Moving Dilemma

[corprip]

I looked for a thread that had questions about moving, but didn't find it, so please forgive me for starting a new thread.

My partner and I are considering a cross-country move. Nothing is final yet, but we definitely decided we are done with Phoenix, and the next destination will most likely be in the midwest (Austin, Tx or Kansas City).

We have two cats, four birds, and a 30-gallon tank with fish. One of the cats is very old and he HATES being in the car... it literally makes him sick and miserable, and I am really worried a 20 hour drive would send the poor guy to his end. The birds are parakeets and finches, in two separate cages. There are 7 fish.

How in the world do I move this household without any deaths or accidents? Like I said, I'm worried about the health of the older cat, but I'm also worried about how I'm going to get an enormous tank full of fish and two bird cages moved over a thousand miles. Should I find new homes for the fish and birds, or is there a way to transport them safely in a way that saves space? And what do I do about the cat? I'm worried even sedation might not work.

Please, I need help and advice!

[cricketeen]

Have you asked your vet? He or she knows your cat best. A moving company might be able to give you good advice, too. I found this web-site that might answer some of your questions:

http://www.petswelcome.com/milkbone/petmvframe.html

Good luck. Don't know anything about Kansas City, but I hear Austin is a great place to live.

[Veruka]

I agree with Cricketeen that the vet would be the best advisor for at least the cats - possibly all the animals. I have no experience with birds, so I won't even try there.

With the fish, my parents moved 8 years ago, and my dad had a 45 gallon fish tank to move. The movers were actually pretty great about it. They waited until moving day for my dad to empty it out. He transferred the fish to a different containiner (more later) emptied out the water, gravel, plants and what not, and they packed and loaded it that day.

For the fish (my dad's were tropical fresh water - not sure what kind you have) he ended up buying a garbage can and transferring the water to it, put the fish in there, and moved them that way. He carefully selected the garbage can to be just the right size to allow him to wedge it between the front console and seat of his car, with as much depth as he could allow. I do rememberthat not all of the fish survived, but I know that some did. He had some concerns about keeping the temperature steady, and I think the inability to really control that is probably to blame for the fish that died. He had originally hoped to use an insulated cooler for the transport, but discovered that water ran right through the walls of the one he had. The kind of fish you all have, and the time of year that you're planning on moving would probably determine whether or not transporting the fish this way would work for you.

[speedbump]

Corp- hopefully the sedation will work for the cats. I had a 20 hour move last year and thankfully the pills worked for both of my cats. Half a pill and it was light's out for the whole drive.

Good luck!

[Veruka]

Just to add one thing - I know it's not the part of the delimma you asked for opinions on, but if all things are equal, move to Austin. It's a fabulous fabulous city!

[misskitty]

corprip: I can't add anything more here, but I wish you, your partner, and your animal family a safe and trouble-free move!

[canuckinchile]

We used animals Away for an international move, but they also do domestics. It is probably not what you are looking for, but there may be some good links associated with the site: www.animalsaway.com

[Lois Lane]

My friend actually bought two first class plane tickets so his cats could fly with him (as carryons under his seat--in their cages) rather than in the stowage area. Not sure if that's an option for you but that might be a less arduous trip timewise for your cat than being in a car for almost a full day. Good luck! And I'm with the crowd pushing you all to move to Austin!

[Newfherder]

I think that to move the fish, you'll want some sort of baffle on top of the water to keep the wave action to a minimum. Think of how an open bowl of water sloshes when you walk with it, then picture what that would be like with many gallons of water. Then picture fighting those waves if you are a small fish!

[Lotuslander]

Just give all the animals a light martini or two and hope for the best.