I moved from a country house on land to an in-town condo with a largish dog and two cats. The cats had been indoor/outdoor cats for awhile, to make things worse.
It took some looking (the first thing I asked when I called about a new place to live was “Do you allow pets”, and if the answer was “no”, I thanked them and moved on to the next place on my list) and now searching on Craigslist makes it easier because you can check the boxes on the search page to eliminate places that don’t allow pets. It is possible, and my dog adjusted well to being a town dog that took walks instead of being a country dog that was just let out to do his thing in the woods.
As we were getting ready to move from the US to the Netherlands, I was talking to my neighbor about my worries concerning moving our cat – both in terms of the vet/travel arrangements and in terms of his immanent lifestyle change. Shortly thereafter I received three seperate requests from different families to be allowed to keep him.
He is a great cat. It was also a great neighborhood. He is still King of All He Surveys which is a lovely thought. We certainly miss him but I have little doubt that he is better off.
He was sort of old to figure out how to say “meow” in Dutch after all.
I once had to give up a cat when I moved. He went to a rescue, and from there to a family in Mississippi. I don’t know anything beyond that, but while it absolutely sucked to do it, I would never hold it against somebody who had to move without their pets as long as they find said pets a new home one way or another.
Your animals are your responsibility, but part of that responsibility is knowing when you can’t take proper care of them and finding somebody who can.
Dog Park. Most, if not all, big cities have them. And it’s a good way to meet people too.
If you are moving to a big city, you are not going to be lacking for choices in rentals that you both like and that are pet-friendly. Trust me on that. We very much liked the apartment we had - so much so that we thought of buying a house in that development (it was one of those planned communities that had houses and townhouses as well as apartments), but the houses were a bit too pricey.
But whatever you decide to do, starting early is important. You aren’t going to find a decent rental or a decent new family for your pets by waiting until the last minute.
