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Moving with Pets

Advice to help your pets settle in safely.

Be prepared

Cats and dogs become very attached to their own familiar territory, so give them extra care and attention before and during the move.
Keep them indoors on the day, in a quiet room - preferably the room in which they have their bed - and well away form the hustle and bustle of the moving team.
Don't allow your animals to go out unaccompanied - they may wander off and want to leave.
You could keep your pet away from all the commotion by asking a sympathetic friend, neighbor or relative to look after it for you.

Be safe and secure

Cats should be transported in a secure basket. For longer journeys these should be the wicker and wire variety measuring at least 50x28x28cm.
Small animals like guinea pigs, hamsters and rabbits are best transported in well-ventilated 'chew-proof' containers made of metal or rigid plastic.
Give them plenty of bedding, and a little food.
Water must be provided throughout the journey in a non-spill container.
Avoid sudden sharp movements and loud noises as these are stressful to your pet.
Ideally the animal should be kept in the dark using a blanket, if necessary, to cover the cage or container, but be careful not to block out air holes.
Budgies travel best in a well-ventilated box with subdued lighting - this has a calming effect.
If the budgie is traveling in its cage, make sure you remove any articles which could become dislodged.
Throughout the trip, keep the budgie as quiet as possible. Covering part of the cage with a cloth or blanket may help, but make sure there is good ventilation.
Fish should be transported in clean, strong, polythene bags part-filled with tank water.
Make sure you seal the bags leaving a good air pocket above the water.
Gently place the bags into a polystyrene container - available from fish importers and aquatic specialists. Label the containers with their contents, a picture if possible and the words'this way up'.
Remember: never move fish in their glass tank.

Ease travel trauma

Many animals don't like traveling by car- they can suffer from travel sickness, panic attacks and anxiety.
To prevent travel sickness it is advisable not to feed them for 12 hours before a journey.
If you know your pet suffers from travel sickness, ask your veterinary surgeon about anti-sickness pills.
Make sure the car is well ventilated.
Dogs need frequent stops for exercise, watering and urinating.
Ideally your dog should travel in a holding cage, but make sure it is suitable for its size.
Keep your dog on a lead and never leave your dog alone in a car for any more than a few minutes. Remember, the temperature in a parked car can rise very quickly and your pets may die from the heat. If you do have to leave them for those few minutes leave a window open and make sure the car is parked in the shade.
Fish need to be taken to their destination as quickly as possible.
Be careful in extremes of weather. On a hot day the water will heat up quickly causing fish to overheat and die. On a cold day the water will cool down to a very low temperature in which fish cannot survive.

At your new home

Cats may take a little while to adjust to new surroundings.
Give your cat a fresh litter tray, food and lots of attention.
Let it rest quietly at least overnight, then when things have settled down let it explore the rest of the house.
After two days or so, your cat can go on a supervised short walk to gets its bearings. Remember: any cat which has been frightened or panicked may try to go back to its old home.
Give your cat only part of its normal feed just before it goes out alone for the first time - this will encourage its to come back to it new home.
Dogs adapt quicker though your dog will still need to be left in a quiet room with food and water to recover from the journey.
Take it on lots of walks to introduce it to the new surroundings.
Your dog should be wearing a collar with an identity tag, but make sure it has your new address on it just in case it gets lost and tries to return to the old house.
Fish need to be settled into their new home straight away. Treat them as if they were new fish, de-chlorinating the water in the tank.
Before you place your fish back in their familiar surroundings ensure both the water in the tank and the water in the bags is at room temperature.
Every year many animals are lost when their owners move house.
The owner's name and address is entered next to this number on the national Pet Log computer database so that pet and owner can be re-united.
Contact your local veterinary surgeon for further details.