Dogs
Are highly attuned to human stress levels. They pick up on anxiety, respond to unfamiliar faces, and become unsettled by the noise and movement of a removal team.
Moving house with pets
Moving House with Pets — Keep Your Animals Calm and Safe on Move Day
Moving house with pets? Giant Van keeps your dogs, cats and small animals calm and safe on move day. Pet-friendly removal teams, UK-wide. Get a free quote today.
Moving house with pets is one of the most stressful parts of any relocation — for the animal and the owner. Giant Van's removal teams are briefed on pet safety before every move. We keep doors closed, communicate clearly about where your animals are secured, and recommend an early morning slot so dogs and cats can settle into the new home before dark. No extra charge. Standard on every booking.
No extra charge. Standard on every booking.
Giant Van pet-friendly removals UK
Service:
Pet-friendly house removals
Coverage:
UK-wide — London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Newcastle, Brighton, Southampton
Giant Van operates pet-friendly removal services across every major UK city and nationwide for long-distance moves. Moving house with cats in London, relocating with dogs from Manchester to Bristol, or transporting small animals across the UK? Our teams are trained and briefed on pet welfare protocols.
Why moving house is stressful for pets
Animals do not understand what is happening on move day. What they experience is a sudden loss of familiar smells, sounds, and territory — combined with the arrival of strangers carrying large items through every room. The results vary by species but the underlying cause is the same: disruption to the environment they depend on for security.
Cats
Are territorial by nature. Their sense of safety is anchored in familiar smells and spaces. Move day removes all of that at once, which is why cats moving house need careful, staged management — both on the day and for the weeks that follow.
Rabbits and small animals
Are prey species with acute stress responses. Loud noises, vibration, and unfamiliar smells can cause genuine physiological distress.
Birds
Are extremely sensitive to temperature change and environmental disruption. Even a short journey in variable conditions requires careful management.
Fish
Need stable water temperature and chemistry. An unplanned move can be fatal without the right preparation.
Understanding what your specific animal is experiencing is the foundation of a calm, safe move. Everything else flows from that.
Giant Van's pet-friendly moving protocol
When you book with Giant Van and indicate that you have animals, this is flagged on your job sheet.
Every driver and crew member assigned to your move is aware before they arrive.
Arrival briefing
Your driver asks where your pets are secured before any external doors are opened.
Door discipline
No external doors are held open for longer than necessary at any point during the move.
Calm working pace near pet areas
Teams are aware of rooms where animals are being kept and work quietly in those areas.
Communication before entry
Your driver confirms with you before approaching any room where a pet is secured.
End-of-job check
All external doors are confirmed closed before the team leaves the property.
No extra charge.
This protocol is standard on all Giant Van bookings — it does not require a special upgrade or premium service.
Moving house with dogs — what to do before, during and after
Dogs are social animals and they thrive on routine. Move day breaks both. Here is how to manage it:
2–3 weeks before the move
- Introduce moving boxes gradually so your dog normalises them as part of daily life
- Increase daily exercise in the lead-up to the move — a well-exercised dog is a calmer dog
- Speak to your vet if your dog has a history of anxiety around strangers or loud environments
48 hours before
- Walk familiar routes more frequently to burn excess energy
- Keep your dog's routine — same feeding times, same walking schedule
Move day
- Confine your dog to one quiet room with bedding, water, and familiar toys
- Place a clear sign on the door: "Dog inside — please knock"
- Ideally arrange for a friend, family member, or dog walker to take your dog out for the day
- Your dog must travel in your own vehicle — Giant Van vans are not licensed to carry live animals
At the new home
- Walk around the garden before bringing your dog inside
- Let them explore room by room rather than giving free run of the whole property immediately
- Stick to feeding and walking times exactly — routine is the fastest route back to calm
First two weeks
- Avoid leaving your dog alone for extended periods while they are still settling
- Expect some regression in behaviour — this is normal and temporary
Book a morning slot for your pet-friendly move
MOVING DAY
Moving house with cats — the complete guide
Cats moving house is one of the most searched pet-moving queries in the UK — and for good reason. Cats are among the most difficult animals to move successfully. Their territorial instincts mean they may try to return to their old home, sometimes over considerable distances.
