Moving can be a stressful time for everyone involved, including family pets. While you’re recruiting friends to lug your washer and dryer down two flights of stairs or hovering around the moving company you hired to transport your family heirlooms, Fido is wondering why strangers are taking the furniture away. Make the transition to a new home as easy for your pets as possible with a few helpful hints.

Before the Move

It’s important to keep yourself as calm as possible during the moving process because your pet will pick up on your stress and internalize it as his or her own. Start the packing process a few weeks before your actual move. This will help you avoid the panic of a last-minute rush and also help your pet slowly adjust to the idea of your belongings being moved around.

If air travel is a part of your move contact the airline a month in advance. Find out what their pet regulations are and book a nonstop flight to minimize the handling of your pet and the climate and air pressure changes he’ll have to endure. If you’re moving between states it’s also a good idea to contact the State Department of Animal Husbandry to review your new home state’s entry laws. Almost all states have specific entry laws on most animals except tropical fish.

Visit your vet a few weeks before the big day to make sure your pet is up to date on all her shots and to get the proper certification if you don’t already have it. Don’t forget to ask your vet if he or she can recommend a new veterinarian in the area you’ll be moving to. Also, be sure to have new I.D. tags created with your new home address and phone number and make sure your pet is wearing them during the move.

Keep your pet’s feeding and walking routines intact in the weeks leading up to the move. Any change of schedule can make him feel out of control and stressed and even lead to illness. Pay the same attention to your pet as you always have.

Pick a small room to be the “pet room” a few days before you move and tape a large sign to the door to let everyone know. Fill this room with food and water, plus a few familiar toys and the pet carrier you’re planning on using. Leave the door to the carrier open so your pet can wander in and out and grow accustomed to it. Keeping pets out of the way on moving day is safer and less stressful for everyone involved.