Cross country moving

[pinkpuppy9]

Y tho

If your fiesta isn’t even rated to tow ANYTHING why would you try to tow a big boat?!?!

Maybe they thought they'd get better gas mileage? Technically true since they completely stopped using gas at that point?

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[ziggyandjazzy]

True, it's his car, but how would your cats fare if you're broken down on the side of the road for hours waiting for roadside assistance? If they're already freaking out it won't help things.

Personally if I were in your position, I'd drive them. You have a lot of control over the situation that way. It's a long trip, but you have Feliway, anti-nausea meds, etc. that you can look into with your vet to make the trip smoother.

Side story: I once say a Fiesta broken down on the side of the highway, it was towing (or trying to) a very large/expensive boat, lol.

If I drove them, does anyone have recommendations for a carrier that would be suitable? Preferably that they could both fit in together. They are siblings and don't like to be separated.

I am not looking forward to driving 2300+ miles

 

[SkiOtter]

If I drove them, does anyone have recommendations for a carrier that would be suitable? Preferably that they could both fit in together. They are siblings and don't like to be separated.

I am not looking forward to driving 2300+ miles

I think @WildZoo has something she likes

 

[WildZoo]

If I drove them, does anyone have recommendations for a carrier that would be suitable? Preferably that they could both fit in together. They are siblings and don't like to be separated.

I am not looking forward to driving 2300+ miles

This is the carrier I have
And you can also get the travel litterbox to put in there


It has worked pretty well for me. I have a spill-proof water bowl that I put in there too, still leaves enough room for both kitties to be pretty comfortable, plus they have space to get up and stretch, use the litterbox, etc.

 

[SkiOtter]

This is the carrier I have
And you can also get the travel litterbox to put in there


It has worked pretty well for me. I have a spill-proof water bowl that I put in there too, still leaves enough room for both kitties to be pretty comfortable, plus they have space to get up and stretch, use the litterbox, etc.

I GOT REALLY CONCERNED WHEN I CLICKED ON BOTH THESE AND IT SAID I HAD ALREADY PURCHASED THESE ITEMS
Apparently my phone was signed into my moms account and my sister also has the cage and litter box for her cat for the long drives across the country

 

[pinkpuppy9]

If I drove them, does anyone have recommendations for a carrier that would be suitable? Preferably that they could both fit in together. They are siblings and don't like to be separated.

I am not looking forward to driving 2300+ miles

I really like my dog crate. The only problem is that should I have to take them out along the route (I never have), I'd have to take them out and put them in a more portable carrier. Also a small risk of them darting out when I make a pit stop to clean their litter, but they haven't done it yet. Size wise, it's bigger than WZ's but I suspect her's is much easier to deal with. I have to put the crate in my backseat folded, then build it inside my car because it doesn't fit through the door when it's set up. You'd probably have the same issue with a Fiesta.

 

[Doctor-S]

Does anyone have experience or tips for flying with a large (60lb) dog? I'll be moving from the east coast out to Davis and I'm weighing my options between taking my furniture in a U-Haul and towing my car (bringing along my dog) vs buying furniture and shipping my car, which would require flying myself and my dog out. I'm very wary of putting him in cargo, so was wondering if anyone has had positive experiences? I've read somewhere on SDN about buying a seat for a large dog on the plane? Also wary of this considering his age (<1 y/o) and the potential for misbehavior during the ~6 hour flight. Any tips, thoughts, and advice are much appreciated!!

Paging @Coopah who drove to UC Davis with pets.

 

[Coopah]

Paging @Coopah who drove to UC Davis with pets.

Thanks Doc S!

Does anyone have experience or tips for flying with a large (60lb) dog? I'll be moving from the east coast out to Davis and I'm weighing my options between taking my furniture in a U-Haul and towing my car (bringing along my dog) vs buying furniture and shipping my car, which would require flying myself and my dog out. I'm very wary of putting him in cargo, so was wondering if anyone has had positive experiences? I've read somewhere on SDN about buying a seat for a large dog on the plane? Also wary of this considering his age (<1 y/o) and the potential for misbehavior during the ~6 hour flight. Any tips, thoughts, and advice are much appreciated!!

