Situation guide
Keeping pets stable through packing, moving day and the new home.
Moving a snake is a heat problem, not an emotional one. Transport the animal in a secure tub rather than its enclosure, rebuild and verify the thermal gradient in the new building before the snake returns, and understand what the settling fortnight normally looks like.
A house move with a lizard is a heating problem before it is anything else, because an ectotherm loses digestion and immune function the moment the enclosure is unplugged. This covers choosing the room, the week before, moving day, rebuilding and verifying the enclosure before the animal goes back in, and what normal s
Moving stresses a chinchilla, and stress can stop it eating and tip it into life-threatening gut stasis. This guide covers keeping diet, cage and routine unchanged, transporting safely in the heat, setting up a quiet cool room first, guarding against escape, and watching eating and droppings to catch trouble early.
The danger in moving house with a rabbit is not the journey but the days afterwards, when a stressed rabbit eats less and the gut stops. This covers preserving the scent map by not cleaning anything, changing nothing else at the same time, how to run moving day and the first 72 hours, how to tell normal settling from g
A hamster does not experience a move as a change of address but as the loss of a scent map and a nest it built itself. This guide covers preparing in the fortnight before, why you must not clean the cage, how to transport a hamster safely and where never to put the carrier, rebuilding the enclosure identically, and the
Lizards do not experience jealousy. A behaviour change after a new partner or pet moves in is a stress response to altered heat, light, schedule and handling. Check temperature and UVB before interpreting behaviour, cut handling to zero for two weeks, and escalate on weight loss or three weeks off food.
The real danger when moving house with guinea pigs is stress putting them off their food and triggering gut stasis. Keep bonded companions together, transport them warm and secure in the cabin, rebuild their familiar setup first in a quiet room, and watch eating and droppings closely for days afterwards.
A house move is one of the higher-risk days in a companion bird's life: open doors invite escape, and stress can suppress a small bird's appetite fast. This is a step-by-step plan for packing, transport, and settling in, plus the signs that mean call a vet.
The biggest danger of a house move is not stress but escape, because dogs bolt through propped-open doors and have no scent trail home. Learn to update ID and microchip, secure the dog on moving day, keep routine and familiar scent constant, settle a dog into a new home, and spot the stress signs that need a vet.
Car journeys can turn a placid cat into a howling, drooling mess. This guide covers safe restraint, building tolerance with short practice drives, managing motion sickness, and packing the right kit , so moving house or a longer trip stays calm and safe for everyone in the car.
The first week sets the tone for your relationship with a new rabbit. As a prey animal, it needs quiet, safety, and patience, not handling and excitement. This step-by-step guide covers setting up, what to expect day by day, and the early health signs that mean a vet call.
Moving to a new home is exciting, but it introduces hidden dangers for your pets. Learn how to secure your kitchen, living room, garage, and garden with our comprehensive, vet-approved room-by-room pet-proofing checklist.
Moving house is highly stressful for dogs and cats. Follow this structured two-week countdown plan to manage packing anxiety, prevent dangerous moving-day escapes, and help your pets settle quickly and safely into their new home.
