for them.

They will probably still be stressed, but their initial “my home is changing” stress will be lowered before their “I’m riding in a car” stress comes along. You don’t want them to have both stresses happening at the same time.

Outdoor Cats

Outdoor cats aren’t going to care as much about the actual journey or any changes a professional house removals Blackpool company has made to your house. But you should be bringing them inside for at least 2-days prior to your move, especially if they are known for disappearing for days at a time. You need to capture and keep them inside as close to your move as possible; if two days is not long enough, then extend appropriately.

Remember for moving day or when a professional house removals Blackpool company or anybody is leaving the house that if your cat escapes, they may not be happy with you and not come back for a few days, which might mean missing the move. So ensure they don’t have direct access to outside doors that may be opening.

Cat Carrier

Your cat needs to be in a carrier, so introduce the carrier to your cat at least a few days prior to leaving, if not a week or more. Keep it lined with a familiar blanket, and entice your cat inside with some of its favourite treats.

With enough time, your cat won’t be too traumatized by traveling in the cat carrier, though it may not especially enjoy it. It’s better to keep your cat safe for a short time rather than risk them running away mid-move.

Moving With Dogs

Some dogs love traveling in cars, and the trip isn’t going to be a big problem for them. Some dogs hate traveling in cars and are known to hide on the floor, which is not a bad situation either. Your big problem comes with dogs that don’t go in cars a lot, so it could be unpredictable on the move.

Start a month prior to the move, and take your dog out to different locations that slowly progress in distance or time in the car. It’s important that there is something good waiting that the dog wants at the end of each trip, whether that’s a park or some extra tasty food. You want to associate the car ride with something good at the end.

If your dog has been sick in the car before or isn’t a frequent traveler, then being sick is a possibility that you should prepare for. See if your vet has any medication available, bring a large blanket to handle any sick that does happen, and some items to clean you or your dog up, including extra bedding if needed.

Also, make sure that you’re keeping your dog hydrated and fed, and make sure that you’re making regular stops for pee breaks so that your dog isn’t feeling anxious about peeing in the car or actually peeing in the car.

Best Options For Moving With Pets

Laid out above are your best options for moving with pets; it’s always better to handle the process yourself and keep your pet happier and more comfortable with you.

While you’re handling your pets, it’s best to leave the couches and other items to a professional house removals Blackpool company so that you can focus on your pets and not worry about getting everything packed up and sent to the new location.

Get in touch with us today if you are planning a move to or from Preston.