Moving House With Pets: The Ultimate Guide

Moving house can be a distressing experience for your pets, with dogs and cats in particular forming very strong attachments to their property. Because of this, your pets will need extra care and attention when it is time to move. To help you get your furry companions settled, Darvills and Benns have put together this ultimate guide of tips for moving house with pets.

Before the move

Consider housing your pet: The process of packing up and moving your belongings alongside having various strangers in and out of your house will cause distress to your pet, so consider asking a friend or family member to care for your pet for a few days, or failing that, look for a kennel, cattery or pet-sitter to provide your pet with a more stable home for a few days.

Get your pet an identity collar: Cats and dogs are the most likely pets to escape, so ensure you have a detailed identity collar on them so they can be safely returned to you.

Consult your vet: Have your vet update your pet’s microchip detail and update their own records with your new address so they can contact you. As well as this, if you are to be travelling a long way, ask for calming sprays or anti-motion sickness tablets to allow your pet to rest whilst in transportation.

On the day of the move

Assign a watcher: Assign someone to be in charge of the pet on moving day, this way you will always have one person who knows the exact whereabouts of the animal.

Keep your pet in a safe space: Keep your pet in a secure room to keep them out of harm’s way. This is especially important for cats, as if your cat was to wander off, they might not return home before the move, which can be hugely distressing for both the animal and yourself. You should let all of your movers know your pet is in this room so they know not to open the door.

Settle your pet: Once you’ve arrived at your new home, get your pet settled in its designated space within the home. Put out food, water and a bed, and you can even consider leaving them a blanket or pillow from the old home as it will smell familiar and be comforting.

After the move

Introduce familiar scents: As you begin to bring out all your belongings, the home will begin to smell more familiar to your pet, but you can assist the process by rubbing your pet with a cloth and transferring the smell to different points around the home.

Check your property boundaries are secure: Check that your garden is secure and there are no weak points in the gate or fence that your pet can get out of.

Let your pet explore: Cats will need to be kept inside for at least 24 hours to adjust to their new homes, but with supervision your dog can be allowed to immediately explore the new garden and begin to mark out their new property.

Re-establish a routine: The best way to get your pet settled is to get back into your routine as quickly as possible. Endeavour to feed, bathe, walk, clean the cage of, groom, etc. your pet at the same time as you normally do to get your pet back into the routine they are familiar with.

For safe and reliable domestic removals, look no further than Darvills and Benns. Our home moves are tailored around your requirements to fully remove the stress from your move, and we’ll do everything within our power to ensure the smoothest transition. For more information on our removal services, get in contact with our Darvills of Bradford or Benns of Halifax team today and we’ll be happy to assist with your enquiry.