Moving Home with Small Pets

Moving home is stressful for everyone and that includes our pets. With a little planning, you can move your small furry, feathered or finned friends to your new home with the minimum of fuss. Create a moving pack, fully stocked with enough food, bedding, water, or toys that will see your pet through a few days. This way, all of their essentials are accessible and easy to find without you having to rummage through hundreds of boxes!

A few days before the move, set aside a quiet, already packed down room for them. Put their cage, hutch or tank in there, together with any favourite toys or comforts (for example blankets). This gives them a secure place to be during all the activity of moving day.

Moving day

Keep your pet in their quiet room, with the door closed to minimise disturbances. Put a sign on the door to ensure it stays closed. Keep checking on your pet, making sure the room, their hutch or cage is well ventilated. Small pets, especially guinea pigs can very susceptible to stress, so when the time comes to physically move them, put them in a small, warm, comfortable and secure carrier where they cannot be shaken around.

Carry them with you in your vehicle for extra reassurance. Small fish can be transported in a bag of their existing tank water. Tropical and exotic animals need more complex handling, however, so we would always suggest talking to your local vet or pet store.

Arriving

Have another quiet room ready to receive your pet. Remember that even the best-trained birds are a flight risk when disturbed, so, keep them caged for a few days while they settle in. Introduce your pet to one room at a time letting them explore at their own pace. With the right planning, you and your pets will soon be right at home.