Blog

Written by The McCarthy's Team on September 7, 2018

0 Comments     

Happy Happy Cat Month! (No, that’s not a typo…)

We spotted that September is Happy Cat Month, and much like the next person we love our furry feline companions. There’s a reason cat videos are so popular – we all have a bit of a soft spot for a cute/fierce/funny kitty.

But it got us thinking about our beloved pets and how much a part of the family they become. And of course, much as moving home can be stressful for us as humans, imagine how confusing it must be for a dog or cat who has no idea what’s going on!

We often get asked for advice on the best way to manage a home move in relation to pets, so we wanted to offer our top tips to a smooth move – for the four-legged members of your family, as well as the two!

1. Keep them away from the action – Don’t have them around on move day, if possible. Although our removals’ teams would always work around a pet as safely as possible, it would be confusing and scary for an animal to see everything it knows being packed away. If at all possible, book them into a cattery/kennel or see if you could leave them with a family member or friend for the day.
2. Safe room – If your pet does need to be around on move day, set them up in a room they feel comfortable in, with everything they would need, such as food, water, bed and (for a cat) toilet. Make sure you clearly communicate to everyone coming into the house that the door isn’t to be opened accidentally – you don’t want your pet making a run for it just before you’re due to leave.
3. Feed little and often – Don’t feed your pet a big meal to close to move time if they suffer from travel sickness or might be stressed. You probably don’t want to be dealing with the mess on move day!
4. Pack a Pet Bag – Make sure you pack a handy ‘pet overnight bag’ and keep it with you so you can get to food, treats, bedding and toys easily when needed.
5. Sweet smell – Consider using a pheromone diffuser, which can be purchased from your vet – the scent can be soothing to pets, although undetectable to humans.
6. Make them easily identifiable – Make sure your pet is microchipped in case they do make a run for it – and that the microchip is registered to your new address/an up to date phone number.
7. Slowly, slowly… – Once at your new home, settle your pet into a room with some of their familiar items – the scent will be comforting to them. This will give them time to slowly adjust to their new surroundings.
8. Lots of cuddles – make sure you spend time with your pet, giving them plenty of attention and helping them to feel comfortable and secure.
9. Homing cats – Don’t let your cat outside for the first couple of weeks, or you risk them trying to return back to their old home. Consider taking them out on a lead to explore the garden – however, many don’t like them and you might find they do a very strange dance to try and get out of it!
10. Smaller can still mean stressed – Smaller pets, such as guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits or birds, can still find moving very traumatic. Make sure they’re in a comfortable, safe and suitable carrier, and try to keep jostling to a minimum. It may help to keep the carrier darkened – but don’t let them overheat.
11. Exotic pets – If you’re travelling with something more ‘exotic’ – maybe a reptile or fish – let your removal company know and discuss the best way to transport cages or tanks. Animals themselves should be transported by you. Special bags can be purchased to transport fish and should be filled with tank water. They can be very susceptible to temperature changes, so factor in any extremes of weather.

If in doubt, a vet can provide excellent advice and tips on how to keep animals safe and happy during a move.

A bit of planning and a lot of reassurance and you and your pet will be enjoying your new home in no time!