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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A flying with bunny?

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    • victoria nicole
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        hello, so im not sure if this has been answered before but im kind of freaking out about flying with my 2 year old lionhead, fufsy.

        within the next 6-9 months, i will be moving to hawaii from tennessee. from what ive heard, this is a 10-18 hr flight and we will have to change planes atleast twice. i contacted hawaiis department of agriculture and they told me rabbits do not need to be quarantined and as far as making sure she gets to fly in-cabin with me, i will be getting notes from both of my doctors saying she is my “flying buddy”, pretty much.

        anyway, shes quite skiddish and even when we take her to the vet (which is only an hour away) she stays in meatloaf position in her carrier. i want her to go to hawaii with me so bad, but im worried itll be too truamatising and she will stop eating or develop some GI issues, or worse, death :c im also worried about the lay-over too. terrified we will be stuck at some airport for a long time and she will be all couped up in her carrier n the loud & scary airport :c

        so i guess my questions are: is it worth it? would this be risking her life? is it bad for her? is there anyway i can keep her carrier in my lap, or does it HAVE to go under the seat? (even in first class??) should i get more of a carrier similar to a “puppy purse” or just a traditional hard case carrier? does anyone have experience flying their bunnies long distances?


      • Julezypie
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          I know that there has been a lot of changes with flying animals. The carriers have to be a certain size and must go under the seat in front of you and they no longer allow them in baggage. Maybe your vet can prescribe something for her to help her stay calm, I know they do that a lot for dogs and cats.


        • Sarita
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            For the carrier you need to find out from the airlines what you can use as Julezypie states.


          • Emandme
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              I don’t know about the US, but in Canada there is only one airline that allows rabbits on board. Might check with the airline(s) to make sure they allow bunnies? I bumped into a woman at my vet with a rabbit that she moved to Canada with from Australia which is a heck of a long flight as well. I didn’t get the details of how she did it. But she refused to leave her sweetie behind.

              I would do lots of research and talk to your vet. Found this article which might help as well:

              http://rabbit.org/journal/2-12/to-fly-or-not-to-fly.html


            • hannaroo
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                Get her health checked at the vet to see if she’s fit enough to go and ask for an honest opinion. She’s pretty young so if she’s in good health and the vet ok’ s it then you can go down the route of researching transport methods


              • NewBunnyOwner123
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                  http://www.rabbit.org/care/airlines.html

                  List of airlines that allow rabbits to fly I’m the cabin with you. Do NOT allow her to go in with the luggage. It’s loud and hot!


                • NewBunnyOwner123
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                    During security you will be asked to take your rabbit out of their crate and you walk through the security device holding your animal and his crate goes through the X-ray machine. So be ready for that too and make sure your bunny is ok being held in a scary environment for a temporarily amount of time. I fly with my dog all the time and they make me do it every time. So prepare yourself for having to take your rabbit out in the middle of the airport and walking through and then waiting for the crate to come back. Try not to lose control of your rabbit!


                  • victoria nicole
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                      oh no! she cannot STAND to be held :c the only person that can hold her is the vet. its my fault though, when she was a baby i was scared to hold her, thinking shed fall or something /: any ideas how i should go about doing this? is it bad for her to go through the xray with her carrier? or can they use like a hand held decector? 


                    • victoria nicole
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                        yeah, i know about the sizing of the carrier/bag. i was wondering which one is best for her to be in? if i had her in a bag, id end up resting the bag on my lap and giving her plenty of attention the whole ride, but i dont know how ventilated those pet purses are /:

                        i have notes from my therapists saying i need my rabbit as a therapy animal so the airport will let me take her in cabin with me. otherwise i would not be going! haha. as far as tranquilizers go, i read that thats often the reason pets dont make it through the flights. something about them being so “out of it” and them not being able to get enough oxygen to their brain due to the pressure etc. i will try to find that aritcle and post it here.


                      • victoria nicole
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                          i guess the main thing im worried about is just her going in to shock and refusing to eat, etc. i read in an aritcle (its the rabbit.org one Emandme posted, thank you!!) that sometimes when theyre stressed, theyll stop eating or get gi issues.


