See your vet 2–3 weeks before the move for vaccinations, records and any travel certificate. For most dogs, cats and birds, your own car is the easiest way to travel between cities. Trains and flights are possible, but their pet rules change, so check the current policy before booking. On moving day, keep pets in a closed room away from the crew.
- Book the vet a few weeks ahead for vaccinations, records and any certificate a railway or airline asks for.
- Your own car suits most pets best; check current train and airline pet rules before booking.
- Pets never travel in the moving truck. Keep them in a quiet, closed room while the crew works.
- Set up the bed, bowls and litter first at the new home and keep the old feeding and walk times.
Start with the vet, a few weeks before
Book a vet appointment 2–3 weeks before moving day. That leaves room for any vaccination that's due, a proper check-up and a second visit if something turns up. Rabies vaccination is the one that railways, airlines and boarding kennels ask about, so make sure it's current and recorded on the vaccination card.
While you're at the clinic, ask for:
- A copy of the full vaccination record and any recent test reports
- A health or fitness-to-travel certificate if the pet is going by train or air. Airlines usually want it issued close to the travel date, so confirm how recent it has to be.
- Advice on motion sickness and anxiety, and which medicine, if any, is safe for your pet
- A written list of current medicines and doses, with enough stock for the first few weeks
- Tick treatment and deworming, since a new area can mean new parasites
Don't give a sedative unless the vet has prescribed it for this particular trip. Sedated animals can have trouble controlling their breathing and body temperature, and many airlines won't accept them. Get a collar tag with your mobile number, or a microchip if your pet doesn't have one, before the house turns chaotic. And look up a vet and a 24-hour animal hospital near the new home before you leave, so you aren't searching in a panic later.
Should your pet go by car, train or flight?
Your own car is the easiest and calmest option for most pets moving between Indian cities. You decide the stops, the temperature and the timing, and the animal stays with people it knows. Trains and flights make sense when the distance is too long to drive, but they bring rules, paperwork and hours when the pet is out of your sight.
| Travel mode | Good for | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Your own car | Dogs, cats, birds and short fish moves, on drives of a day or two | A secured carrier or harness, shade, water, rest stops and pet-friendly places to stay overnight |
| Train | Dogs on long routes when driving isn't practical | Which classes allow pets, booking through the parcel office, the vaccination certificate and current Indian Railways rules |
| Flight, in the cabin | Small cats and dogs under the airline's weight limit | Whether the airline carries pets in the cabin at all, carrier size, how many pets are allowed per flight, advance booking |
| Flight, in the hold or as cargo | Larger dogs, or when cabin travel isn't offered | Crate standards, breed restrictions, hot-weather limits and how recent the health certificate must be |
| Pet relocation agency | Owners who can't travel with the pet | Experience with your species, who handles the pet at each stage and written terms |
By car
Cats and small dogs should ride in a ventilated carrier strapped to the back seat. Bigger dogs can use a travel crate or a harness clipped to the seat belt, because a loose dog in a moving car puts everyone at risk. Give a light meal a few hours before leaving rather than just before. Stop every few hours for water, a short walk on the leash and a toilet break, and clip the leash on before anyone opens a door. Never leave a pet alone in a parked car, even for a few minutes with the windows down. In most of India a closed car heats up dangerously fast for much of the year.
By train
Indian Railways has generally allowed dogs to travel either with the owner in a first class AC coupe or cabin booked entirely for you, or in a dog box in the luggage van, booked at the parcel office before departure. Cats and birds may be handled differently. These rules have changed over the years and can vary by train, so confirm with railway enquiry or your station's parcel office before buying tickets.
By air
Airline pet policies vary a lot. Some carriers in India take small cats and dogs in the cabin in an approved carrier, some only in the hold or as cargo, and some don't carry pets at all apart from service animals. Snub-nosed breeds such as pugs, bulldogs, shih tzus and Persian cats are often restricted because they can struggle to breathe. Read the policy on the airline's own website and call to confirm, instead of relying on an old forum post.
Birds and fish need their own plan
Birds
Check the legal side first. Native Indian birds, including the green rose-ringed parakeet often sold in markets, are protected under the Wild Life (Protection) Act and shouldn't be kept or moved as pets at all. Some exotic birds, including many larger parrots, now have to be registered with the state wildlife authorities, so find out whether yours does and carry that registration.
For budgies, lovebirds, cockatiels and other common pet birds, a smaller travel cage in the car works best. Take out swings and hanging toys that can knock the bird about, use a clip-on water cup or give pieces of juicy fruit instead of an open bowl, and drape a light, breathable cloth over part of the cage to reduce what the bird sees. Keep the cage out of direct sun and away from the AC vent.
Fish
Fish are the hardest pets to move over a long distance. For a local move of a few hours, catch them on the day, put them in bags of their own tank water with plenty of air, and carry the bags upright in an insulated box. Most aquarium shops can fill the bags with oxygen. Skip feeding for a day beforehand so the water stays cleaner.
