House Moves With Pets: Keeping Them Safe in the Chaos

Moving house is one of the most stressful events a pet can experience. While humans understand what’s happening, dogs and cats are suddenly faced with noise, strangers, disrupted routines, and open doors — all at once.

Most pet-related incidents during house moves happen before or after transport, not during the journey itself. This guide explains how to move home with pets safely, calmly, and in line with UK welfare expectations.

Why House Moves Are High-Risk for Pets

House moves combine multiple stressors:

• unfamiliar people entering the home
• furniture being dismantled and moved
• doors left open
• noise, vibration, and disrupted routines
• distracted owners

For pets, this often leads to escape attempts, stress-related illness, injury, or behavioural regression. Managing the environment matters more than the distance travelled.

The Core Principle: Remove Pets From the Chaos

The safest approach is to remove pets from the moving environment entirely.

This is usually achieved by:

• professional pet transport on moving day
• temporary off-site accommodation such as a cattery

Trying to manage pets while removers are present is one of the most common — and avoidable — mistakes.

Dogs: Safe Transport on Moving Day

For dogs, best practice is:

• leaving the property before packing begins
• travelling separately from removal vehicles, or your car with all those last bits you have to cram in
• arriving only once the new home is secure

Professional transport helps ensure calm handling, appropriate welfare checks, and reduced exposure to stress. Even short journeys can be harmful if poorly timed or rushed.

Transporters must comply with UK welfare and licensing rules depending on distance and frequency.
(See UK Pet Transporter Legal Requirements.)

Cats: Why Catteries Are Often the Safest Option

Cats are particularly vulnerable during house moves.

They rely heavily on territory and scent and are far more likely to hide or bolt when stressed. For most cats, the safest plan is:

• placement in a reputable cattery before packing starts
• remaining there during the move
• returning once the new home is quiet and settled

Direct cat moves can work only under very controlled conditions and carry higher risk.

What Not to Do on Moving Day

Avoid:

• pets loose in the house during removals
• crates in busy walkways
• animals left in parked vehicles
• multiple handovers between people
• mixing pet transport with removal logistics

These situations significantly increase escape and injury risk.

Legal and Welfare Responsibilities

Even within the UK, animal welfare law applies.

Pets must be:

• fit to travel
• handled calmly and competently
• transported in suitable conditions
• protected from unnecessary stress

House moves do not override welfare responsibilities.

Settling In at the New Home

Dogs benefit from:

• decompression time
• rapid routine re-establishment
• supervised outdoor access

Cats should:

• start in a single quiet room
• remain indoors initially
• be reintroduced gradually using scent

Rushing the settling process often causes long-term stress or behavioural issues.

When Professional Help Is Strongly Recommended

Professional support is advisable when:

• moving long distance
• relocating with multiple pets
• handling anxious or reactive animals
• coordinating tight completion dates

Separating pet logistics from human logistics reduces risk for everyone.

Moving House With Pets – Quick Checklist

Before Moving Day

☐ Decide early whether pets will travel separately
☐ Book a professional transporter and cattery for cats
☐ Remove pets from the property before packing begins
☐ Confirm welfare and licensing requirements if using a transporter

On Moving Day

☐ Keep pets completely separate from removals
☐ Avoid busy handovers or waiting in vehicles
☐ Ensure doors and access points are controlled

Arrival at the New Home

☐ Allow decompression time before introductions
☐ Secure gardens and exits
☐ Re-establish routines quickly
☐ Keep cats confined initially

Summary

House moves are high-risk for pets not because of travel distance, but because of unmanaged chaos.

The safest approach is usually to remove pets early, transport them separately, and prioritise welfare over convenience. Calm planning prevents avoidable stress, injury, and loss