If anyone has ever had to move, you know how stressful it can be. From selling the home in which you live in, buying that new home and a whole host of other issues you need to worry about while moving. The ones most affected by moving stress are children, seniors and pets. We all know pets are very sensitive to changes whether it’s a new home, an owner being away or passing on or other changes; they are the first to feel it.

Jim Sullivan, president of Boston Moving Company, Humboldt Storage and Moving says, “Our experience has shown us that all kinds of pets feel the stress of these types of changes to their environment. It’s very important to take as much time and precautions to help your pet through what can be a very stressful time in their lives.” Jim helped us with a little advice on moving with pets.

If you’re moving a long distance, here are a few tips to help you and your pet feel more at ease through the moving process.

Pack a travel kit for your pet. Include a number of items including water, food, maybe their favorite toy, a blanket, and items that help you take care of their other needs such as a scooper and bag to clean up after your pet. And don’t forget the can opener for the food. You don’t want to be caught with the food and no means to get it out of the can…

If you are traveling through several states, you may need to have your pet’s health records on you as well as any rabies tags you might need. And bring a leash of you have a dog. You may be stopping at a number of rest areas and hotels in your travels.

If you feel you and your pet really need it, ask your veterinarian for a sedative to help your pet as they travel. (Yes, these are for your pet, not you.) Again, only if you feel the stress will too much for them to handle and make your trip difficult.

When you get to your new home, make sure you do your best to keep your pet confined to one location until they get acclimated to the new home. They need to know that this is their new home and that all of you are staying here. If they do not pick up on that they may try to wander off to get to their old home. Also, make sure you put their items such as their water dish in the same place such as by the door where they found it before you moved.

By David Greenwood