Americans and their loved pets move on average every seven years. If you have a pet or pets, remember that they also experience stress, particularly from moving. In many cases, moving can be even more stressful on pets, as the home is their habitat. Pets can also become very frightened when faced with unfamiliar situations. Careful organization and planning can make the moving process easier and less stressful for both you and your pet. Our guide offers tips and advice to help you and your pet through this process.

Pet travel warning

o Never move a sick pet – the move may aggravate his symptoms and be dangerous to his health.

o The Animal Welfare Act makes it illegal to transport puppies and kittens less than eight weeks old by air.

o Pets cannot be moved on a moving van with your household belongings.

o Pets are generally not allowed on trains or buses, unless they’re guide-dogs accompanying blind or otherwise impaired persons.

o Book a direct flight if you are traveling by plane. If your pet is traveling in freight he may be sitting outside with the freight for a long period of time between flights and as the freight is being moved from plane to plane. If the weather is either too hot or too cold your pet will suffer. An insulated crate will certainly help this situation if it cannot be avoided.

Air Transport

You may transport your pet by air either accompanying you or as air freight. Some airlines provide counter-to-counter service so your pet will be carried on and off the plane by an airline employee. Remember, not all airlines accept pets for transportation, so be sure to inquire when you are making your travel arrangements. Also be sure to check about charges and insurance charges for transporting your pet.

It is important that you book your air travel as early as possible. Airlines that accept pets for transportation will have specific regulations and guidelines regardless of whether the pets are accompanied or unaccompanied. For example, you may be required to be at the airport several hours in advance of the flight to check your pet in and your pet may need a special crate. The airline may be able to provide to you a crate for the trip, or you may have to purchase one from the airline.

If you’re anything like me, the thought to moving is somewhat exciting because I’m going to a new place but scary. Moving means stress and a lot of changes. However, you have to move then you have to get pass your dread and get to the task at hand. This simple moving guideline gives some helpful suggestions that should make the job less stressful. Planning, preparing and doing some things ahead of time actually help the moving process along remarkably.

Sort and purge. I am one of those people who stores and hoards papers and other items that I don’t really need but keep them anyway. Yes, I’m a “pack rat”. The first thing that needs to be done is to go through every room of your house and decide what you’d like to keep and what you need to get rid of. The rule of thumb is if you haven’t used it in a year or more, you don’t need it. That being said, you should get rid of unwanted items by holding garage sales, giving them away to friends, or donating them to a charitable organization such as the Salvation Army.

Secure your important documents. Important documents can get lost in the move so you need to know where they’re located. These are examples of items that should be kept with you during the move and not placed in boxes:

o Birth Certificates and Adoption Papers
o Bank Accounts and Credit Card Statements
o Insurance Policies
o Marriage Records
o Medical and Dental Records
o Military Discharge Papers
o Passports, Visas, Citizenship/Naturalization Papers
o School Records, Special Recognition Certificates, and Diplomas
o Stock Certificates and Bonds
o Tax Returns
o Vehicle Titles
o Last Will and Testament
o Trust Documents
o Powers of Attorney