Moving with animals?

Our cats don't like the car rides either, but 30 minutes isn't so bad.  We had to move our cats in a 5 hour drive from Dayton to just north of Pittsburgh.  I had two talking cats where my husband transported the most vocal of the three.  We made sure they were comfortable in cat carriers.  Sebastian was 6 at the time and Casey and Rocky were 5 years when we moved.

We moved with our cats from PA to SC.  I've never put my cats in a carrier, so I don't have that cat meowing when we take them anywhere.  Having said that though, cats are territorial and have a harder time adjusting to new surrounds so don't be surprised if they hide for a few days, or longer.  I wouldn't let them outside for a few weeks either.  They may try to get back to familiar territory.

The dog should be just fine, they adjust better. 

If you can, maybe you can introduce the new house to the cats a few times after you've moved a few of your items in so they can start leaving their scent around.  This may help a little, but they will still need time to adjust.

I only have experience with cats.  My cat hates any kind of car ride-even ones that are only a mile long.  What I've found to work is to put him with someone he trusts at their feet and not giving him food beforehand (water is good of course) and eventually he calms down.

The kitties will need time to adjust. I'd keep Dr. Pepper in the house for just a few days and accompany him outside for the first few days.

Once they accept their new digs they will be fine - but expect some hiding under the bed drama:)

30 minutes with a loudly meowing cat is no fun and if you are worried about your older cat, I'd get one of those tranquilizer pills for her, just for the ride and that first day.

There's no reason to get her all upset if all one has to do is give one pill. I didn't on one of my moves and I swear I thought she was having a nervous kitty breakdown - you could hear her for miles, eyes rolling and all....:)

Looks like you are getting lot's of good advice!  Good Luck.

Looks like good advice to me.  Kitties are known for trying to get back to their homes.

all good advice above!!  congrats on the house and try to get some rest between unpacking boxes!

Good luck!  When we moved here, our cat hid in the basement for about 2 weeks straight.  She's strictly an indoor cat, though.  And she's been a traveler since she was a baby.  She came to live with us when she was 4 months old or so (October 2005), and it was her third home.  We took her to Missouri with us less than a year later, and dropped her at my in-laws while we were there. Then we moved in 2007.   We took her to Missouri again last year, but she stayed with Elliott and me at my parents house.  She adjusted a lot better that time, and only hid out for the first few days.  The dogs were kept outside, though, so that might have been part of the difference.

The dogs have never had any problems at all adjusting.  They all travel with us everytime (4 times for Blackie and Trixie, once for Snoopie), and never seem to have any problems at all adjusting to any of it.

I will  have to come back here and read anwers for my move in 2 years

Sounds like you have some great suggestions already from people.  My cat does not like his carrier since he apparently associates it with going to the vet for shots/check-ups, but during the ride manages to calm down a bit on his own. 

Keep your kitty cat's  in the house for a couple of weeks. They need to get used to the smells of the new house. They can get lost if let outside too early. It happened to me when I was a teenager, my cat got lost & it took me weeks to find her.

Any toys or blankets that they play with breing to the new house too and that should help some

You are definitely going to have to keep the kitties in the house for a few days.  You can go to your vet and see if they will prescribe a sedative for the them.   At one time my kitties got a fungus and I had to bathe them every three days with a medicated shampoo so the vet prescribed sedatives for them then.

I bet you are excited that you finally get to move into your new house!

30 minutes isn't too bad. We have taken our poor doggy over 2000 miles in the truck.

I think the dogs will adjust fine, since they do have each other....I have no idea about the cat.

LOL 30 minutes in a car is nothing sweetie.  We moved 8 cats on an 18 hour drive when we moved (It should have been shorter but there was a lot of construction).  The best advice I can give is just get them in the carriers and suck it up.  The moving drive we had with them was awful.  Between 2 that get along normally deciding they hate each other halfway through (we had 2 per carrier because we got big dog carriers), one peeing & pooping on the other and a ton of crying, we made it safe and sound.

But then again Eos did decide to live in the litterbox bathroom for the first week.  Stupid cat.

Is there anything like a temporary fence until he learns his way around the town? Once we moved my cat, that turned out to be a no-fear. The cat hasn't left the new place yet.

I'm not real sure what to tell you. Have you talked to your vet? Maybe they can offer some suggestions.

I had a 130 lb Black Lab/Border Collie/Great Dane mix and a Daschund that traveled across the country from Ga. to New Mexico. They were great in the car. So, unfortunately, I have no advice to give.

I have no such experience, but once I thought of to do so, but due to cat's kitten she was behaving like a vicious tiger... lol...

I have never moved with an animal sorry.

Haven't moved from the same house in about 34 years, much less with an animal.  Hope someone has answered your question.

Good luck with the move.

I hope the move went well.

Hope the move goes well. I've been in this house for 39 years so any experience I had was LONG AGO!

My daughter moved several times with her cat and he always adjusted pretty well. She just kept him inside for a while to begin.

Have a great evening.  Hope your move went well.

Sounds like you got some good advice.  Hope it went smoothly.

how are they ajusting to the move?

It's been a few days since you posted this.  How are they doing?  I'll just bet it worked out fine.  They'll stay with you.

all the dogs I have had like to ride and we just got a new kitten and she liked the ride and my daughter just held her, I have never had to move move with and animal.

When I moved from PA to NY, it was a 2 hour ride for my 3 cats, all of who HATE the car with a passion.  I was mostly worried for my George, who really, really hates the car.  I talked to them the entire way, and it wasn't so bad.  They did all cry the whole way here, but as I talked to them they calmed down.  It can be done, and I don't know if you already made the move, but I hope if you did it all went well!  If you haven't yet, I would say give the older kitty a blanket in her crate, and some toys to make it familiar.  She will be ok :-)

Sometimes it helps to cover the crate, as well, with a blanket. Kitties tend to feel more secure that way.

As for adapting to the new environment, I confine mine to one room until they are used to it, and then open the door so they can roam. That first room will be their safe place so if they encounter something which frightens them, they will run back in there. They will be just fine, soon enough.