Hey I also moved from the East Coast to Davis! So the cheapest option I found was ABF freight (Instant Moving Quotes | U-Pack Moving | U-Pack) to move all my furniture and such and then just took valuables and essentially and drove across country. I also made a trip out of it which was nice. As far as your pup, if he does get carsick there are medications you can give him proactively to help with that I think. However if you wanted to just fly and leave furniture behind you can easily replace it here. There's tons of people looking to get rid of their stuff in August. There's actually a week where people just put stuff out on the street because they couldn't sell it, kinda crazy but hey it works. Welcome to Davis! If you need help moving let me know

 

[tbirdd123]

Thanks Doc S!

Hey I also moved from the East Coast to Davis! So the cheapest option I found was ABF freight (Instant Moving Quotes | U-Pack Moving | U-Pack) to move all my furniture and such and then just took valuables and essentially and drove across country. I also made a trip out of it which was nice. As far as your pup, if he does get carsick there are medications you can give him proactively to help with that I think. However if you wanted to just fly and leave furniture behind you can easily replace it here. There's tons of people looking to get rid of their stuff in August. There's actually a week where people just put stuff out on the street because they couldn't sell it, kinda crazy but hey it works. Welcome to Davis! If you need help moving let me know

Ah thank you!! I was thinking driving a truck myself and towing the car to avoid putting the miles on my car, but I'm definitely gonna check out U-Pack, interesting idea, I haven't seen that before!

 

[Coopah]

Ah thank you!! I was thinking driving a truck myself and towing the car to avoid putting the miles on my car, but I'm definitely gonna check out U-Pack, interesting idea, I haven't seen that before!

Yeah I like it, you only pay for however much space you use which is nice!

 

[Mvlew]

Ugh I'm not looking forward to my 18hr trip from NC to KS with a dog, 2 cats, 3 ball pythons and a leopard gecko.

 

[Coopah]

Ugh I'm not looking forward to my 18hr trip from NC to KS with a dog, 2 cats, 3 ball pythons and a leopard gecko.

Take lots of breaks!

 

[EngrSC]

Ugh I'm not looking forward to my 18hr trip from NC to KS with a dog, 2 cats, 3 ball pythons and a leopard gecko.

We drove from California to Georgia with 3 dogs and 2 very unhappy cats. We split it over 5 days and traded driving every 2-3 hours. It went more smoothly than we thought it would!

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Ugh I'm not looking forward to my 18hr trip from NC to KS with a dog, 2 cats, 3 ball pythons and a leopard gecko.

Pillowcases for the sneks.

I went from TX to VA with mine (plus dog, cat, and rabbit) with over the course of 3 days, and just put him in a light pillowcase in a small travel carrier (rubbermade tub with holes in lid)and he did just fine. I took him out of the pillowcase once in the hotel and let him snek around in the tub, of course. I think he liked the darkness.

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

Ugh I'm not looking forward to my 18hr trip from NC to KS with a dog, 2 cats, 3 ball pythons and a leopard gecko.

I'm not looking forward to my 36 hours drive with two cats either Luckily the greyhound is going on the plane with my dad

Not sure if my SO will be able to bring his fish or no

 

[WildZoo]

I'm not looking forward to my 36 hours drive with two cats either Luckily the greyhound is going on the plane with my dad

Not sure if my SO will be able to bring his fish or no

It's possible to transport fish that long safely, kind of depends on the species and how hardy they are.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Pillowcases for the sneks.

I went from TX to VA with mine (plus dog, cat, and rabbit) with over the course of 3 days, and just put him in a light pillowcase in a small travel carrier (rubbermade tub with holes in lid)and he did just fine. I took him out of the pillowcase once in the hotel and let him snek around in the tub, of course. I think he liked the darkness.

Curious-did you set your rabbit up in a pen or something in the hotel?

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Curious-did you set your rabbit up in a pen or something in the hotel?

He was litterbox-trained and decently well-behaved in terms of chewing, so he just rode in a carrier in the moving truck and we let him run around the hotel room like the cat.

 

[Doctor-S]

Hey, leave your pets with me 'cuz all of YOUR PETS sound absolutely adorable and super-lovable!!!!!

 

[pinkpuppy9]

He was litterbox-trained and decently well-behaved in terms of chewing, so he just rode in a carrier in the moving truck and we let him run around the hotel room like the cat.

Ah ok, my bun is super destructive. I need entirely new carpet in one of my apartment bedrooms thanks to him...

