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How To Keep Your Pet Safe During Your Move

“Quick! Shut that door!” Panicked tones fill the air as family members rush to slam the front door shut before Pickles, a six-year-old Labradoodle, takes off running. Moving with pets can be challenging, and you want to be absolutely sure that your animals don’t get injured or lost in the process. Here are some tips you can use to keep your pets safe during your family move:

How To Move (Happily) With A Dog

1) Life is Better with Boarding

For the ultimate in a simple and easy move, pay your vet or favorite boarding kennel to keep an eye on your animals for the period of time when the movers are actually at your home, picking up and loading all of your possessions into the moving truck. This will eliminate the risk of them running off or getting in the way; it also reduces the stress levels for pets who may have an issue with several strangers showing up in their home and moving all their stuff.

2) Don’t Pack Your Pets’ Medications

If your pet needs medication on a daily basis, don’t pack it up for the movers to handle. Instead, keep those prescriptions with the rest of your family’s regularly needed medications, easily accessible and clearly labelled. Make sure that any medications that require refrigeration are kept chilled and of course, all medications should be kept out of the reach of children.

3) Connect With Your New Vet Prior To Making Your Move

If you’re moving out of NYC or far enough that you’ll need a new veterinarian, reach out and start developing that relationship before you make the move. That way, if anything should happen during the move or your pet doesn’t handle the transition with grace, you’ll know who to call in case of emergency.

4) Secure and Transport Your Pets Yourself

Make use of pet carriers to bring your animals from your old address to your new one, especially if they’re not in the habit of going for rides in the car. Cats and birds are particularly prone to skittishness during transition times: even though they may not be thrilled about making the journey in a cage, it’s better for them to be upset for a short period of time rather than getting loose in a new neighborhood where they’ll easily get lost.

If you’re concerned about your pet becoming highly agitated during the move, talk to your vet about the use of medication to keep them calm and safe throughout. This isn’t an appropriate option for all animals, so it’s best to rely upon your veterinarian’s recommendations: in some cases, a well-timed tranquilizer can take all the stress out of a move.