When you’re moving abroad with a pet, they are probably one of the first things on your mind. Yet they’re often the part you feel least confident about. There’s no shortage of information online about the logistics: microchipping, rabies vaccinations, Animal Health Certificates, airline-approved crates. But what almost nobody talks about is the behavioural and emotional impact of emigration on your dog or cat. Here’s what you can do, well before departure day, to set them up for success.
As clinical animal behaviourists, we see the consequences when this preparation is missed. A dog who was fine at home but is now barking, pacing, and unable to settle in their new country. A cat who hasn’t left the bedroom wardrobe in three weeks. These are not uncommon outcomes – but they are largely preventable. This article focuses on the part of emigration that most guides leave out: your pet’s emotional welfare, and how to protect it at every stage of the journey.
Understanding What Your Pet Is About to Experience
From your pet’s perspective, emigration is a relentless sequence of stressors. First comes the disruption of packing up your home and the loss of familiar routines. Then there’s confinement in a travel crate and a long journey by car, ferry or air. Finally, they arrive somewhere completely unfamiliar, with new sounds, smells, surfaces and climate. For an animal whose sense of safety is built on predictability and familiarity, this is an enormous upheaval.
Research has shown that transportation is a significant source of stress for both dogs and cats (Tateo et al., 2022). A comprehensive review of companion animal welfare during European transport found that scientific studies on the effects of travel on dogs and cats remain scarce. However, the available evidence consistently points to elevated stress indicators. The authors concluded that habituation to carriers and travelling, particularly using positive reinforcement, is the most effective strategy for reducing transport stress. That has big implications for anyone moving abroad with a pet.
Moving Abroad With a Pet: Dogs and Cats Respond Differently
One of the most important things to understand is that dogs and cats experience relocation very differently. Your preparation needs to reflect this.
Dogs: social creatures in a new world
Dogs are generally more adaptable to novel environments than cats, particularly when their owner is present. Research by Byrne and colleagues (2024) demonstrated that dogs’ physiological stress responses in unfamiliar settings are significantly influenced by their owner’s stress levels. When the owner’s heart rate rose, so did the dog’s. This suggests that your own emotional state during the move will directly affect your dog. Dogs who already show signs of separation anxiety, noise sensitivity, or generalised anxiety are at particular risk of struggling with the cumulative stressors of emigration.
Cats: territorial animals losing their territory
Cats are profoundly territorial, and their sense of security is more closely tied to their physical environment than to any individual person. A study comparing how dogs and cats respond to novel environments found that nearly 60% of cats failed an initial habituation test in an unfamiliar room. In contrast, all dogs passed on the first attempt (Uccheddu et al., 2022). The researchers concluded that cats require extensive habituation to new spaces. This shows just how challenging a complete change of environment can be for feline pets.
Amat and colleagues (2016) identified changes in environment as one of the most common stressors for owned cats. They noted that stress can reduce appetite, increase urine marking, trigger redirected aggression, and contribute to compulsive behaviours such as over-grooming. For cats emigrating to a new country, the cumulative effect of losing their territory, enduring travel, and adjusting to an entirely unfamiliar home can be profound.
Moving Abroad With a Pet: Start Behavioural Preparation Early
The single most impactful thing you can do for your pet is to start preparing months before your move, not weeks. Here are the key areas to focus on:
Crate and carrier training
Whether your pet is flying in a cargo hold, travelling in a cabin, or making a long road journey, they will spend significant time confined. A positive association with their travel crate or carrier is essential – and this takes time to build properly. Begin by placing the crate in a familiar room with the door open, feeding meals inside it, and gradually building up the duration your pet spends in it. For cats, carrier training is especially important and should begin at least two to three months before travel. The goal is for your pet to view their carrier as a safe, familiar den – not as a harbinger of something frightening.
Desensitisation to travel
If your pet is not accustomed to car travel, begin with very short, positive journeys. Start by simply sitting in a stationary car with the engine running, then try a brief drive around the block. Gradually extend the duration. For pets who will fly, practise with the specific IATA-approved crate they will travel in. Let them spend time in it with the door closed in various locations around the house. The research is clear: habituation through gradual, positive exposure is far more effective than any last-minute intervention (Tateo et al., 2022).
Address existing behaviour concerns now
If your dog already has separation anxiety, travel sickness, noise phobias, or generalised anxiety, emigration will almost certainly amplify these issues. Similarly, if your cat shows signs of stress-related behaviours such as over-grooming, inappropriate toileting, or hiding, these are likely to worsen during and after the move. Addressing these before you leave, with professional support, gives your pet a much stronger foundation to cope with the transition.
Talk to your vet about travel support
A review by Jahn and colleagues (2023) on feline stress management during air travel highlighted the value of a multimodal approach. This can include anti-anxiety medication where appropriate. They also noted that owners preparing for air travel underuse products such as prescription medication, pheromones and nutraceuticals. Your vet can advise on whether short-term anti-anxiety support might be appropriate for your pet during the journey. This is particularly relevant for cats and for dogs with pre-existing anxiety. Discuss it well before your travel date, not the day before departure.
The Regulatory Side of Moving Abroad With a Pet
Since Brexit, travelling with a pet from the UK to the EU requires an Animal Health Certificate (AHC). An Official Veterinarian must issue it no more than ten days before travel. Your pet must be microchipped and have a current rabies vaccination (administered at least 21 days before first travel). Dogs travelling to certain destinations also require tapeworm treatment within a specific window before arrival. For non-EU destinations, an Export Health Certificate (EHC) may be required instead. Some countries impose additional requirements such as rabies blood titre tests or quarantine periods.
