Is a 7 hour car ride okay for a rabbit?

[Mia]

My parent’s first plan was to have our neighbor check up on our rabbit every other day and take care of him. Firstly, I didn’t approve because I wanted my rabbit to have company 24/7, and my oldest brother loves him, so why not? The only problem is that my other brother (who is leaving soon to move into an apartment anyway) would have to drive 7 hours to my oldest brother’s apartment. But my rabbit wouldn’t have to go straight back to the car, as we will be gone for an entire month, and by the time we come back we are both planning to meet in the middle, driving 3 1/2 hours each to Dallas, but still we would have to drive all the way back home. I just don’t know what to do, and would appreciate some feedback! (If traveling would be okay, should we get a pet carrier, expensive as they are, and what about when the rabbit needs to go to the bathroom?)

[Mikey]

Traveling by car is usually ok for rabbits. Youll want a carrier thats small so stopping and turning wont flip the rabbit, but you want something big enough that the rabbit can sit/loaf or lay down. I use a medium sized cat carrier. Youll want something soft layering the bottom so they dont slide around. Youll want want to litter the bottom with hay. Most rabbits do not eat while on car rides, so youll want to stop every hour or two at the least to feed, water, and pet the bunny for 10+ minutes. Make sure they are eating, give them a bowl of water to drink, and check their poops to make sure they are pooping and that the poop is normal sized. If the rabbit stops eating/drinking/pooping, set up an appointment as soon as possible as soon as you reach your destination so they can get checked over for stasis

If your rabbit is litter trained and OCD like one of my bunnies (he will only go in his litter box), bring your bunny’s litter box with and let it do its business during the 10+ minute break every hour or two

[Aki]

I use a cat carrier as well for mine and they’ve done 5+ hour travels with no problems. It’s not particularly expensive either. Mikey is right about putting something in the bottom to avoid the rabbit sliding around (I hadn’t thought about that the first time and it was a very unpleasant experience for both the rabbits and I). I use a cisal mat.
The main danger for rabbits during car rides is the heat and deshydratation. I would take leafy greens in a cooler or something and stop every few hours to give some after wetting them with water. It will be easier than making the rabbit drink from a bowl.

[bunnin]

my bunny has done 2 week long roadtrips (cross country moves) three times now and has been fine each time.

i purchased a large cat carrier at a yardsale for $10 and use that for him. perhaps you could find one as well if you wanted to go yardsaling, or even look into local buy and sale facebook groups if you’re worried about the cost. you might find a good deal (just be sure to give it a good wash first!).

i covered the bottom with wood shaving (he’s litter trained but will go in shavings too), put a handful of hay in and some pellets, and hooked up a water bottle which id put fresh water in during stops. he also had greens available to eat at his regular feeding times. and i put some things in his carrier for him to chew (to give him something to do), and one of his fav stuffies (something to comfort him).

the worst trip was in the summer because of the heat, so id advise keeping an eye on bun to make sure he isn’t panting or looking ill. if he’s looking hot wet him with a bit of water (i put it on the back of bun’s ears), and see if you can’t get them to drink some water.

and of course on stops id let him out to roam the vehicle or hold him.

also, i keep out anything my bun might need in emergency, like baby oval or pedialyte, droppers to give it to him, etc. like a bunny care bag lol.

[binkiessince2010]

When I had my last rabbit, Hoppers, we went down to My Granparents, about 12 hours away. We took hoppers in a cage. every 3 hours or so, we’d stop take her out of the cage, and let her hop around on her kitten harness and leash. she ate grass, and we would clean out the poops in her carrier, and refresh her water. At this time, she was eating pellets all day, with no restrictions, (we were inexperinced…) and we had a bowl with those in her cage too. She seemed fine. I don’t know if your rabbit is as easygoing as hoppers was, but I’d say he/she’ll be fine.

[Author]

Messages