MOVING HOUSE ANXIETY

Queenjellybeany

Queenjellybeany

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jun 17, 2020
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Location
Lincoln
Hi everyone!
I’m having one of those late night worry moments so please forgive me. Tomorrow I am moving house, I am moving the Guinea pigs tomorrow but I’m so scared it will be stressful for them!
They will be travelling for around 1 hour 40 mins. I’m so nervous to have them in a carrier for so long, the longest they’ve done is about 1 hour but this will be almost double!
I’ve attached a pic of their carrier. I was going to get them a bigger one but I decided that they will probs feel more comfy and safe in their usual one? Now I don’t even know and I keep panicking they’ll hate being in there so long

They have this living world carrier for reference.

Thank you so much and any extra tips would mean a lot because I’m so nervous
- Ellie
 

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Oh I remember how stressful moving is. I’m sure the piggies will be ok. Plenty of hay , water and some veg for the journey.
Due you put the carrier on the floor of the car? I’m sure you’ll ensure it can’t move about. The time will fly by.
I think sometimes we do worry a lot and it’s ok to be anxious about it all - it is a big thing moving.
Once you’ve got their set up in place in their new home they’ll be ok. They’ll soon settle in.
Then you’ll have all the unpacking to do ! 🥰
 
Sorry you’re feeling stressed. I would get them a bigger one. That’s quite a small one for them to be cooped up together for that long. I would also maybe put in some of their dirty bedding from the cage so it’s more ‘homely’ and familiar for them. Also keep the dirty bedding for when they go in their cage at the new house

I am sure they will be okay hope all goes well with the move.
 
All the best with your house move, I hope it goes smoothly.
I remember feeling very stressed when we moved, and that was before we had guinea pigs.
We often take our guinea pigs on holiday with us, and they can be in the car for approx 4hrs, plus the time it takes to set up a holiday home for them. We take washed cucumber & lettuce as a car snack, to help with hydration. Put used hay and some fresh hay in the carrier, and cover the carrier with a thin piece of fabric. It doesn't take our boys long to settle in now, they know the routine.
I pack used bedding for setting up the temporary home. When everything is ready I open the carrier and let the boys come out when they are ready. We then add whatever we have used in the carrier to the new space as something that smells of them too.
I hope this gives you a few ideas.
 
Good luck with your move. Piggies travel well. They will be fine with food and vegetables and lots of hay to hide in.
 
UPDATE FOR FUTURE PIGGIES:
I ended up picking up this cat carrier from Argos, it’s fab! It’s like triple the size as the blue carry case I showed before and you can attach a food bowl and water bottle. I feel much better about them being in this for longer, thanks everyone! X
 

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Siikibam said:
Sorry you’re feeling stressed. I would get them a bigger one. That’s quite a small one for them to be cooped up together for that long. I would also maybe put in some of their dirty bedding from the cage so it’s more ‘homely’ and familiar for them. Also keep the dirty bedding for when they go in their cage at the new house

I am sure they will be okay hope all goes well with the move.
Click to expand...
Thank you I’ve just bought them a new one that’s bigger and I’ve left it in their cage with dirty hay so they can get used to it 💗
 
Tha
AidaB said:
All the best with your house move, I hope it goes smoothly.
I remember feeling very stressed when we moved, and that was before we had guinea pigs.
We often take our guinea pigs on holiday with us, and they can be in the car for approx 4hrs, plus the time it takes to set up a holiday home for them. We take washed cucumber & lettuce as a car snack, to help with hydration. Put used hay and some fresh hay in the carrier, and cover the carrier with a thin piece of fabric. It doesn't take our boys long to settle in now, they know the routine.
I pack used bedding for setting up the temporary home. When everything is ready I open the carrier and let the boys come out when they are ready. We then add whatever we have used in the carrier to the new space as something that smells of them too.
I hope this gives you a few ideas.
AidaB said:
All the best with your house move, I hope it goes smoothly.
I remember feeling very stressed when we moved, and that was before we had guinea pigs.
We often take our guinea pigs on holiday with us, and they can be in the car for approx 4hrs, plus the time it takes to set up a holiday home for them. We take washed cucumber & lettuce as a car snack, to help with hydration. Put used hay and some fresh hay in the carrier, and cover the carrier with a thin piece of fabric. It doesn't take our boys long to settle in now, they know the routine.
I pack used bedding for setting up the temporary home. When everything is ready I open the carrier and let the boys come out when they are ready. We then add whatever we have used in the carrier to the new space as something that smells of them too.
I hope this gives you a few ideas.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
AidaB said:
All the best with your house move, I hope it goes smoothly.
I remember feeling very stressed when we moved, and that was before we had guinea pigs.
We often take our guinea pigs on holiday with us, and they can be in the car for approx 4hrs, plus the time it takes to set up a holiday home for them. We take washed cucumber & lettuce as a car snack, to help with hydration. Put used hay and some fresh hay in the carrier, and cover the carrier with a thin piece of fabric. It doesn't take our boys long to settle in now, they know the routine.
I pack used bedding for setting up the temporary home. When everything is ready I open the carrier and let the boys come out when they are ready. We then add whatever we have used in the carrier to the new space as something that smells of them too.
I hope this gives you a few ideas.
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This is a huge help thank you sooo much! Also love that you take your pigs on holiday that is soooo cute 🥰
 
The new carrier looks great, good luck with the move today. Remember to look after yourself too :)
P.S. Make sure you put something absorbent underneath the hay in the carrier, otherwise you might be getting some unpleasant surprises...
 
I moved house 4 years ago - a 5 hour journey.
I had 3 girls in one carrier and newly neutered Micah in another.
The girls were strapped to the passenger seat with a towel over the carrier to provide shade, while Micah was in the footwell.

