Moving with a dog or cat: what to sort out first

Paperwork, the crate, moving day and the first week in a new place, for an interstate move with a dog or cat.

The BoxTrack team · October 4, 2026 · 6 min read

The movers have the front door propped open, three strangers are carrying the couch past the dog, and somebody asks where the cat went. Nobody knows. It's under the bathroom sink, as it turns out, but that's twenty minutes nobody had to spare.

Pets don't understand a move. They see the furniture disappear and the routine fall apart, and the dangerous part is moving day itself: open doors, noise, and nobody watching. Most of what makes it go well happens in the weeks before, so here is what to sort out and when.

This is written for moves within the US. If you're bringing a dog back into the country, the federal rules are stricter, and they're covered near the end.

Four to six weeks out: the vet

Book a vet visit early, because you may need it for paperwork and a refill.

• Records. Ask for a copy of your pet's vaccination and medical history, and take it with you rather than packing it. Your new vet will want it.
• Rabies. Make sure the rabies vaccination is current and get the certificate. Many states and cities require rabies vaccination for dogs and cats, and some ask to see proof when an animal arrives.
• A health certificate, if you need one. Each state sets its own entry rules for animals. Many require a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI), signed by an accredited vet, for dogs and cats coming in, even though it's rarely checked at the state line for a family car. The USDA's pet travel pages send you to each state's animal health office; look up your destination there.
• Medication. Get enough of any regular medication to cover the trip and your first few weeks, until you find a new vet.
• Anxiety. If your pet panics in the car, ask your vet what they recommend. Don't give a sedative on your own, and don't plan to sedate a pet that's flying: the American Veterinary Medical Association warns that sedation can cause breathing and heart problems at altitude, and airlines generally won't accept a pet that seems sedated.

If you're flying with a pet, read your airline's pet policy before you book. Airlines set their own rules on cabin vs. cargo, carrier size, breeds, temperature and paperwork, and they limit how many pets can be on one flight.

Get the crate out now

A crate or carrier that only appears on moving day means the trip, which is already strange, starts with a box your pet doesn't trust.

Bring it out a few weeks early and leave it open in a room they like, with a blanket and something that smells like home. Feed meals near it, then in it. Once that's normal, take short car rides with your pet in the crate and work up to longer ones. Cats in particular do much better with a carrier they've been napping in for weeks.

The crate should be big enough for them to stand up, turn around and lie down, and it should be secured in the car so it can't slide or tip.

Update the microchip and the tag

If your pet is microchipped, the chip is only as useful as the contact details attached to it. The AVMA's microchipping guidance puts it plainly: keep your registration up to date, and update it as soon as your phone number or address changes. If you don't know which registry your chip is on, your vet can tell you, or use the AAHA microchip lookup.

Do the tag at the same time. A tag with your cell number works before, during and after the move; one with your old landline doesn't.

Pack a box just for them

Pack one box with everything your pet needs for the first two or three days, and keep it with you, not on the truck:

• food for a few days, and the bowls
• medication and the paperwork from the vet
• leash, harness, poop bags
• litter, a disposable tray and a scoop for a cat
• the bed or blanket they sleep on, unwashed, so it smells familiar
• one or two favorite toys
• a towel, paper towels and an enzyme cleaner for accidents
• a recent photo of your pet, in case they get out

The rest of their things (spare food, extra toys, the cat tree) can go on the truck, but label those boxes clearly. If you're using BoxTrack, make a box called "Dog stuff" or "Cat stuff," snap what goes in, and you'll be able to search for the spare leash in the new place instead of guessing which box it went in. The first box is free.

Moving day: shut them away

This is where most pets get lost. On the day the movers come, put your pet in a quiet room with the door closed: food, water, their bed, the litter box for a cat. Put a sign on the door that says the room stays shut, and tell the crew. Empty that room first or last so it's only open once.

Some people board their dog or have a friend take them for the day, which is often easier on everyone.

Feed a small meal a few hours before you hit the road rather than right before, to cut the odds of car sickness.

On the road

• Keep your pet in the crate or in a secured harness while the car is moving.
• Stop every few hours for water and, for a dog, a short walk on a leash. A scared dog can slip a collar, so a well-fitted harness is safer.
• Never leave a pet in a parked car. Cars heat up fast even on a mild day.
• If you're stopping overnight, book a pet-friendly hotel ahead and check its pet fees and size limits.

The first week in the new place

Set up one room first: bed, bowls, toys, the litter box, and something that smells like the old house. Let your pet stay there while the rest of the move gets unpacked, then open up the house a room at a time.

Walk through the new place before you let a dog explore it. Look for gaps in fences, loose screens, gates that don't latch, and anything left by the previous owners: poison bait in the garage, a pile of screws in a corner. Cats are usually best kept indoors for a couple of weeks before they go outside, if they go out at all.

Try to keep meals and walks at the same times as before. Familiar routine does more than anything else to settle a pet down.

Then the admin: find a new vet before you need one, find the nearest emergency vet, and check whether your city or county requires a pet license. Many do, and rabies vaccination is usually part of it.

If you're moving back to the US with a dog

The federal rules for bringing a dog into the US changed on August 1, 2024. Under the CDC rule, every dog entering the country, including a US pet coming home, must:

• be at least six months old
• have a microchip that a universal scanner can read
• arrive with a receipt from the CDC Dog Import Form, completed online before travel
• look healthy on arrival

Dogs that have been in a country the CDC considers high-risk for dog rabies in the past six months have extra requirements, and they depend on where the vaccination was given. Check the CDC's dog import pages for your situation well before you book, because some of it takes weeks. For cats, the CDC doesn't require proof of rabies vaccination, but your destination state or city may. Our guide to moving back to the US covers your household goods.

If you're planning the whole move, the 8-week moving checklist has the rest of the timeline.

Sources

• USDA APHIS, Pet Travel
• USDA APHIS, Certificates of Veterinary Inspection for interstate movement
• AVMA, Traveling with your dog or cat
• AVMA, Microchips reunite pets with families
• CDC, Bringing a dog into the United States
• Federal Register, Importation of Dogs and Cats, final rule (May 13, 2024)

This is general information, not veterinary or legal advice. Ask your vet about your pet's health, and check your destination state's current rules before you travel.