Moving House with Pets

Moving house is an exciting time and process; after finding your perfect new property for sale, you can’t wait to get moved in and settled.  You’ll want to make sure everything’s planned ahead so that it all runs smoothly on the day.

Pets can find the process of moving house somewhat stressful, so here are a few top tips for keeping your furry friends happy when you decide to up sticks and shift postcode:

Prepare for moving day

If there’s going to be any sort of journey involved, then have a think about how your pet is going to make that journey.  For example, if your cat is going to spend a good few hours in a carrier, then it might be an idea to let them get used to it first.  Knowing how suspicious our feline friends can be, it might be an idea to place the carrier in a familiar or favourite place and let them get used to it at least a week before moving day.  The more comfortable they are, the less stressful moving day will be for everyone.

Make moving day as easy as possible

There’s going to be a lot of noise, movement, and unfamiliar people in your home when it comes to moving the boxes into the van.  Minimise this disruption for your pets by limiting them to one room in the house, in which you’ve placed familiar items – toys, blankets etc.  Depending on the animal involved, you might find it useful to notify the movers / family members that the pets’ room is not to be disturbed, so as ensure as smooth a day as possible for everyone involved.

Make preparations at the other end

As you have a room at the start of the journey, have a room at the end.  Your pets will take a few days to adjust to new and unfamiliar surroundings, so you may want to section off a small area of your new home where they can get their bearings and figure out their new home, with all of its new sounds and smells.  You’ll find it strange waking up in a new bed – and so will your animals!

In the event of an emergency

Most people when moving house plan for moving their electricity and gas suppliers, their newspaper, broadband and television subscriptions.  But have you thought about the nearest vet?  Even if your pet doesn’t have any current health issues, it’s a good idea to add the nearest emergency vet to the “need to know” numbers for your new home.

Get to know your neighbours

This is good advice for everyone, but especially your furry or four-legged friends.  If you’re a dog owner, then perhaps your fellow dog-walkers might be able to suggest a good local route?  If you’ve got a rabbit, perhaps your next door neighbours might be able to advise on the presence of foxes in the area?  Quite apart from investigating the possibilities of cat-sitters, using your animals to get to know your neighbours can be an easy way to introduce yourself to the locals.  


Hunters are an independent UK Estate Agents with properties for sale and for rent nationwide.