My husband drove in convoy with me so that we could have loo stops and I had a tub with cucumber chunks in water available for the piggies whenever we had a break.

Everyone arrived safely and not too stressed.
The piggies were less stressed than the humans.

My top tip for moving - unpack within the first 2 weeks otherwise you will never finish.
My pattern is to deal with one room at a time - unpack some boxes, have a break, unpack more boxes etc etc.

Also - make sure you know where the nearest takeaway is !

Hope all goes well and you are very happy in your new home.
 
Merab's Slave said:
I moved house 4 years ago - a 5 hour journey.
I had 3 girls in one carrier and newly neutered Micah in another.
The girls were strapped to the passenger seat with a towel over the carrier to provide shade, while Micah was in the footwell.

My husband drove in convoy with me so that we could have loo stops and I had a tub with cucumber chunks in water available for the piggies whenever we had a break.

Everyone arrived safely and not too stressed.
The piggies were less stressed than the humans.

My top tip for moving - unpack within the first 2 weeks otherwise you will never finish.
My pattern is to deal with one room at a time - unpack some boxes, have a break, unpack more boxes etc etc.

Also - make sure you know where the nearest takeaway is !

Hope all goes well and you are very happy in your new home.
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Some great tips. I always make sure one box has the kettle, tea bags and cups in and write it on the box so that I can at least get a cuppa as soon as we've arrived. Such a British priority 🤣
 
Lady Kelly said:
Some great tips. I always make sure one box has the kettle, tea bags and cups in and write it on the box so that I can at least get a cuppa as soon as we've arrived. Such a British priority 🤣
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Definitely a good idea - and cold drinks too in the current weather!

When we moved in 2019, (2.5 days moving out, 1.5 moving stuff in to new!) we packed the tea and biscuits stuff almost last in a marked box to be unloaded separately ready for use - but somehow the unloaders managed to not see the instructions and it ended up at the back of a massive pile of boxes- and we ended up parched :xd:
 
They're going to be okay! We take ours to the cottage and back all summer... it's a 2-hour drive and they've always been fine. They're about skittish the first day there, but they settle after that.
 
Lady Kelly said:
Some great tips. I always make sure one box has the kettle, tea bags and cups in and write it on the box so that I can at least get a cuppa as soon as we've arrived. Such a British priority 🤣
Click to expand...
Omg I did exactly this too! I thought I was being a bit weird but I was so happy to have it ready 🤣🤣🤣
 
UPDATE AGAIN FOR FUTURW TRAVELING PIGS:
The journey ended up being awful, two accidents on the motorway so lots of traffic. The pigs ended up being in the carrier for around 4-5 hours. I was a panicked mess for them but I’m so blessed I bought them a bigger carrier as they had a lot more room to move around!

They were fine once they were back in their cage, they’ve actually been surprisingly confident being in the new place as they have their own quiet room now. I basically set the C&C cage up temporarily on the floor but upgraded it the following day so they are off the ground again now. They were really excited when I did this and kept running around and popcorning! I kept their dirty fleece liners and I think that helped them too so they had familiar stinky ness 🤣

For future anxious Guinea pig owners, they are great for travelling but need a few days of peace afterwards ☀️☀️
 
Queenjellybeany said:
UPDATE AGAIN FOR FUTURW TRAVELING PIGS:
The journey ended up being awful, two accidents on the motorway so lots of traffic. The pigs ended up being in the carrier for around 4-5 hours. I was a panicked mess for them but I’m so blessed I bought them a bigger carrier as they had a lot more room to move around!

They were fine once they were back in their cage, they’ve actually been surprisingly confident being in the new place as they have their own quiet room now. I basically set the C&C cage up temporarily on the floor but upgraded it the following day so they are off the ground again now. They were really excited when I did this and kept running around and popcorning! I kept their dirty fleece liners and I think that helped them too so they had familiar stinky ness 🤣

For future anxious Guinea pig owners, they are great for travelling but need a few days of peace afterwards ☀️☀️
Click to expand...

Glad to hear the pigs coped with the move well, even if it were slightly traumatic for the humans!
 
I'm sorry you had such a stressful journey but I am pleased to hear the piggies have settled well. The smelly fleece definitely helps in a new environment. I regularly take 2 of my piggies to my daughters. I put fresh pee pads in their beds and take those with us so somewhere in the cage smells like them.
I hope you will all be happy in your new home.
 
Gosh, sorry to hear you had such a long journey, with lots of traffic problems.
Lovely to hear that everypig has settled in & happy.(Stinky fleece pad’s definitely help).

I hope you feel like you are settling in too.
 
Queenjellybeany said:
UPDATE AGAIN FOR FUTURW TRAVELING PIGS:
The journey ended up being awful, two accidents on the motorway so lots of traffic. The pigs ended up being in the carrier for around 4-5 hours. I was a panicked mess for them but I’m so blessed I bought them a bigger carrier as they had a lot more room to move around!

They were fine once they were back in their cage, they’ve actually been surprisingly confident being in the new place as they have their own quiet room now. I basically set the C&C cage up temporarily on the floor but upgraded it the following day so they are off the ground again now. They were really excited when I did this and kept running around and popcorning! I kept their dirty fleece liners and I think that helped them too so they had familiar stinky ness 🤣

For future anxious Guinea pig owners, they are great for travelling but need a few days of peace afterwards ☀️☀️
Click to expand...
Piggies cope surprisingly well with travelling, including the unplanned delays.
Hope you settle well into your new home.
 
Well done and I’m so glad you’re all in your new home 🥰
You can relax now and enjoy your new home as the piggies are ❤️
 
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