                        • MeggoWaffle
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                            It might be worth it to take her to the vet as close to your flight as possible to get some subcutaneous fluids. This will keep her from getting dehydrated on the long flight. You’ll also want to feed her a big pile of wet leafy greens right before you leave, and keep some tasty hays on hand in case she is willing to eat during your trip.

                            I’ve just purchased Rescue Remedy to help my rabbits cope with stress as they stay at a friend’s house. No idea whether it will help, but some people swear by it.


                          • victoria nicole
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                              thanks for the comment! do you recommend i get oxbows critical care and maybe mix it with her regular pellets just in case if she doesnt want to eat? i was looking at this website: http://emotionalsupportanimals.org/ and i read that since she will be an emotional support animal, i can actually keep her in my lap or set her carrier in my lap. i may get a soft one like a bag, but anyway, do you think since she will be in my lap, if i continually try to feed her hay she will be more likely to eat it and less nervous? thanks!


                            • NewBunnyOwner123
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                                They absolutely will not let her go into the X-ray machine. You have to take her out and walk like 10 feet with her and then wait for the carrier to come through to the other end.


                              • Julezypie
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                                  If your flight is six months from now, start working with her to hold her for a short period of time. My mom recently flew herself and her pug from Florida to Michigan, and her dog was fine under the seat in front of her. But the airlines have really strict carrier requirements and she had to buy one from the airline because the guidelines are so strict.


                                • victoria nicole
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                                    ahhh, now im nervous. she is so stubborn. to be honest, i dont even know how to go about holding her /: i wil try to scoop her butt and secure her feet, but its like she knows when youre about to grab her to get her D: since she is carryon, is there anyway possible they can just simply look in her carrier and check? 

                                    any tips on picking her up and keeping her calm? so i can practice now :b


                                  • victoria nicole
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                                      im glad her pug was fine  this is so stressful! and yeah, i was gonna buy one from the airport. i just dont know if she will be more comfortable in a soft carrier or a hard one. another random questions, but shes used to drinking from a bowl. obv i cant put a bowl of water in her carrier. will she understand how to drink from a bottle? 


                                    • Julezypie
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                                        Posted By victoria nicole on 06/30/2013 04:34 PM

                                        im glad her pug was fine  this is so stressful! and yeah, i was gonna buy one from the airport. i just dont know if she will be more comfortable in a soft carrier or a hard one. another random questions, but shes used to drinking from a bowl. obv i cant put a bowl of water in her carrier. will she understand how to drink from a bottle? 

                                        Fiona drinks from both, but like I said, since you have so much time until you leave, maybe that’s another thing you can work on with your bunny to make it less stressful. 


                                      • NewBunnyOwner123
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                                          Yeah I fly with my dog all the time and I just found its easier to buy the carrier that my airline sells because no one even questions it and its actually really nice soft carrier.

                                          Hold her snug and cover her eyes is all I can tell you. Airports are strict they will not let you get away with her carrier not going through X-ray machine. It’s just protocol. Don’t pull her out of the carrier until the VERY LAST second. Like right before you go through the metal detector grab her. Just minimizes the time you have to hold her. Maybe in the scary environment she will be frozen with fear and won’t fight you but it could also make her fight you even more, idk. It could go either way.


                                        • NewBunnyOwner123
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                                            I’m actually flying with my dog again in 2 days lol


                                          • NewBunnyOwner123
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                                              Hold her firmly against your chest and cover her eyes. Try to keep as much of her body touching yours so she doesn’t feel like she is floating in the air.

                                              What I do with Sally because she is TERRIBLE being held is a lean back slightly while holding her so she is more horizontal against my body than vertical. She is still bad at being held but I have found she takes longer before fighting me when I’m leaning back slightly.


                                            • Julezypie
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                                                Maybe you can get one of those jogging jackets so you have something to grab ahold of in case she gets squirmy


                                              • Roberta
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                                                  You could take a baby snuggle rug and bunritto her and pop the corner of the blanket over her eyes.
                                                  Or possibly have her on a harness that you can take off when she goes back in the cage.