 

[ChoopLoops]

Ah ok, my bun is super destructive. I need entirely new carpet in one of my apartment bedrooms thanks to him...

My bun just sprays everything even though he's neutered He's the best personality bunny I've ever had so its kind of worth it? But SO. MESSY. He also likes to pull all the hay out of his hay dispenser and spread it out all over the floor of his pen before eating it. Messiest bun ever.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

My bun just sprays everything even though he's neutered He's the best personality bunny I've ever had so its kind of worth it? But SO. MESSY. He also likes to pull all the hay out of his hay dispenser and spread it out all over the floor of his pen before eating it. Messiest bun ever.

Mine will urinate/defecate outside his cage when he's running around, but otherwise he is litter trained inside his pen. I let him out unsupervised for 15 minutes while I showered and he literally destroyed 3/4 corners of my carper in that room. I'm really worried about how expensive my landlord will claim it will be to fix.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

My bun just sprays everything even though he's neutered He's the best personality bunny I've ever had so its kind of worth it? But SO. MESSY. He also likes to pull all the hay out of his hay dispenser and spread it out all over the floor of his pen before eating it. Messiest bun ever.

Damn, that sucks. Herbert was a buck (my ex refused to get him neutered....ugh....) but he was the nicest buck you can imagine. Barely chewed, never sprayed. Although he did fall in love with my fluffy cat and would hop around her making romantic honking noises (and would eventually get swatted).

 

[Doctor-S]

@pinkpuppy9 @ChoopLoops @WhtsThFrequency I am very entertained by your bunny stories - thank you!

I did not know bunnies were so clever and fiendish!

I thought they were nothing but cute and cuddly!

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

It's possible to transport fish that long safely, kind of depends on the species and how hardy they are.

I honestly know nothing about fish, that's one animal my SO has me beat on. I know one of the fish is a gourami but that's about the extent of my knowledge lol

 

[WildZoo]

I honestly know nothing about fish, that's one animal my SO has me beat on. I know one of the fish is a gourami but that's about the extent of my knowledge lol

Most fish unless they're super sensitive should survive the trip - they get shipped from other countries and things regularly, and traveling by car is going to be a bit less stressful than that I think the important things are fasting them beforehand and temperature control. The more difficult part is probably going to be getting the tank set back up and properly cycled on the other end of the trip, especially if there are significant differences in water parameters between the two locations. Water quality is such a pain in the butt sometimes. He probably has it handled if he has a lot of fish experience but if he needs pointers, let me know! I haven't done quite that distance but I've moved with my fish before and the principles are basically the same.

 

[SkiOtter]

Most fish unless they're super sensitive should survive the trip - they get shipped from other countries and things regularly, and traveling by car is going to be a bit less stressful than that I think the important things are fasting them beforehand and temperature control. The more difficult part is probably going to be getting the tank set back up and properly cycled on the other end of the trip, especially if there are significant differences in water parameters between the two locations. Water quality is such a pain in the butt sometimes. He probably has it handled if he has a lot of fish experience but if he needs pointers, let me know! I haven't done quite that distance but I've moved with my fish before and the principles are basically the same.

Can you just like put all of the old water into plastic buckets and dump it all back in once you get there and not have to cycle it? Obviously that’s a **** ton of water to cart across the country, but just wondering if it was a thing that was possible to do or not
I know like 2 things about fish

 

[WildZoo]

Can you just like put all of the old water into plastic buckets and dump it all back in once you get there and not have to cycle it? Obviously that’s a **** ton of water to cart across the country, but just wondering if it was a thing that was possible to do or not
I know like 2 things about fish

That's actually one of the better ways to do it. You still will likely have a mini-cycle happen because the bacteria that are involved in the cycle live more on surfaces** than they do in the water column, but at the very least that helps with water parameters, so it's less of a shock to their systems and you'll end up more gradually introducing water form the new source.

**For short trips it is easier to keep those bacteria alive, but for longer trips it really is better to clean everything (decorations, filter material, the tank itself), and the bacteria are likely to die anyway.

 

[southpaw93]

Planning to move from RI to TN (14 hours) with 3 cats.. An asthmatic, a FLUTD, and an ASD heart condition cat.. basically just going to blow dart gabapentin and cerenia into them every 4 hours and hope for the best
PS: yes I'm going to check with the cardiologist before I do any of that
PPS: Any other tips? I drive a two door chevy cobalt and plan on sectioning off the entire backseat/trunk for them so they can't get out at rest stops but I'm sure someone else has a better plan!

