How to move abroad or travel without leaving your pets behind
Moving or traveling long-term can force painful separations when pets cannot come along or find homes quickly. This leaves owners heartbroken in hotels or facing the dread that their animals will be overlooked in overcrowded local shelters.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- People have been saying this in most months since September 2026.
- This comes up 12.2× more often in r/dogs than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Leaving pets with family membersDid this help you?
- 2trying to rehome pets through friends or online forumsDid this help you?
- 3considering local animal sheltersDid this help you?
- 4Calling local rescuesDid this help you?
- 5Posting online to find adoptersDid this help you?
- 6Asking locals or nearby people to look after the animalDid this help you?
- 7checking pet camerasDid this help you?
- 8calling family members to check on the petsDid this help you?
- 9Boarding the pet with parents a few hours away during temporary living situations.Did this help you?
- 10Isolating the cat in a quiet room, crate, or bathroom during the moveDid this help you?
- 11Using calming medication prescribed by a vetDid this help you?
- 12Leaving the cat in a kennel on moving day and introducing them to the new home after things settle downDid this help you?
- 13Leaving the pet with a partner or family memberDid this help you?
- 14Looking at photos of the petDid this help you?
- 15Planning for the reunionDid this help you?
- 16Leaving dirty clothes with the cat so they have the owner's scentDid this help you?
- 17Calling so the cat can hear the owner's voiceDid this help you?
- 18Leaving the cat in the care of another household member who remains at homeDid this help you?
- 19Letting the dog sleep on the bedDid this help you?
- 20Trying calming treats or chamomile teaDid this help you?
- 21Making the crate a favorite place using special treats and mealsDid this help you?
- 22Practicing leaving for short periodsDid this help you?
- 23Getting photo updates from a trusted pet sitterDid this help you?
- 24Speaking to them over video calls or phone screensDid this help you?
- 25Talking to them before leaving to explain the tripDid this help you?
- 26Having a trusted friend or sitter visit multiple times a day or sleep overDid this help you?
- 27Getting a routine going, providing lots of play, and using toys or puzzles.Did this help you?
- 28asking others online to share pictures and stories of their petsDid this help you?
- 29Taking local domestic road trips where the pet can come alongDid this help you?
- 30Hiring a constant-care, dedicated house sitterDid this help you?
- 31Choosing boat travel or renting cabins that accommodate dogsDid this help you?
- 32FaceTiming the petDid this help you?
- 33Volunteering at an animal shelterDid this help you?
- 34Going to a cat cafe or pet store to see other animalsDid this help you?
- 35Booking emergency trips home for regular meetupsDid this help you?
- 36Asking parents for daily photos and FaceTime callsDid this help you?
- 37Moving the pet to the new home once they realize pets can adaptDid this help you?
- 38Adopting a new pet of their ownDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“It’s been 6 months since I moved out, and everyday I’m legit bothering my mom to send a photo of him and/or FaceTime me to show me him. 😭”source ↗
“What do I do?! I would never take him out of my parents house, that’s all he knows. But I literally am so obsessed with asking my mom for photos and pics.”source ↗
“I’m in college and miss my beautiful daughter Acacia so much I genuinely have fallen into the worst depression of my life.”source ↗
“I FaceTime with her every night but it barely helps.”source ↗
“I have an emergency trip for Thanksgiving to go see her again because of how bad my mental state is.”source ↗
“I’m just really worried that my absence is going to make Lola really sad and change the dynamic we have.”source ↗
“Will she forget me? 😭”source ↗
“And like I get that now instead of one person that’s his, he has two, I feel so guilty still.”source ↗
“The hot rod is more of my mum’s boy but loves me and treats me no differently but still talks a lot less and screams a lot less.”source ↗
“But still, I feel like I let them down.”source ↗
“I'm trying to help a friend who is moving out of the country because they scored work abroad, and I'm very happy for them, but they can't bring their fuzzy friends with them.”source ↗
“My friend is already heartbroken he can't keep them, and our local shelter can't take them due to being full until October.”source ↗
“Really missing this furry little jerk. Due to some renovations and not finding anything suitable long term during those renovations, I had to settle AirBnB and Hotel rentals. He's staying with my parents a few hours away.”source ↗
“I moved about a thousand miles away from my husband and two cats for a contract job.”source ↗
“It's getting colder and darker here in the Northeast and I just miss cuddling with my sweet babies, George and Luna.”source ↗
“I'm trying to help a friend who is moving out of the country because they scored work abroad, and I'm very happy for them, but they can't bring their fuzzy friends with them.”source ↗
“My friend is already heartbroken he can't keep them, and fears they will be overlooked at the overcrowded local shelter if he can't find someone soon.”source ↗
“Unfortunately there's not much more I could do as I fly to a different country (and to a different country a few days after). An old man there said he'd look after him, hope he does. I'll always wonder if this cat is doing OK :(”source ↗
“I've been stuck in a hotel for way too long now, and I'm missing my babies.”source ↗
“I cried so much, I swear.”source ↗
“When I was out of state for a few months working a job my mom occasionally sent me pics of my cats :)”source ↗
“I miss my kitties when I’m at work but I get really excited when I know im about to clock out and go see them 🙂↕️”source ↗
“Ikr I often check the cam and phone my mum asking how the cat is during my breaks”source ↗
“The biggest issue is keeping kitty safe during the disruptive, noisy moving process. Very disorienting.”source ↗
“I am currently three weeks into a three month long work trip and had to leave my cat/best buddy with my girlfriend and I am really missing him a lot.”source ↗
“I have to leave for a few days and I hate leaving them.”source ↗
“It’s not easy. I worry about them even though I have a good cat sitter.”source ↗
“wondering whether we should just stick to UK trips where we can bring her along now. It's just a bit of a headscratcher because she could be with us for another 5 years or gone tomorrow”source ↗
“we don't want to risk being out of the country if anything happened.”source ↗
“My oldest is 12. I don’t go on vacation unless he’s coming with me. Maybe I’m extreme but I know his intricate needs and if something happened while I was away I would never recover.”source ↗
“i'm in the same boat with a 12-year-old velcro dog and it's a constant mental math problem, every trip i take might be the one i regret”source ↗
“I don't leave my 16yo for more than a couple of days even with my husband”source ↗
“I won't travel and leave my 16 yo pup at home. It's not for me, it's because I don't want to put guilt or anxiety on someone watching her.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3What to do with pets buried in the backyard when moving
- 2Should I take my pet with me after a breakup?
- 36How to handle a young puppy alone during sudden schedule changes
- 10Groomer won't let me stay with my anxious dog
- 2Will airlines separate us if we don't pay for seats?
- 9When can I stop crating my puppy when I'm not home?