Is 3 hour car ride too long?

[Frapptastic]

I am going to my brother’s house for Thanksgiving this year. He lives 3 hours away. We will be leaving on Wed and coming back probably late Fri or early Sat. I’m not sure what to do with Frappe. My brother said I could bring him and gate him off in his large walk-in closet. I am afraid the long car ride and new environment will be too traumatic for Frappe. My other option is to leave him home and have the 12 year old boy next door come and feed him. If I do this, I am going to purchase an x-pen for Frappe so the boy can have easy access to food/water bowls. ( I don’t feel comfortable having him let Frappe out). Which scenario sounds better? Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Elrohwen]

Definitely not too long of a car ride! Mine have visited my parents a few times and they are more than 7 hours away. I give them some hay for the trip, and they eat a little of it. I generally don’t provide water as it makes a mess, and they only drink once or twice a day as it is.

Is he a particularly sensitive and nervous rabbit? If so, he might be better off at home, though my girl is fairly nervous of new things and settles down quickly at my parents’ house. In your situation, I’d prefer to have him with me if it’s not too much trouble, but I’m sure he’d be fine at home too.

[Sam&Rex]

Unless he is really sensitive to new things, I say take him with! My bun Rex does an 11 hour (one way) bus ride with me every Thanksgiving and Christmas when I go home to see my parents. Oddly, he actually seems to enjoy the ride and whenever we stop somewhere he likes to stand on the seat and look out the window. The drivers and other passengers usually get a good kick out of it, and Rex loves the attention.
I suggest a comfortably sized carrier with a soft liner. Toss in plenty of hay, and some greens (mostly for the water content if the trip is really long). I always keep a bottle/dish that I offer about every half hour or so.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I agree with the others. If he’s not the overly sensitive/stressed-out type of bunny, bring him with you. Just make sure to pack him lots of stuff that smells like home and keep him in a quiet area at your brother’s house. You will probably have a better holiday knowing he is safe with you. I’d be nervous about a 12 year old (no matter how responsible) looking after my buns for several days.

ps. Don’t forget to pack him a special Thanksgiving treat.

[peppypoo]

3 hours isn’t too long at all…he should be fine on the trip.

When I travel with Peppy, I put her carrier in the passenger seat, then scoot the seat up as far as possible to secure the carrier between the seat and the glove compartment. This way, the carrier doesn’t shift every time you make a quick turn, accelerate, or slow down. Of course, you still need to be careful because the bunny inside isn’t secured, but I figure it should somewhat reduce unexpected movement. Putting some kind of mat inside the carrier will also improve things at the bunny-carrier interface. Also, they tend to hyperventilate a little when something is new and scary, so I give Peppy a soaked salad before we leave so that she has plenty of water in her system.

[Beka27]

Since you’ll only be gone a couple days, I would be leaning more towards leaving him at home and having your neighbor (hopefully with a parent?) come and check on him. It seems like a long drive for only 2-3 days.

[TBpony414]

3 hours is not too long at all! Put your bunny in the carrier with some carefresh as bedding, some hay and before you leave give him a nice big wet salad. My bunny will be coming on a 2.5 hour trip (each way) for Thanksgiving and we will only be staying one night. I feel better knowing he is with me and if he gets sick I can take care of him. I would definitely recommend taking your bunny with you, unless the person (or kid) who would watch your bun is knowledgeable about bunnies there is always a big risk. That’s not a risk I’m willing to take, especially if it’s overnight. Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

The car ride should be just fine. I find that most animals settle right down after about half an hour Try to bring things from home to comfort Frappe at the new place, same bowls, blankies and toys-and hey some dirty litter from home too to add to the fresh box will make it smell normal too! That will make Frappe feel right at home Have a great Thanksgiving visit!

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