 

[Chili_Cat]

Planning to move from RI to TN (14 hours) with 3 cats.. An asthmatic, a FLUTD, and an ASD heart condition cat.. basically just going to blow dart gabapentin and cerenia into them every 4 hours and hope for the best
PS: yes I'm going to check with the cardiologist before I do any of that
PPS: Any other tips? I drive a two door chevy cobalt and plan on sectioning off the entire backseat/trunk for them so they can't get out at rest stops but I'm sure someone else has a better plan!

I’m sure this has been/will be already recommended to you, but I’d do a trial run with the gabapentin and see how it affects your cats if you haven’t used it before. My cat (also FLUTD) definitely could’ve used the upper end of the dose when I drove only 5 hours with him (granted he finds cars to be the most stressful things in existence but still).

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

Most fish unless they're super sensitive should survive the trip - they get shipped from other countries and things regularly, and traveling by car is going to be a bit less stressful than that I think the important things are fasting them beforehand and temperature control. The more difficult part is probably going to be getting the tank set back up and properly cycled on the other end of the trip, especially if there are significant differences in water parameters between the two locations. Water quality is such a pain in the butt sometimes. He probably has it handled if he has a lot of fish experience but if he needs pointers, let me know! I haven't done quite that distance but I've moved with my fish before and the principles are basically the same.

The water is significantly different (I believe). Indiana has super hard water, although he has been getting the water he uses at Walmart (no idea what kind I am so helpful I know). Oregon has really soft water afaik. I think he was originally planning to take them but has reconsidered a bit. I guess he will have to make a decision in the next two weeks lol. If I/he need any pointers, I'll message you!

 

[ChoopLoops]

The water is significantly different (I believe). Indiana has super hard water, although he has been getting the water he uses at Walmart (no idea what kind I am so helpful I know). Oregon has really soft water afaik. I think he was originally planning to take them but has reconsidered a bit. I guess he will have to make a decision in the next two weeks lol. If I/he need any pointers, I'll message you!

@ziggyandjazzy you guys are moving to corvallis in TWO WEEKS?!

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

@ziggyandjazzy you guys are moving to corvallis in TWO WEEKS?!

Well graduation is in two weeks. So maybe two and half or three. But yeah, so soon

 

[genny]

Most fish unless they're super sensitive should survive the trip - they get shipped from other countries and things regularly, and traveling by car is going to be a bit less stressful than that I think the important things are fasting them beforehand and temperature control. The more difficult part is probably going to be getting the tank set back up and properly cycled on the other end of the trip, especially if there are significant differences in water parameters between the two locations. Water quality is such a pain in the butt sometimes. He probably has it handled if he has a lot of fish experience but if he needs pointers, let me know! I haven't done quite that distance but I've moved with my fish before and the principles are basically the same.

I did this when I moved from the east coast to the midwest. Put the fish in a cooler with their heater, plants, and most of their tank water, had a portable aerator. Then they just lived in the cooler for a week while I got their tank set up in my new place.

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

@WildZoo sending you a PM

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

Hopefully leaving tomorrow. Couldn't find a solution I liked for keeping Ziggy and Jasmine together in the car so me and my SO made our own. You can tell the difference in our personalities by how he made the holes in the body and how I made them on the lid lol.

 

[Doctor-S]

Hopefully leaving tomorrow. Couldn't find a solution I liked for keeping Ziggy and Jasmine together in the car so me and my SO made our own. You can tell the difference in our personalities by how he made the holes in the body and how I made them on the lid lol.

@ziggyandjazzy yup, you're traveling with two precious cuties-pies, meaning Ziggy and Jasmine.

Have a blast on your cross-country trip and hope you take lots of fun stops along the way!

 

[ChoopLoops]

Does anyone have recommendations for cross-country moving companies? Still deciding whether to do it ourselves or hire movers but I need to find movers to get quotes from to start that process lol.​

 

[SkiOtter]

Does anyone have recommendations for cross-country moving companies? Still deciding whether to do it ourselves or hire movers but I need to find movers to get quotes from to start that process lol.​

@Coopah @PippyPony have said on here what they used but I couldn’t tell you what their recommendations were

 

[katashark]

The water is significantly different (I believe). Indiana has super hard water, although he has been getting the water he uses at Walmart (no idea what kind I am so helpful I know). Oregon has really soft water afaik. I think he was originally planning to take them but has reconsidered a bit. I guess he will have to make a decision in the next two weeks lol. If I/he need any pointers, I'll message you!

