Travel Guide 
Travel // Relocating With Your Animal Companion // Moving Day—Packing Up
Moving Day—Packing Up
If your dog or cat becomes anxious easily, then watching furniture and boxes of belongings leave the house must be quite distressing. Let them take refuge in a quiet room to rest with their bed and toys. This is especially important if there’s a chance that they could sneak out the door while people are moving in and out.
Wait for the last moment to pack up your companion animals’ toys, bed, food, and bowls so that they are comforted for as long as possible by the presence of familiar things. If possible, let animal bedding skip a few washes so that for the weeks following your move, they will have something familiar-smelling in the new house.
| Daily Checkup Animals can easily become uncomfortable or ill in new places, so watch closely for changes in appetite, energy level, and temperament. Have a veterinarian examine your animal companion if there is any unusual discharge from the eyes or nose or if the animal is excessively scratching or biting at his or her body, is drinking water excessively, or has abnormal elimination or if you are concerned about any physical or behavioral changes. |
To keep kitties away from the chaos of emptying the house of all its contents (and to save you hours of searching when it’s time to leave!), let them rest in one room for a while with all the doors and windows shut. Provide a litter tray, water, and food (but, to avoid car sickness, don’t feed them just before traveling). Put a notice on the door to remind everyone that it should remain closed.
Put tags with your new phone number and address on your animal.
