Five Tips to Help You Move with Small Animals Properly

Pets are precious animals for most of us who consider them to be a part of the family already. Albeit dogs and cats are the    most popular and highly cherished animals today, small pets like hamsters, mice, rats, gerbils, rabbits, and guinea pigs equally deserve special treatment. If you’re about to move out to a new home, you’ll never want to leave them behind. Here are some useful tips that you can consider before loading up your tiny pets into the car:

• Typically, you can simply put your pet in its normal cage and you’re good to go. However, if the cage is really big, disassemble it first and transfer the animal into a smaller cage. This will help you save more space in the car for other important items. If you have a rabbit or ferret which usually needs bigger cages, you can purchase small cat or dog’s carrier so that your pet can fit comfortably inside the car.

• To avoid any spillage during the trip, remove the animal’s dish from the cage in case your pet drinks water from a water dish. A good way to keep your precious pet dehydrated is to make a few stops along the way and give it some water. If your pet drinks from a water bottle inside the cage, this could stay but be sure that it is attached to the cage securely.

• The previous tip applies to food bowls. Try to keep the bowl away from the cage to avoid food spillage. As mentioned earlier, you can stop several times along the way to feed your pet.

• Small pets are generally vulnerable even to slight temperature changes. To protect your pet from unnecessary illnesses, keep the heat or air conditioning turned on. Additionally, put a towel over the cage for protection against drafts. This also serves as a covering from intense sunlight to keep your pet comfortable and calm throughout the ride.

• Your pet may not like it if the car stereo is turned on at a blasting volume. Animals easily get startled as they have more sensitive senses than humans so you should be considerate enough and try to keep the volume low.

Once you arrive at your new house, place the animal’s cage in a safe area where it will not be disturbed. You can then go back to your routine activities with your pet such as cleaning, feeding, and playing with it. Before you know it, you and your pet will be settled happily in the new house.

For more information about moving pets please view our online guide.

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