Pets read a house move very differently from humans. Here is how to plan the day so the animals stay calm and arrive safely settled.
Almost every family-run Sussex move we’ve done over forty years has involved a pet somewhere — usually a dog or a cat, occasionally a hamster, a rabbit, a parrot, or one memorable family of pygmy goats. Pets read a house move very differently from people: the sounds, the strangers, the dismantling of familiar furniture, the front door propped open for hours — every signal says something is wrong.
This guide covers the practical preparation for the four most common pet situations (cats, dogs, small caged animals, and exotics), the move day itself, and the first week in the new house. The aim is to keep the pet safe and avoid the cluster of avoidable problems we see most often: escaped cats, anxious dogs, transit-stressed small animals.
Cats handle moves badly and the biggest risk by some margin is escape. A panicked cat can squeeze through gaps you didn’t know existed, vanish into the lorry while it’s being loaded, or bolt the moment a door opens at the new house. The single most important rule: keep the cat confined to one carrier or one closed room throughout the entire move day.
The pattern that works: confine the cat to a single room the night before move day with food, water, litter tray, favourite blanket. Tape a clear sign to the door (“DO NOT OPEN — CAT”) so the crew knows not to go in. We pack and load the rest of the house around this. The cat travels with you in your own car at the end, ideally in a sturdy carrier.
At the new house, repeat the process in reverse — set up one quiet room with food, water, litter tray, blanket from the old house, and the favourite toy. Release the cat into this single room before any unpacking starts. Don’t let the cat outdoors for at least two weeks at the new property; the standard guidance is “butter on the paws” (which is mostly placebo for owners) plus a fortnight indoors so they learn the new house as home.
Dogs are more adaptable than cats but they still feel the upheaval. Most dogs do best out of the house entirely on move day — a long walk with a friend, a day at boarding kennels, an afternoon with grandparents. The chaos of removal day plus open doors plus strangers plus your own stress is a recipe for anxious behaviour.
If the dog has to be at the property, pick one secure room (utility room, garden if fully fenced) and keep them there during loading. Maintain their normal walking and feeding schedule as far as possible — a missed walk on move day adds to the stress. Travel with them in your own car, never in the lorry. We don’t put pets in the lorry under any circumstances; it’s neither legal nor safe.
At the new house, the priorities are familiar smells and a quiet base. Set up the dog’s bed, blankets and water in one corner before doing anything else. Keep them on lead for the first few outdoor visits — even fully-trained dogs can spook at unfamiliar street smells. The first week is when most lost-pet calls happen; the local vet registration and updated microchip details should be top of the new-week list.
Hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, birds and similar small pets are best moved in their normal cage with extra absorbent bedding to soak up any spillage during transit. The cage travels in your own car, never in the lorry — temperature swings in a moving lorry can be dangerous for small mammals, particularly in summer or winter extremes.
Reduce or remove water bottles for the actual journey to prevent spillage; a small water-soaked piece of cucumber or apple provides enough hydration for a 1–2 hour drive. For longer drives (over four hours), stop in a shaded place and offer water briefly. Cover the cage partially with a light cloth to reduce visual stimulation; full coverage isn’t necessary.
At the new house, set up the cage in a quiet room with stable temperature before introducing the pet. Birds particularly benefit from the cage being in the same orientation (window-facing or wall-facing) as in the old house. Maintain the normal feeding and cleaning schedule from day one; consistency matters more for small pets than for cats or dogs.
Snakes, lizards, fish, larger parrots and exotic mammals each have their own requirements that are beyond the standard remover’s scope. Aquariums in particular cannot be moved with water still in them — drain the tank, transport the fish in oxygenated bags from your local aquatic shop, and refill at the new house. The decor and substrate move separately.
Reptiles need temperature continuity — the journey itself is rarely fatal but extreme cold (winter moves) or heat (summer moves) can be. A heat pad with a battery pack or a thermal cool box is the standard approach. Talk to your reptile vet a week before move day for case-specific advice.
For valuable or particularly delicate pets — show animals, working dogs, breeding stock — we sometimes recommend dedicated pet transport services that specialise in this work. Our crews don’t handle animal transport; we focus on the household contents. Mention any unusual pet situations at survey stage and we’ll suggest a local specialist if needed.
The single most important post-move admin task for any pet owner is updating the microchip database with your new address. By UK law, microchips must reflect the current keeper’s contact details, and an unupdated chip on a missing cat or dog turns a quick reunion into an expensive ordeal. Most microchip databases let you update online inside ten minutes.
Register with a new vet inside the first week. Most local practices accept new patients quickly. Transfer the medical records from the old vet (they’ll usually send them on request). If your pet has ongoing prescriptions, make sure you have at least a fortnight’s supply in hand to bridge the changeover. The 8-week preparation guide covers the full admin checklist.
Pet insurance policies need address updates; some change in premium based on postcode. Ditto if you’re changing from a postcode with low animal crime to one with higher (or vice versa). The local council’s dog warden service may have a registration requirement for dogs; check the new council’s website.
Pets typically take longer than humans to settle. Two to four weeks is normal for cats; one to two weeks for dogs; a few days for small caged animals. The signs of settling: normal appetite returning, normal sleep patterns, normal play behaviour, and (for cats and dogs) exploration of the new house at their own pace.
Signs of ongoing stress: persistent loss of appetite past 48 hours, hiding for more than three or four days, excessive vocalising, toilet issues, aggressive behaviour. Most of these resolve naturally inside a fortnight. If they persist past three weeks, a vet visit is worth the consultation fee — anxiety can be treated with a short course of medication if needed.
If your move was long-distance (London-to-Sussex, for example — see the London-to-Sussex guide) or international (the international removals page has the basics), pet relocation needs additional planning around quarantine rules, vaccinations and import certificates. Specialist pet-relocation firms handle these end-to-end.
We've been a family-run Sussex remover since 1982 — the same name on the lorry as the name on the paperwork. Mark personally surveys the high-value and overseas moves; our crews are directly employed (not casual day labour) and trained at our own staff training centre, one of only a handful of UK removers with that facility on site.
Standard inclusions on every full removal: pad-wrap protection for every freestanding piece of furniture, removal-grade cartons, a written and itemised fixed-price quote with no surprises on the day, and the British Association of Removers' Advance Payment Guarantee protecting every deposit. The result, over forty years and tens of thousands of moves, is a 4.9/5 review average across 120+ independent Google reviews.
Booking the survey takes ten minutes. Whether it's a one-bedroom flat across Eastbourne or a country house to overseas, the process is the same: in-home or video survey, written quote within 48 hours, deposit-protected booking, and a calm move day.
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No. We don't transport live animals under any circumstances — it's neither legal nor safe. Pets travel with you in your own car, in a sturdy carrier for cats and small animals, or on the back seat with a harness for dogs.
Two weeks indoors at the new property is the standard guidance. Cats learn the house as home during this time and are far less likely to try to return to the old property. Once outdoors, supervise the first few visits.
Usually no. Routine sedation isn't recommended for healthy adult pets — it can mask warning signs of stress and add risk. For genuinely anxious pets, a vet can prescribe a one-day calming medication, but this is a vet-led decision.
Light meal at the usual time, then no large meals during transit. Cats and dogs can get travel-sick; small mammals shouldn't have full water bottles. Resume normal feeding once the pet is settled in the new house.
We don't transport pets ourselves, but for international moves we work alongside specialist pet-relocation firms who handle vaccinations, paperwork and the transit itself. Mention this at survey and we'll recommend a partner.