Moving Provinces With Pets

Before you go

• Update the microchip registration with your new address and numbers before the move, not after
• Get a full copy of veterinary records, including vaccination history and any chronic medication
• Fill repeat prescriptions with enough for the transition period
• Confirm rabies vaccination is current — you may need proof
• Find and phone a vet at the destination before you arrive
• Book any transport well ahead, particularly over December

Getting there

By road, plan for stops every two to three hours. Never leave an animal in a parked vehicle. Use a harness and seatbelt clip or a secured crate, not a loose dog in a cab.

By air, domestic pet transport in South Africa is well established but has weight and crate specifications, temperature embargoes in peak summer, and breed restrictions on flat-faced dogs.

Professional pet relocation services handle the paperwork and crating for a fee. For a difficult route or an anxious animal they are often worth it.

Ask your vet about anti-nausea medication rather than sedation. Sedatives can be dangerous at altitude and are generally not recommended for air travel.

The climate change is real

Moving from the Highveld to the KZN coast means humidity, more ticks, more fleas and a jump in skin and ear problems. Review parasite control at the new vet.

Moving to the Highveld from the coast means dry air, altitude, cold winter nights and thunderstorm season. Older and flat-faced animals feel this most.

Moving to the Lowveld or Limpopo raises tick, snake and heat exposure sharply.

Ask the new vet what is endemic locally. The answer differs meaningfully between provinces.

Settling in

Set up one room with familiar bedding, bowls and litter tray before the furniture arrives, and keep the animal there through the chaos of moving day.

Keep cats indoors for at least two to three weeks. Cats that are let out early travel back towards the old home and are lost.

Walk dogs on lead in the new area at first, even reliable ones. The map they carry in their head is gone.

Expect toileting accidents, appetite changes and clinginess for a week or two. It usually settles.