Drain the tank completely before moving it. A tank carried with water or gravel inside can crack or split at the seams. Keep the filter media wet in a bucket of old tank water to protect the good bacteria, and set up the tank again at the new home before the fish go in. For intercity moves of a day or more, many owners hand the fish to a local hobbyist or shop and restock later, which is often kinder than a long ride in a bag.
Keeping pets calm on moving day
Keep your pet away from the action. Tape guns, strangers, furniture being dragged and a front door left open all day are a bad mix for an anxious dog or a cat that bolts. A few days before, bring out the carrier or crate and leave it open with a blanket inside, so it stops meaning a trip to the vet.
On the day itself:
- Walk dogs early, before the crew arrives, and give a light breakfast
- Shut the pet in one quiet room with water, bedding, a litter tray for cats and a familiar toy
- Put a note on that door saying a pet is inside, and tell the team leader as well
- Pack that room last, after the pet has moved to the car or a friend's place
- If your pet panics at noise, leave it with a friend, sitter or boarding facility for the day
Pets never go in the moving truck. The back of a closed truck is hot, dark and noisy, with poor airflow and nobody to check on the animal for hours. During our free pre-move survey, mention your pets to the move manager so the packing plan can keep one room clear until the end.
Pack a pet bag that travels with you: food for several days, bowls, leash, litter and scoop, poop bags, medicines, the vaccination record, an old towel and a favourite toy. If the bed and scratching post are going on the truck, label that carton "pets, open first" so it's easy to find.
Settling in at the new home
Set up the pet's corner before you open any other carton. A bed, bowls, water and a litter tray in a quiet spot tell the animal this place is safe.
Before letting a dog or cat roam, walk through the house and check for:
- Open balconies and windows without grills or safety nets, which matter a lot for cats on higher floors
- Gaps behind kitchen units and appliances where a frightened cat can hide and get stuck
- Loose cables, packing foam, cable ties and screws on the floor
- Rat poison, cleaning chemicals or pest-control residue left by the previous occupants
Keep cats indoors for at least two weeks so they learn that the new place is home. Start dogs on short walks along the same route and extend them slowly. Stick to the old feeding and walk times as closely as you can, because routine calms them more than any new toy. Watch appetite, toilet habits and sleep for the first week, and call the new vet if something seems wrong for more than a day or two.
Find out the rules early. Animal Welfare Board of India guidance says housing societies can't ban pets outright, though they can set reasonable rules on leashes, lifts and cleaning up after them. Some municipal corporations also require dogs to be registered, so check what applies in your new city.
Planning the move around your pet
Fewer handovers make a move easier on animals. If you're driving with the pet, you'll reach the new home around the time the goods do, and the flat can be set up the same evening. If you're flying, sending the household goods a little earlier means furniture and the pet's things are waiting when you walk in. Ask your move manager for the expected delivery date on a household shifting job and plan your own travel around it.
Long drives aren't always practical with children, luggage and a nervous dog in one car. Some families fly with the pet and send the car separately by car transport on a carrier, so it's in the new city when they need it. For a longer intercity move where the new home won't be ready on time, short-term storage for the furniture lets you stay somewhere pet-friendly for a few days without the goods sitting in a truck. Whatever you pick, keep the pet's own travel day as short and quiet as you can.
Book a free pre-move survey and get your price in writing, or send us your moving details.
Frequently asked questions
Can pets travel in the moving truck with household goods?
No, and no responsible mover will agree to it. A closed goods truck gets hot, has little air and nobody can check on the animal for hours. Take your pet in your own car, by train or by flight, and let the furniture go separately.
Can I take my dog on a train in India?
Yes, dogs have generally been allowed either in a fully booked first class AC coupe or cabin, or in a dog box in the luggage van booked through the parcel office. You'll need the vaccination certificate. Rules change, so confirm with Indian Railways or your station before booking.
Which documents does a pet need for domestic travel in India?
A vaccination record showing a current rabies shot and a health certificate from a registered vet are the usual requirements. Airlines often want the certificate issued within a few days of the flight. Check the exact list and timing with the airline or railway before you travel.
Should I sedate my cat or dog for the move?
Only if your vet prescribes something for this specific trip. Sedatives can affect breathing and body temperature, and many airlines refuse sedated animals. Ask the vet about safer ways to manage anxiety or motion sickness, and get the pet used to its carrier at home first.
How long does a cat take to settle into a new home?
Most cats relax within a few days to a couple of weeks, though shy cats can take longer. Keep them indoors, start with one quiet room and open up the rest of the house gradually. Familiar bedding and unchanged feeding times help them settle faster.
How do I move an aquarium to another city?
Drain the tank fully and move it empty, keeping the filter media wet in old tank water. Fish can manage a few hours in oxygen-filled bags inside an insulated box. For long intercity moves, many owners rehome the fish locally and restock once the tank is running again.