                                                • victoria nicole
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                                                    i was actually thinking of a harness…haha are those safe? i guess i could start training her now with one. i tried to pick her up today and she flipped out :c

                                                    good news though everyone! i emailed united airlines earlier about emotional support animal policies and she will get to ride with me in cabin to hawaii! and she will get to sit in my lap im so excited because now i can hand feed her/monitor her eating and keep her calm!

                                                    also, a random question, she seems to have something in her eye? it looks like a wet piece of kleenex? how can i remove this? its been in there for almost 4 hours now but i dont want to touch her eye or make it worse /:


                                                  • NewBunnyOwner123
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                                                      It should make it’s way out of the eye naturally.


                                                    • victoria nicole
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                                                        okay thank you! i just feel so bad for her because i know that has to be so annoying! haha. thanks for all your help! im glad binky bunny exists! 


                                                      • MeggoWaffle
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                                                          A few members on here have had very bad experiences with harnesses, including broken bones.

                                                          I wonder if they would let you step through holding her wrapped in a towel. If so, you could put a towel on the bottom of the carrier, wrap each side around her like a hot dog bun to take her out, walk through, and pop her back in the carrier. Something you can ask TSA about, and then practice ahead of time.


                                                        • victoria nicole
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                                                            i was thinking that too! thats how i used to get her on to my bed before she was big enough to jump on it herself. id wrap her in a blanket and support her feet. of course, it took a few tries to get her actually in the blanket but yeah /: id die if she escaped too, but im going to have to figure out something :c this seems to be the only thing stressing me out now haha


                                                          • Dwarf Sparrow
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                                                              As far as harnesses go, I think it depends on the rabbit- I had a mini lop who was completely fine with being in a harness and on a leash, but Merida absolutely flips out (her eyes bug, she runs, she flails, you name it- needless to say after a few attempts to get her used to it, I gave up entirely).

                                                              Is there someone who could help you clicker train her, so if you use a blanket-holding technique she associates it with a good thing? I’m thinking you could practice wrapping her up, and click (& treat) when she doesn’t struggle. Then maybe advance to wrapping her and picking her up for a short amount of time, and have a helper click (& treat) to reward a lack of struggling.


                                                            • victoria nicole
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                                                                what sort of harness is best? ive seen some that look like little vests! and merida is such a cute name! everytime i see videos online of holland lops they seem so chill. especially compared to fufsy /: shes a lionhead. idk if its all of them or just her though ha.

                                                                anyway, what is clicker training? does it actually work? whenever i wrap her and set her on the bed, id give her a papaya tablet (her bunny crack lol) but i still dont think she quite understood bc the next day, id try to do the same thing and itd just be a challenge. idk where i went wrong! hahaha. but really, everyone i know calls her the worlds most loved rabbit. shes out playing basically all day. even when i had work, shed still get at least 5 hours of play time. i pet her, talk to her. but shes not as nice as others /: shes never really even plopped down next to me to rest or anything. ive had her two years too and give nothing but attention so idk where i went wrong lol 


                                                              • Dwarf Sparrow
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                                                                  It doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong at all- different rabbits just have different personalities I’m not sure what harness might be best- I’ve only used ones that kind of look like the ferret harnesses, as opposed to the “vest” ones, but again your bun might want to have nothing to do with it.

                                                                  Basically, clicker training helps your bunny identify the exact moment that they’re getting rewarded for. You use something that makes a “click” sound (cluck your tongue, use a pen, a dog clicker, etc) and teach your bun to associate the sound with getting a treat. For example, if you want to train your rabbit to “stand” on command, just using treats as reward might make the rabbit think that she was being rewarded for putting her feet *down,* because by the time you got the treat to her she would have come out of the desired position. Using a clicker allows you to click when she stands, and *then* give her a treat, and she’ll be much more likely to understand that it was the standing up that got her the snack.

                                                                  You can train them to do little tricks, or be less difficult about accepting health related procedures. It also takes a while, and really really helps if you do it on a daily basis. I use the clicker whenever I give Merida her treats at night (bribery for getting her back in her enclosure!)

                                                                  Information on clicker training:
                                                                  http://www.rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk/behaviour/how-to-clicker-train-your-rabbit
                                                                  http://www.rabbit.org/journal/4-12/clicker.html

                                                                  If you do an internet search for clicker training rabbits, it should bring up a lot more information for you, and videos!


