How To Move House With Pets
Moving day is confusing for animals that live by routine and territory. A little planning keeps your pet calm, safe and settled in the new home.
Keep your pet's routine as normal as you can, shut them safely in one quiet room on moving day (or book them into daycare), and travel with them secured in a carrier or harness. At the new house, set up a familiar safe room first and let them explore at their own pace. Update your microchip details straight away, it is a legal requirement, and keep cats indoors for two to three weeks.
Pets do not understand why the house is suddenly full of boxes and strangers. Dogs pick up on the upheaval, cats can bolt for their old territory, and smaller animals are easily stressed by noise and handling. The good news is that a calm, planned move makes a real difference, and most of it is simple to organise.
Your move, stage by stage
Break it into four stages and there is far less to think about on the day itself.
Before the move
- Keep feeding and walking times as normal as possible
- Get your pet used to their carrier or crate early, with treats and familiar bedding
- Leave a few packing boxes out in advance so they are not a shock on the day
- Speak to your vet if your pet is anxious or needs travel advice
- Book daycare, a cattery or a friend if you would rather they were away
Moving day
- Shut your pet in one quiet, pre-packed room with food, water, a bed and toys
- Put a sign on the door so it is not opened by mistake
- Or drop them at daycare, a cattery or a friend so you can focus on the move
- Stay calm and avoid too much fuss, which pets pick up on
- Skip a big meal right before travel to avoid an upset stomach
The journey
- Cats and small pets travel in a secure, ventilated carrier
- Dogs go in a crate or a proper seatbelt harness
- Partly cover a carrier with a blanket to help nervous pets settle
- Take water, and give dogs breaks to stretch and toilet on a long drive
- Never leave a pet alone in a warm car
At the new home
- Set up a safe room first with their bed, bowls, litter tray and toys
- Let them explore one room at a time, at their own pace
- Get back to the normal routine quickly to help them settle
- Check fences, gaps and hazards before letting them loose
Tips by type of pet
The basics are the same, but a few things change depending on what you keep.
Cats
- Keep indoors for two to three weeks so they do not head back to the old house
- First trip outside, let them out hungry just before a meal so they return
- Update the microchip and collar tag with your new address
Dogs
- Walk the new area on the lead so they learn the neighbourhood
- Keep familiar bedding and toys unwashed at first, the scent reassures them
- Re-establish walk and feed times straight away
Small pets and others
- Rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters travel in a secure carrier, out of draughts
- Fish are trickiest: move them in bagged tank water for short journeys
- Cover bird cages to keep them calm in transit
Update your microchip details
As soon as you move, tell your microchip provider your new address and contact details. For dogs and cats in the UK this is a legal requirement, and not keeping it up to date can mean a fine. Update the collar tag at the same time.
Your pet moving checklist
- Carrier or crate introduced early
- Vet checked if anxious, plus any travel advice
- Daycare, cattery or a friend booked for the day
- Quiet room set aside and pre-packed
- Food, water, bed and toys ready
- Sign for the door so it stays shut
- Familiar bedding kept unwashed
- Safe room planned for the new house
- Microchip and collar updated after the move
- Cats kept in for two to three weeks
Let us handle the heavy lifting
With the packing, loading and transport taken care of by us, you can keep your full attention on your pets and a calm moving day. We cover home moves across Surrey and Hampshire and beyond.
Get a Free Removals QuoteCommon questions
Should my pet travel in the removal van?
No. Pets should travel with you in the car, not in the removal van. It is safer, calmer and lets you keep an eye on them.
How long before a cat can go outside?
Keep cats indoors for two to three weeks so they settle and do not try to return to the old home. Let them out hungry, just before a meal, the first time.
What can I do for an anxious pet?
Keep the routine steady, use familiar bedding and toys, and speak to your vet about calming options. Daycare or a cattery on moving day itself can help too.
Do removal companies move pets?
No, pets always travel with you. We move everything else, so your hands are free to look after them.