Moving with Pets

Advice to help your pets settle in safely.

Be prepared

• Cats and dogs become very attached to their own familiar territory, so give them extra care and attention before and during the move.
• Keep them indoors on the day, in a quiet room - preferably the room in which they have their bed - and well away form the hustle and bustle of the moving team.
• Don't allow your animals to go out unaccompanied - they may wander off and want to leave.
• You could keep your pet away from all the commotion by asking a sympathetic friend, neighbor or relative to look after it for you.

Be safe and secure

• Cats should be transported in a secure basket. For longer journeys these should be the wicker and wire variety measuring at least 50x28x28cm.
• Small animals like guinea pigs, hamsters and rabbits are best transported in well-ventilated 'chew-proof' containers made of metal or rigid plastic.
• Give them plenty of bedding, and a little food.
• Water must be provided throughout the journey in a non-spill container.
• Avoid sudden sharp movements and loud noises as these are stressful to your pet.
• Ideally the animal should be kept in the dark using a blanket, if necessary, to cover the cage or container, but be careful not to block out air holes.
• Budgies travel best in a well-ventilated box with subdued lighting - this has a calming effect.
• If the budgie is traveling in its cage, make sure you remove any articles which could become dislodged.
• Throughout the trip, keep the budgie as quiet as possible. Covering part of the cage with a cloth or blanket may help, but make sure there is good ventilation.
• Fish should be transported in clean, strong, polythene bags part-filled with tank water.
• Make sure you seal the bags leaving a good air pocket above the water.
• Gently place the bags into a polystyrene container - available from fish importers and aquatic specialists. Label the containers with their contents, a picture if possible and the words'this way up'.
• Remember: never move fish in their glass tank.

Ease travel trauma

• Many animals don't like traveling by car- they can suffer from travel sickness, panic attacks and anxiety.
• To prevent travel sickness it is advisable not to feed them for 12 hours before a journey.
• If you know your pet suffers from travel sickness, ask your veterinary surgeon about anti-sickness pills.
• Make sure the car is well ventilated.
• Dogs need frequent stops for exercise, watering and urinating.
• Ideally your dog should travel in a holding cage, but make sure it is suitable for its size.
• Keep your dog on a lead and never leave your dog alone in a car for any more than a few minutes. Remember, the temperature in a parked car can rise very quickly and your pets may die from the heat. If you do have to leave them for those few minutes leave a window open and make sure the car is parked in the shade.
• Fish need to be taken to their destination as quickly as possible.
• Be careful in extremes of weather. On a hot day the water will heat up quickly causing fish to overheat and die. On a cold day the water will cool down to a very low temperature in which fish cannot survive.

At your new home

• Cats may take a little while to adjust to new surroundings.
• Give your cat a fresh litter tray, food and lots of attention.
• Let it rest quietly at least overnight, then when things have settled down let it explore the rest of the house.
• After two days or so, your cat can go on a supervised short walk to gets its bearings. Remember: any cat which has been frightened or panicked may try to go back to its old home.
• Give your cat only part of its normal feed just before it goes out alone for the first time - this will encourage its to come back to it new home.
• Dogs adapt quicker though your dog will still need to be left in a quiet room with food and water to recover from the journey.
• Take it on lots of walks to introduce it to the new surroundings.
• Your dog should be wearing a collar with an identity tag, but make sure it has your new address on it just in case it gets lost and tries to return to the old house.
• Fish need to be settled into their new home straight away. Treat them as if they were new fish, de-chlorinating the water in the tank.
• Before you place your fish back in their familiar surroundings ensure both the water in the tank and the water in the bags is at room temperature.
• Every year many animals are lost when their owners move house.
• The owner's name and address is entered next to this number on the national Pet Log computer database so that pet and owner can be re-united.
• Contact your local veterinary surgeon for further details.