                                                                • victoria nicole
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                                                                    is it super difficult to get the vest on them? she’s quite squirmy and just an all over princess when it comes to that stuff haha 

                                                                     

                                                                    that’s super cool though that you clicker trained your bunnies! i’m going to have to look up youtube videos of this! i have TONS of pens lying around, so i will start putting them to use! the only time i do anything to get her attention really, is to snap. normally when shes getting into something she isnt supposed to be getting into. she listens for the most part, but as far as getting her to do things like come to me, etc. not really happening ha. except, she has this hairbrush she looooves and she rubs her chin on it all the time and throws it around with her mouth lol, but if i wave it at her she will come hopping towards me. do you think since i snap my fingers at her when shes bad, she will get confused with that and clicking the pen/clicker? 

                                                                     

                                                                    how long did your bunnies take to learn? what tricks can they do? i’ve recently trained fufsy to jump on and off the bed on her own. i guess if you could count that as a trick? oh! and when i give her either APD pumpkin cookie or her oxbow immune support treats, she does this weird ritual where she will run around with it in her mouth in her cage. she will go from middle of the cage, to the potty and then under her hidey spot to eat it. happens every time!!

                                                                     

                                                                     


                                                                  • Dwarf Sparrow
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                                                                      hahaha that little ritual sounds too cute!
                                                                      If she’s squirmy then she’s probably not going to like a harness. Merida is a bit squirmy, too.
                                                                      I think their hearing is sensitive enough that Fufsy will be able to tell the difference. Also, when you “click” a pen it usually makes two little clicks when the nib comes out, so that should help her tell the difference, too. But if she starts to ignore the finger snapping, I guess you could switch to clapping or something.

                                                                      Occasionally Merida will come when I scritch the floor and call her, but mostly she ignores me haha. I think that’s just the bunny way.
                                                                      I spent about a week just getting her to associate the clicking with treats; during her normal treat time, I’d click as she took the snack from my fingers. It seems to take her 2 or 3 days to “learn” a trick- or figure out what I’m trying to get her to do- though sometimes I need to review with her. Merida knows how to “high five” (she puts her paw on my outstretched hand), stand, “walk” on her hind feet, jump up onto boxes, hop into her open carrier, throw a rattle, circle clockwise and counter-clockwise, and sometimes I treat her just for jumping into my lap.


                                                                    • victoria nicole
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                                                                        ahhh~ thats so cool! i want a bunny high five! and walking in her hind feet sounds super cute too! too excited to train fufsy now! haha its so cute when they throw things. fufsy throws her hair brush and paper towel rolls around. how old are your bunnies?


                                                                      • Dwarf Sparrow
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                                                                          I just have Merida right now; she’s about a year and a half old now. (I had mini lops ~8 years ago)


                                                                        • Poli
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                                                                            My advise would be to get used to holding her and get her used to it.
                                                                            Just scoop her up, one hand on either side of her body and, in a swift movement, pull her up and towards you. Rest her on your chest with her head on your shoulder and put your hands round her, supporting her bum. Rabbits like to be held firmly and securely. Pick up and put down quick so she’s not in an insecure position for longer than half a second. Talk to her the whole time, stroke her, reassure her. Give her a treat after you put her down.
                                                                            Start picking her up by kneeling on the floor next to her so you’re not picking her up far. Gradually lift her into higher positions as she settles down.
                                                                            Do it several times a day. You might have to chase her at first to catch her.
                                                                            I’ve had several rabbits and some of them have been very timid, but they all get used to being picked up and I’ve never had one who doesn’t love it. They’re really affectionate. You’ll probably find she becomes less timid and more curious of the world around her, since she’ll have your hugs for security.
                                                                            In a few days she’ll be used to being picked up and you can carry her through airport security and have her in your arms or on your lap whenever you want.
                                                                            I travel with my rabbit and have with the others too, but never on a plane. One thing I have noticed though is that they seem reluctant to eat or drink on journeys, so make sure she had plenty of food and fluids before the flight, keep her cool or warm, as necessary and make sure she has some food and a water bottle in her carrier, so she can partake when she’s ready. You may need to check with the airline how to manage that – do they still not let people take liquids on planes?
                                                                            Good luck. I couldn’t bear to leave my boy at home either!


