Moving to another city in India with a dog or cat

What happens to your pet's licence when you move?

Moving day with a cat, step by step

1. 1

   Shut the cat in one room first

   Before the movers arrive, close the cat in one room with its carrier, bed, bowls, scratching post and litter tray, the doors and windows shut and a notice on the door. Empty that room last.

2. 2

   Travel in the carrier, in your car

   Put the cat in its carrier, a light blanket over it can help, in the rear footwell or belted onto the back seat, never in the removal van or the boot. On a hot day keep the car ventilated, and never leave the cat in it at a stop.

3. 3

   Set up its room first at the new home

   Unload the furniture for the cat's room first; a synthetic feline pheromone diffuser plugged in there several hours earlier can help. Keep its old routines.

4. 4

   Open up the house slowly

   If the cat seems stressed, let it explore one room at a time, and block every way out.

5. 5

   Wait before it goes outside

   Keep the cat indoors for at least two to three weeks (International Cat Care). The first time out, choose a quiet, dry day when you are home, just before a meal; go out together, don't carry it, and leave the door open behind you.

What will the new city ask for?

Your pet's rabies vaccination record from a registered vet and proof of your address; some cities also ask about your home. Each city's pet licence page lists its own papers and fees.

What should you do for your pet, and when?

From the day you know you are moving to the new city's licence: the vet, the old licence, moving day, then a slow settling in, for dogs as well as cats.

1. As soon as you know

   Find the nearest vet in the new area and where you will walk your dog, and check that the new home has escape-proof fencing. 14RSPCA Australia

2. A few weeks before

   Check with your vet that vaccinations are up to date, in good time, the new city's licence will ask for the rabies record. Book a pet sitter, kennel or cattery you trust early. 13PDSA

3. In the run-up, if the new home is near

   Take your dog on a few walks around the new area. 13PDSA

4. Before you leave the old city

   Close the old licence where the city asks: Delhi's MCD wants its certificate surrendered (it is free), and Ghaziabad wants to be told in writing within 15 days. 2Municipal Corporation of Delhi

5. Moving day

   Don't feed your pet within 2 hours of the drive, as it can worsen travel sickness. Move your pet only once the boxes, the furniture and the removal team have gone and the house is quiet, in your car, as in the steps above. 13PDSA

6. The day you move in

   Tell the microchip company your new address and phone number, and update the ID tag. We found no official national pet microchip registry in India, so update the chip wherever it is registered. 13PDSA

7. From the first day, for any pet

   Get back to your pet's normal routine as soon as you can, with feeding, walks and play at the usual times. 15RSPCA NSW

8. The first days, for a dog

   Supervise your dog as it explores, and walk it round the new garden on a lead at first: even a gate or fence you trust may not hold it. 14RSPCA Australia

9. The first weeks, for a cat

   Keep the cat indoors for at least two to three weeks (International Cat Care); RSPCA Australia says one room for a couple of days, then keep it contained, without a number of weeks. If you moved within the same area, ask the new occupants of your old home not to feed it if it goes back. 8International Cat Care

10. By the new city's deadline

    Apply for the new city's licence. Only Ghaziabad states a deadline we found, 15 days, and it counts from when you start owning the pet, not from when you arrive. 4Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam

Where should your pet be on moving day?

Away from the noise and the open doors. Three welfare bodies suggest a trusted friend or a boarding stay; otherwise, one quiet room.

• Pets that find change hard

  With a trusted friend or family member

  Your pet stays with a familiar face, away from the move. PDSA suggests it for pets afraid of loud noises and strangers, RSPCA Australia calls it "a sensible move", and RSPCA NSW says many people find it easiest. 13PDSA

• If friends can't help

  A pet sitter or a boarding stay for the day

  PDSA suggests a pet sitter for the day or a kennel or cattery. Book early, and check that vaccinations are up to date first. 13PDSA

• Quiet and cleared

  A shut room at home

  Clear one room beforehand and keep your pet in it with food and water; a crate-trained dog can stay in its crate somewhere quiet. For a dog, choose a room close to an enclosed outdoor space for toilet breaks. 14RSPCA Australia

• For cats

  A ready room at the new home

  Set up one room at the new place, one the removal team will not need to enter, with all the cat's things from the old home. 15RSPCA NSW

What will the move cost for your pet?

Mostly the new city's licence, and the fare if your pet flies or goes by train. Leaving Delhi's MCD costs nothing.

Can your pet go with the packers and movers?

Not in their truck: we found no Indian rule written for it, and International Cat Care says never to move a cat in the removal van.

• You may have read

  The packers and movers can take our pet in the truck with our things.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  We found no Indian rule written for a pet moving with a household's goods. International Cat Care's advice is plain: "Don't transport your cat in the removal van or the boot of your car." 8International Cat Care

• You may have read

  India's animal transport rules tell a family how to move its pet.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  The Transport of Animals Rules, 1978 cover dogs and cats carried by road, for short trips in a public vehicle, a cage inside the vehicle and an attendant throughout, but do not say whether they reach a family's own move. The road-trips guide sets out what is and is not settled. 11Animal Welfare Board of India

• You may have read

  Moving companies carry pets as part of the move.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  We found no official source on movers carrying pets, or on what they charge. Merck suggests asking the moving company for tips on moving your pet's things, and your vet about helping your pet settle in. 10Merck Veterinary Manual

Can a park in your new neighbourhood ban your dog?

Not a leashed dog walked by an adult, in AWBI's 2016 guidelines, which are advice, not law.

AWBI wrote these guidelines for Delhi's DDA after a Delhi High Court order. Parks may set times for dog walks, the leash should be no longer than six feet, and park authorities cannot insist on muzzles; the guidelines add that "All RWAs should be required to do the same." They are AWBI's guidelines, issued under section 9(k) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, the same footing as its 2015 guidelines for housing societies below.

Can a housing society or landlord refuse your pet?

A housing society cannot ban pets under AWBI's guidelines; a landlord is not covered by them, so read your rental agreement.