2 weeks before the move
- Leave the carrier open in a familiar room
- Let your cat investigate naturally
- Start using Feliway diffuser
Move day
- Keep your cat confined to one room
- Inform your driver which room it is
- Do not let your cat outside
- Keep the carrier available
At the new home
- Set up one safe room first
- Use familiar scents and items
- Let them explore gradually over 2–3 days
Going outdoors after moving home with a cat
- Keep cats indoors for 2–4 weeks
- Let them out before meals
- Supervise first outdoor sessions
Moving home with a cat takes patience. Most cats settle well within four to six weeks — but the first two are the hardest.
Moving home with cats specific scenarios
Moving house and cats: rented accommodation
Check your tenancy agreement before your move. Most landlords require written permission for pets, even if a cat is already in residence.
Cats moving to new house: multi-cat households
Introduce cats separately if needed. Use scent-swapping (a blanket from each cat) before reintroducing them in the new home.
Moving home cats: elderly or unwell animals
Speak to your vet in advance. Contact us on +44 7414 655129 if you need us to slow our pace on the day.
Small animals, birds and fish
Rabbits
Keep in hutch or secure carrier; cover with a breathable blanket; avoid temperature extremes; no direct sunlight.
Guinea pigs
Pair them together in transport if possible — isolation adds stress.
Birds
Padded carrier, light cloth cover over the cage, maintain consistent temperature throughout.
Fish
24-hour fast before moving; transport in double-bagged original tank water; keep filter media wet; never move in the tank.
Reptiles
Temperature regulation is critical — plan for heating during transport; check your route for extreme weather.
Hamsters and gerbils
Move at night if possible — they are nocturnal and more settled in darkness.
Best times to move house with pets
Dogs
- Morning (8am–11am)
- Settled before dark; energy is lower earlier in the day
Cats
- Morning (8am–11am)
- Less heat in summer; cats can adjust before nightfall
Small animals
- Morning to early afternoon
- Avoids peak afternoon heat
Fish
- Morning, short distance only
- Minimises transport time and temperature fluctuation
Birds
- Morning
- Calmer light conditions; temperature easier to manage
Morning slots book quickly, particularly at weekends and at month-end. Book at least 2–3 weeks ahead for weekend moves.
Recommended products for moving house with pets
We do not sell products, but these are the items our customers most frequently mention as genuinely helpful:
Feliway Classic Diffuser
Synthetic feline pheromones that reduce cat anxiety in a new environment.
Adaptil Collar or Diffuser
Equivalent product for dogs.
Zylkene
Vet-recommended supplement (available without prescription) for short-term stress in both cats and dogs.
Secure double-door carriers
Look for IATA-compliant models for both cats and dogs.
Aquarium transport bags
Available from any aquatic shop; use two bags per fish with 50% tank water.
Always consult your vet before using any pharmaceutical or supplement product on an animal.
Frequently Asked Questions
- No. Our pet-friendly protocol is included in every booking at no additional charge. Simply mention your pets when booking and we flag it on the job sheet.
Related Giant Van services and guides
Moving with pets is one part of a wider relocation. The pages below cover services and reading that customers most often pair with their pet-friendly move — from long-distance and student removals through to the wider Giant Van moving-tips blog.
- Long-distance removals
Cross-country moves with extended travel time need additional planning for pets. Our long-distance removals service covers the UK end-to-end with the same pet-friendly protocol included as standard.
- Student removals
Smaller moves between halls, house-shares and term-time addresses still benefit from pet-aware planning if you have a hall pet, family-home cat moving with you, or you're transporting a small-animal cage.
- House removals — full-service
Whole-house moves bundle the pet-friendly protocol with the standard removals workflow: survey, packing, transport, unpacking. Booking the whole-service house removal is the simplest way to keep pets and possessions on the same plan.
- Moving checklist (printable)
Cross-check your move-day plan against our printable checklist. Pet-related tasks are flagged on the day-of and 48-hour-before columns so nothing slips while you're focused on the animals.
- Giant Van moving-tips blog
Longer-form articles and case studies on everything from packing fragile items to navigating shared-flat moves. The blog updates monthly with seasonal moving tips, pet-care notes, and customer stories.
- First-time movers guide
If this is your first move, our complete first-time movers guide walks you through 8 weeks of planning — costs, packing, the day itself, and the first month in the new home.