                                                                          • victoria nicole
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                                                                              hi! sorry for the late reply, i just now saw your message. thanks for responding

                                                                              it seems everytime i try to pick her up, shes just too quick and runs away and im scared to just grab her in case she gets hurt. its like she know when shes about to be lifted too. idk how to calm her down and make her not run because she literally just jumps from my grasp :c

                                                                              where do you travel with your bunnies? is it just by car? do they eventually end up eating? im worried because my flight will be like, 12 hours and im freaking out she will refuse food and like die because of it. surely after a couple hours she will give in and eat, right? :o and im not sure about the liquids? i havent asked yet but i was going to attach a water bottle to her carrier but if they wont allow it then idk what to do D: 


                                                                            • victoria nicole
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                                                                                okay guys, i have one last thing i need your opinions on! since youre all rabbit savvy!

                                                                                if i have a choice to stop in LA (from tennessee, so around a 5-6 hr flight) & stay in a pet friendly hotel for a night, then go from LA to hawaii the next day (5-6 hour flight) would you guys recommend that instead of going straight from tn to hawaii?
                                                                                if i were to stay at the hotel, id most likely just buy a temporary/cheap medium sized cage for her to stay in for when i sleep, but leave it open when im awake so she can run around and of course she will have her food, etc.
                                                                                what do you guys think or should i just get the whole thing over with? (like a 12 hour flight with 2 stops/plane changes)

                                                                                thanks!


                                                                              • Dwarf Sparrow
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                                                                                  I can’t give experienced advice on the straight flight vs. pet hotel, but getting it over and done with might be better for her. I’m thinking she’ll still be pretty stressed out while she’s in a new place, until she figures out that she’s staying there for a long time (i.e. new home).

                                                                                  As far as picking her up, I would try petting her head (especially if that makes her settle down and/or go into a “submissive” position) and then cupping your hand over her face so she can’t see as easily or at all. At the same time, be down on the floor with her/ kneeling over her so that your chest is only a few inches or less from her back when you scoop her up. Then you can carefully turn her so that she faces you, stomach to stomach. Covering her eyes and having your body as close as possible to hers through the whole Picking Up Procedure should help calm her down at least a little bit.


                                                                                • Deleted User
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                                                                                    I can’t speak from personal experience re rabbits, I’ve not travelled with one, however, I have travelled (but not flown) with dogs often. I’m inclined to think the one shot flight would be better. Very frightening and upsetting but then its OVER! Even more unsettling to go through all those additional changes in environment. Unless it would make a really big difference in how you can help her when you reach your final destination I’d just get through it.

                                                                                    Also, I expect the one constant that will comfort her most through all these strange events is You, and your closeness and presence will be very important! For example you may need to leave her to go eat while at the hotel, … more stress and uncertainty.

                                                                                    Dogs who are used to being out in different places with their owners (like service dogs) will still noticeably tense or get stressed when their partner has to leave them, even if they stay with a person they know and trust, just for a few minutes. Much worse for an animal accustomed to staying in one place, you’ll be what helps her make the transition and the more you can be with her the safer she is likely to feel.

                                                                                    Best of luck!


                                                                                  • BassCase4
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                                                                                      Hi it’s been a while since this thread has been updated but I am travelling with my 2 year old netherland <g class="gr_ gr_195 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_run_anim Punctuation only-del replaceWithoutSep" id="195" data-gr-id="195">dwarf,</g> and was wondering if you had a successful trip with your bun, and how you went about holding him through security, my bunny hates being held as well. If you could reply that would be awesome!</p>


                                                                                    • LBJ10
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                                                                                        Hi! Welcome to BB! This thread is very old and this member doesn’t appear to be here anymore. If you have questions about flying with a rabbit, I would suggest creating a new thread so people will see it. If the piggyback on an old thread, people just see the original post and it causes confusion. I’m going to lock this thread. Let me know if you need help creating a new thread.

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                                                                                    Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A flying with bunny?