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.

On the Road

If you’re driving to your destination make sure you keep your pet in a carrier large enough to accommodate her. It may be tempting to let her have reign over the backseat, but this can be dangerous in the event of a crash. If your pet has had some time to adjust to the carrier prior to the move the familiar smell and close quarters can even be comforting. Be sure to stop every few hours to let larger pets get some fresh air, and always keep your pet on a leash. Remove water bottles or bowls from the carrier while moving, and only bring them out during stops. Covering cages and carriers can also help keep pets calm.

Travel Checklist

A few items to make sure you have ready for your pet before the big day:

• Veterinary records, certificates, and recent photos

• Medications

• Your pet’s usual foods and plenty of water from the home you're leaving (changing their water source can be disorienting and upset their stomachs)

• Food and water bowls, a can opener, and resealable lids

• Toys, chew bones, and treats

• Leashes for cats and dogs

• Beds (pillows, towels, or other crate liners)

• Plastic bags and scoops for dogs

• Litterboxes for cats

• Cage covers for birds and rodents

• Paper towels for messes

• Provisions for the first day at the new home

Home Sweet Home

So you’ve made the trek to your new home. Make the transition to this new place easy on your pet. During the moving in process create another pet room with the food, water, and the same toys as before. Give your pet the water you brought from home for the next few days while his system adjusts to your new water. If your pet misbehaves, don’t punish her. This is just a sign of stress, and she probably won’t understand the punishment anyway. She’ll end up distrusting you, which will just contribute to her stress. Instead, find ways to help her calm down.

If your pet makes a mess in the new home clean it up as quickly and thoroughly as possible. Pets often repeat mistakes like this in the same place if their smell is present there. Be sure to keep your pet on a leash at all times when he’s outside (this goes for cats too.) It may take several days for a pet to grow accustomed to a new neighborhood.

Start taking your dog on walks around his new neighborhood as soon as possible to help him acclimatize to the new sounds and smells. Help your cat transition by giving her one room in the new digs as her home base where her food and bedding is kept. Let her explore her new home at her own pace. Keep her litterbox a good distance away from her food and water because she won’t want to use it if it’s in the same area as her food source. If at all possible, let your pet stop in and explore his new home before the day of the move. Most of all, give your pet the same love and attention you always have and treat her with a little extra patience as she transitions to her new home.

Moving with pets doesn’t have to be hard. By remembering a few things you can make sure your pet stays healthy and happy throughout your move and quickly adjusts to his new surroundings.