13 Helpful Tips Moving With Pets Without Stress

Moving can be quite stressful for humans. So imagine how insecure moving our pets can be when forced to relocate! To stop that from happening, we’ve put together some helpful tips for moving with pets.

Tip 1: Ensure Care

There is often a lot of rush and bustle on the day of the move: The moving helpers make an unusual noise, doors are opening and closing, and you have a lot to do yourself. Ideally, it would help if you organized appropriate care so that your pet gets as little stress as possible.

There are several options for this:

• Ask relatives, friends, or neighbors.
• Book a place in a boarding house.

Some dogs and cats are straightforward to get along with, while other four-legged friends can quickly become unsettled. It is better to appoint a person who already knows your pet and is comfortable with it. If you are reluctant to give your pet out of your own hands, some of the next tips will be especially important to you.

Tip 2: Preparation is Everything

Ideally, you have organized a pet sitter for moving day that your pet already knows. It can be someone from your network or a professional.

Your cat is well looked after if you have a cat harness ready in addition to the pet sitter and the cat cage so that your velvet paw can stretch its legs if the moving day turns out a bit long. The safety of your four-legged friend, make a note of the phone number of a veterinarian in the new community. You should also have the telephone number of the previous vet on hand.

To ensure that your move causes as little stress as possible for your pet, they should have familiar items around them.

Remember: Before moving to the Netherlands with your pet, it must be microchipped, vaccinated, and carry a pet passport (EU dierenpaspoort). This document must show:

• Name of the owner
• Rabies certificate
• Microchip number
• Other info (sex, age, breed, colour, type of fur and relevant markings)

Tip 3: Get Transport Locks

Never let your pets ride in the moving van. Use your car or a rental car. When moving with a cat or dog, a transport box on the back seat is usually best. Small animals feel most comfortable when you put a blanket over the transport cage. In any case, double-check that the transport device is securely fastened and cannot slip.

Also, try to get your pets used to the transport box and the car before moving, so there is no bonus stress on moving day.

Tip 4: Hire a Moving Company

In case a moving company cannot take care of your pet directly, as is in most cases, hiring one will still make your life easier. Instead of hauling heavy moving boxes yourself, you can take care and focus on your pets instead.

Tip 5: Explore The New Surroundings

Just like you, your pets also need to familiarize themselves with their new home. You can explore the new area several times before moving or spend a weekend in the new place.

Before moving with cats, it is advisable to visit the new premises together a few times. This only works if you already have access to the place. You should initially only select one room that the animal can later consider as a place of retreat. It will be particularly crucial on the day of the move and in the first week.

Tip 6: Pack an Extra Box

In case that your pet will be with you on moving day, there are a few things you should always have close at hand.

So pack a separate box with these things:

• Usual food in sufficient quantities for the next few days
• Some bottles of water
• Food and drink bowl
• Usually, animals love blankets, baskets, or a mat for sleeping

It would help if you transported the pet yourself’ carrying box, especially over longer distances, and not leave it in the moving van. So you can also access it during breaks or in an emergency.

Tip 7: Keep Space Free

Especially when moving with a cat, this tip can significantly reduce the stress factor. Clear a room in the old apartment and only put the basket, the food bowl, and, if necessary, a toilet there. During the move, your pet can retreat if necessary.

Tip 8: Re-register Your Pet

When we move, we register with the Gemeente and receive a BSN. But what about our pets?

Moving with your dog: You have to announce your new address to the Gemeente AND Belastingdienst within 14 days of arrival. When moving to a new municipality, you must first deregister in the old city.

If you move with other pets, you do not need to report to an authority. Anyway, you should look for a new vet!

Tip 9: Stay Relaxed and Take Your Time

The biggest tip for moving with your cat, dog & co? Stay relaxed, and don’t let yourself be disturbed on moving day. All things considered, you keep a cool head and affect your pet. Also, give yourself and your pet enough time to settle in after moving! After a few days or weeks, everybody will have gotten used to their new home.

Tip 10: The Smart Transport of Animals

According to the load securing regulations, dogs must stored correctly. For you, this means the dog is in a transport box.

The following should always be available when moving so that the journey is as comfortable as possible for your four-legged friend:

• Sufficient feed.
• Bottled water from the old apartment (to slowly get the animal used to the new water)
• Your pet’s favorite toys.
• Animals love blankets, baskets, mat, scratching posts, etc. for passing the time.
• Care utensils such as Brush, leash, flea comb, etc.

For susceptible pets, clarify whether tranquilizers would be an option for the move with your previous vet.

Tip 11: It is Different for Cats Than Dogs

Changing a familiar environment is not easy for pets. It would help if you took precautions for four-legged friends before moving. Cats, in particular, are considered sensitive and require special care during the move.

Tip 12: Ensure When The Animal Move With You

The second option is your pet saves the stress of moving and can instead be cared for with a relative, acquaintance, or a boarding house. With this choice, your pet would get to know the new, already furnished apartment with all the familiar furniture after its short vacation. Moving with pets on the day of the move is also possible – but requires more planning.

Tip 13: Post Arrival Activities

Suppose your apartment is already ready for occupancy and, ideally, can be found in the familiar furnishings. In that case, it will not take long for your pet to get used to the new home. Suppose the apartment is not ready yet, set up the sleeping place, feeding area, and scratching post for the cats.

If you are curbing one or more cats, they should not leave the apartment or house for, at minimum, four to five weeks to get used to the new surroundings.

If you have a dog, it will get to know the neighborhood by going for a walk.

Hopefully these tips make your pets movie to (or from) the Netherlands as easy and stress free as possible. Do you have any other tips on how to move with your pets and minimize the headache for the both of you? Let us know in the comments below!</p?