Moving day brings with it some potential dangers for pets. Many cats and dogs are lost during moves each year. There are some precautions you can take to make sure this doesn’t happen to you.
If possible, leave your cat or dog with someone you trust the day of the move. It can be less stressful for your pet if they know the person. Not only will they be safe, but it will be one less thing you will have to deal with on moving day.
If this isn’t a possibility, you can use a dog crate or cat carrier to insure your pet is contained for the trip. Upon arrival, consider putting them in a quiet room with the door closed until everything has been moved inside the apartment. Open doors are the main reason pets get away during a move, and it can be a while before someone notices that they are gone. Hang a large sign on the door that says “do not enter” and string a few pieces of masking tape across the entryway to help prevent people from opening the door and accidentally letting your pet out of the room. Also, take a moment to make sure that any windows in that room are closed.
When moving with pets it is crucial to be sure they have a collar on with tags that have current contact information on them. You might also want to get in touch with someone the village or town hall of the city you will be moving to and get the number to call for lost pets; just in case of an emergency.