He should bring them! I take care of the vet school's fish tank. Water quality has been great. Soft water has not been an issue, just condition it properly. Also I look forward to meeting you! I'll be in Corvallis until mid June. WZ's comments are perfect. You can also get a little bubbler/air stone and have that to add some DO to your fish transport. Easy to set up and battery operated. Keep your temp and pH good. Don't leave them in the car for too long.

 

[emlady09]

Does anyone have recommendations for cross-country moving companies? Still deciding whether to do it ourselves or hire movers but I need to find movers to get quotes from to start that process lol.​

I used the company UPACK when I moved from CA to NC recently. Decently priced and it only took one week from when they picked up the trailer to when it was at my apartment here. For their trailers they charge by linear footage and refund whatever you don't use.

 

[Coopah]

Does anyone have recommendations for cross-country moving companies? Still deciding whether to do it ourselves or hire movers but I need to find movers to get quotes from to start that process lol.​

@Coopah @PippyPony have said on here what they used but I couldn’t tell you what their recommendations were

I used the company UPACK when I moved from CA to NC recently. Decently priced and it only took one week from when they picked up the trailer to when it was at my apartment here. For their trailers they charge by linear footage and refund whatever you don't use.

I also used upack, but it wasn't movers. You could always hire Craigslist guys or whatever. Best of luck!

 

[emlady09]

Does anyone have recommendations for cross-country moving companies? Still deciding whether to do it ourselves or hire movers but I need to find movers to get quotes from to start that process lol.​

Also, for help to load and unload your stuff I used the website HireAHelper.com. It allows you to input your zip code and then finds reputable movers.

 

[ChoopLoops]

Thanks guys! This is helpful!

 

[ziggyandjazzy]

He should bring them! I take care of the vet school's fish tank. Water quality has been great. Soft water has not been an issue, just condition it properly. Also I look forward to meeting you! I'll be in Corvallis until mid June. WZ's comments are perfect. You can also get a little bubbler/air stone and have that to add some DO to your fish transport. Easy to set up and battery operated. Keep your temp and pH good. Don't leave them in the car for too long.

He ended up finding someone to take them. I wish we could've brought them because it actually made me kind of sad seeing them go but I think it made it much easier on us. His tiny car was already packed to the gills and I can't feasibly see a way we would've been able to take them. The woman who took them was really happy to do so as she had to get rid of her fish when she moved back to the states from Iceland.

Our trip went as smooth as it could've! Ziggy verbally protested (in the form of meows) for the first 3 hours on the first day, and a few obligatory meows the next couple days, but we are in Oregon! Hooray!!

 

[twelvetigers]

 

[jaboo]

Bumping this bc I'm about to ask a bajillion questions.

 

[jaboo]

Still haven't decided on moving truck vs. PODS type thing. Depends on how life works out. Housing is currently up in the air for the rest of the summer because my bf and I have to move out at the end of July but I'm not going to WI until mid August.


Aaaaaaanyways, what service like PODS, U-Box, etc do you all recommend? I know there was one vouch for U-box in here somewhere

 

[RedLauren]

Still haven't decided on moving truck vs. PODS type thing. Depends on how life works out. Housing is currently up in the air for the rest of the summer because my bf and I have to move out at the end of July but I'm not going to WI until mid August.


Aaaaaaanyways, what service like PODS, U-Box, etc do you all recommend? I know there was one vouch for U-box in here somewhere

I got an estimate for pods and from Houston to Fort Collins they wanted to charge me over $3000.

 

[Coopah]

Still haven't decided on moving truck vs. PODS type thing. Depends on how life works out. Housing is currently up in the air for the rest of the summer because my bf and I have to move out at the end of July but I'm not going to WI until mid August.


Aaaaaaanyways, what service like PODS, U-Box, etc do you all recommend? I know there was one vouch for U-box in here somewhere

U-Pack is my recommendation, it depends on how much stuff you're moving though because you pay per foot of space you use.