A Guide to Moving with Pets

Looking for a guide to moving house with pets? Moving home can be very stressful, let alone if you have pets to worry about. You can minimise the anxiety all around by making sure that you prepare everything for moving with pets in advance of moving to your new home.

Cats and dogs may wonder what on earth is going on with packing cases and chaos around, so take the time to reassure them and give them some extra care and attention. Try to keep your pets to their usual routine so they can feel at home as much as possible leading up to the moving date.

You may need to keep cats inside for the last few days leading up to the move to prevent them from disappearing because of the upheaval. Microchip both cats and dogs (you can ask your vet) and make sure they have ID collars or tags. Fit leg bands to your birds, which carry your name and destination address in case they disappear during your move or when you arrive at your new home.

Vet Relocation

Moving with pets means you will need to find a new vet in your area. Ask the vendors or the post office for a recommendation. Ask your local vet to forward your pet’s records to their new vet location. You can also ask your estate agents about the best-recommended pet areas within your new neighborhood.

At your new home, take a look around the garden to see whether there are any escape routes for your dog and block up any gaps that you find. Don’t let your dog out into the new garden until all escape holes are secure. Ask neighbours about the local cat population to find out if there are any difficult cats in the area or any neighbours who dislike cats and maybe unkind to them.

It may be worth arranging to get both pet and home insurance at your new address. We have seen it all as a removals company, and we highly recommend finding cover. This means that you’ll be covered should anything happen to your home or if your pet becomes ill.

How We Can Help You When Travelling With Pets

Our experienced removals teams have the knowledge and expertise to move both homes and pets. It is best if you let our team know that you will be travelling with pets so that on your moving day things will go as smoothly as possible.

We can provide you with good quality packing materials, such as moving boxes to pack your pet’s items. As a reputable moving company, we ensure that we provide packing services alongside our moving services with our home removals to help our customers as much as we can.

Have a look at our moving checklist for some more ideas and tips on how to make your move easier.

On the Day of Travel

• Don’t allow cats to go outside, in case they do a disappearing act at the 11th hour.
• Cats and dogs should be kept in one room while all the furniture and your belongings are being taken out of the house. Lock the door and hand a “Do not Open – Pets in Here” sign or leave them at a friend’s house.
• Many pets do not travel well. Take your pets on short journeys in the car to get them used to travel.
• Don’t feed them for 12 hours before the journey to minimise the risk of car sickness.
• Transport cats in a secure basket, measuring at least 50cm x 28cm x 28cm. If it is a long journey, stop and let your cat use a litter tray and eat some food.
• Also, remember to walk your dog.
• NB: You should never leave pets in a hot, cold, or poorly ventilated car. Fish are particularly vulnerable to extremes of temperature.

Moving with Smaller Pets

• Transport guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, and other small mammals in well-ventilated, chew-proof containers. Make sure they have plenty of water in a spill-proof container, a little food, and lots of bedding.
• Budgies travel best in a well-ventilated box, but if traveling in a cage, remove anything that could dislodge and fall on them during transit.
• Transport fish in a clean, strong, polythene bag, partly filled with water from the tank. Leave a good air pocket above the water level. Put the bag in a container.
• Do not be tempted to move fish in their tank. They are too heavy when full, and the glass could break.
• When you arrive at your new home, treat your fish as though they were new and dechlorinate the water in the tank. Make sure the bag and tank water are at the correct temperature before transferring your fish.

Storage of Pets’ Items

Sometimes, you may need to store your pet’s items if you do not have enough room at home. This may include items such as travel crates, pet gates, and larger items. Our storage is flexible, and you can choose short or long-term storage.

No matter your needs, we will work as best we can to make your storage convenient for you. Our storage services are based in a secure storage facility. Our storage solutions have received many great reviews from our customers.

We hope you find our moving guide useful. Contact us on 01795 535666 for more information about the removals services available throughout the South East Kent area. We can also provide services for international removals.