Moving with Pets

Moving with Pets

When we moved from England to Canada in 2013 it was no question that we were bringing our little ginger fur baby.  There was some red tape that we had to work through in preparation for the move.  He needed a full vet check and paperwork claiming that he was in a nutshell: not a threat to Canadian agriculture.  Once we had ticked all the boxes including buying a large crate…we had to buy him a flight ticket!  When all was said and done I think we spent about $1000 converted from British money.  Not something you want to do every day!


How terrifying was this flight going to be for a cat that only ventures out on an occasional visit to the Vet and is predominantly house bound?  I was convinced that he was going to die of heart failure on the plane.  We made sure as recommended by a Vet to include a couple of comfort items in his travel crate to give some comfort.  I am not sure how much he would have cared about this when the plane started its engines and roared into take off?! 

Fortunately, we were re-united with him on the other end almost immediately after getting off our flight and he just looked a little startled and perhaps planning revenge on us…it was in his eyes.  We had heard stories whereby animals needed to be kept in quarantine for a few days after arrival.  Luckily we didn’t have to put our M through this but always check current requirements as they can change at any time.

We had an hour plus car journey to follow the flight and once we got to our destination I think he was pleased to get out of his crate and into my parent’s home.  He settled in very quickly which makes me think that it was because we had visited in the past and brought the scent of their dog and their house home to England after each of our semi-annual holidays.

Moving is stressful for animals and you can expect some accidents in the house or them acting out in some way so just have your wits about you.  If you are moving locally, consider putting them up in a kennel for a couple of days so that you have time to move in and get settled with your stuff before introducing the pet(s) to their new home.  Another option is to get a friend to take care of them if they are willing.  If neither is an option, I have heard people leave their animals in a room with the door closed or crate their dog whilst they get on with moving in.  I supposed it all depends on the level of attention your animal(s) requires to decide what is right.

Thanks for reading this blog!  Do you have any tips or ideas to share about moving with animals?  Please let us know!




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