The paperwork is important, but from a behavioural perspective, the key message is: start early. A rushed timeline for vaccinations and veterinary appointments adds stress for both you and your pet. Build a realistic schedule that gives your pet time to recover between vet visits, with plenty of margin for delays. Your vet can help you plan a timeline that meets regulatory requirements while minimising unnecessary stress.
During the Journey: Minimising Stress
A 2023 owner-reported survey on dogs and air travel found that most dogs coped well. However, a notable proportion experienced physical, mental, or emotional ill-health during or after flying (Jahn et al., 2023). The study emphasised the importance of appropriate preparation and the use of evidence-based stress management strategies.
- Include familiar items. A blanket or item of clothing that smells of home can provide significant comfort in an otherwise alien environment. For cats, a pheromone spray applied to the carrier bedding 15–30 minutes before travel can reduce stress-related behaviours during transport (Shu et al., 2021).
- Choose direct routes where possible. Every transfer point adds another layer of disruption. If you can avoid layovers or intermediate stops, do so – particularly for cats.
- Manage your own stress. This is not a platitude. Research demonstrates that dogs’ stress responses mirror their owners’ in real time (Byrne et al., 2024). The calmer you can be, the calmer your dog is likely to be.
- Avoid sedation unless prescribed by your vet. Sedatives are generally not recommended for air travel, as they can impair a pet’s ability to regulate body temperature and breathing at altitude. Over-the-counter ‘calming’ products are no substitute for proper preparation. If medication is needed, your vet can prescribe appropriate anxiolytics that reduce anxiety without sedating your pet.
Settling In After Moving Abroad With a Pet
Arriving at your new home is not the end of the adjustment – it’s the beginning. The first few weeks in a new country can be the most behaviourally challenging period for your pet. Thoughtful management during this time can prevent long-term problems.
For dogs
Establish a predictable routine as quickly as possible – regular feeding times, walk times, and quiet periods. Your dog will be processing an enormous amount of new sensory information: unfamiliar sounds, different ground surfaces, new smells, possibly a different climate. Keep early walks short and calm. Avoid overwhelming social situations (dog parks, busy streets, large groups of unfamiliar people) until your dog has had time to decompress. Watch for signs of stress such as excessive panting, pacing, hypervigilance, loss of appetite, or clinginess. Give your dog permission to take things at their own pace.
For cats
A room-by-room introduction is essential for cats moving to a new home abroad. Start by confining your cat to a single, quiet room with their litter tray, food, water, bedding, and familiar items. Let them explore this space at their own pace. Only gradually extend their access to the rest of the home over days or weeks. Given that research shows cats may take significantly longer than dogs to habituate to unfamiliar environments (Uccheddu et al., 2022), patience is critical. Do not be alarmed if your cat hides for the first few days – this is a normal coping strategy. Ensure hiding spots are available and let your cat come to you if and when they want to.
If your cat was previously allowed outdoor access, the question of when – or whether – to allow them outside in a new country requires careful thought. Local wildlife, traffic patterns, predators, and disease risks may differ significantly from the UK. At a minimum, keep your cat indoors for several weeks so they can accept the new house as “home” before any outdoor access.
The Bigger Picture: Your Pet’s Welfare When Moving Abroad
Research into pet relinquishment reveals that housing and moving is the second most commonly cited reason for surrendering a pet to a shelter (Kisley et al., 2024). While emigration is a very different situation from local rehoming, it shows why planning matters when moving abroad with a pet. Pets are far more likely to thrive in their new home when they are behaviourally prepared and their owners have realistic expectations. Timely professional support helps too.
It’s also worth identifying a local vet and, if possible, a qualified behaviourist at your destination before you travel. Knowing where to turn if behavioural problems emerge in those first weeks can provide enormous peace of mind.
Planning on Moving Abroad With a Pet?
At Second Nature Behaviour, we can help you prepare your dog or cat behaviourally for emigration. That might mean addressing existing anxiety, developing a desensitisation programme for travel, or creating a tailored plan for settling your pet into their new home. If your pet already shows signs of travel anxiety, noise sensitivity, separation-related problems, or stress-related behaviours, early intervention can make a real difference to how they cope with the move. Don’t leave their emotional welfare to chance.
Get in touch to book a consultation
References
Amat, M. et al. (2016). Stress in owned cats: behavioural changes and welfare implications. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 18(8), 577–586. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612×15590867
Byrne, A. et al. (2024). Empathy or apathy? Investigating the influence of owner stress on canine stress in a novel environment. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2024.106403
Jahn, K. et al. (2023). Feline stress management during air travel: a multimodal approach. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612×221145521
Jahn, K. et al. (2023). How well do dogs cope with air travel? An owner-reported survey study. Animals, 13. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13193093
Kisley, M. et al. (2024). Investigating the reasons behind companion animal relinquishment: a systematic content analysis of shelter records for cats and dogs, 2018–2023. Animals, 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14172606
Shu, H. et al. (2021). Effect of a synthetic feline facial pheromone product on stress during transport in domestic cats: a randomised controlled pilot study. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612×211041305
Tateo, A. et al. (2022). The welfare of dogs and cats during transport in Europe: a literature review. Italian Journal of Animal Science, 21. https://doi.org/10.1080/1828051x.2022.2043194
Uccheddu, S. et al. (2022). Comparing pears to apples: unlike dogs, cats need habituation before lab tests. Animals, 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12213046