Leaving for 3 days. What would you do?

[Alisha]

So I have to leave town for 3 days. I’m driving to Vegas which is 8 hours away and back and the trip will be about 3 days. I feel really uncomfortable leaving Luna home alone for that long. My sister said she would come over twice a day to feed her but she’s not really going to stick around long to keep an eye on her or spend time with her and I’m not sure if I should just bring the rabbit with me. She’s usually fine in the car but that is a LONG drive. 

I’d like to hear some opinions or some insight if you’ve done something similar. I know there are mixed emotions on this topic. If I decide it’s safer to take her with me, I’ll probably build a cage for the back of my car so she can have her litter box and all that too. 

Thank you for any replies

[Nutmeg]

Oh man – Ya, that totally depends on the rabbit. My Rabbit would do better staying at home with just my mom popping in to check on her and make sure she hasn’t knocked over her water and to feed her than the car ride.

Mine would be more likely to go in to stasis from the shock of the long car ride then the risk of something happening when I’m away.

Again, every rabbit is different – but you are right – that is a long time in the car.

[Alisha]

It’s a tough decision because of the fact she’s super needy and needs my attention consistently throughout the day. She’s clingy. So if I leave, it’ll be super confusing and frustrating for her but a long car ride is going to be stressful as well and I’m not sure which one is worse for her. She adapts well but I haven’t attempted taking her away from home for that long so who knows if it’ll be just fine or a disaster. I’m not doing anything exciting. Just picking someone up from the airport and also staying in a hotel room for a couple nights. It’s not that I’m going on vacation, I kinda need to make this trip haha Hmm……

[Asriel and Bombur]

I have a very needy bunny (Bombur) and we just recently went away for 3 days. We had my husbands aunt check in on the boys and to feed them twice a day. She stayed about 2 hours to let each bun get an hour of roaming time. It worked out just fine. I know my boys wouldn’t handle the situation well though.

[Nutmeg]

Awwww ya – and you don’t want to find out 4 hours in that she isn’t coping well with that long of a car ride – plus trying to find a rabbit savy vet if you need it along the route.

Oh man – I just want to hug you from here. I would be nervous both ways too – but I would again opt to leave mine at home.

[Alisha]

I wish my sister was willing to stick around for a while and let her roam and give her attention and all that but nobody is really willing to help plus I’m super picky with who should help take care of her (as well as come into my apartment with a key obviously) but yeah :/

There are downsides to both options it seems D: haha

My rabbit was initially free roam but she needs to get fixed. She’s a bit too …aggressive with the carpet and sometimes sprays. It’s mostly the carpet that worries me. I don’t want her to consume too much or else I’d just give her my whole bedroom while I’m gone so she for sure is comfortable and has room to roam and run around. When she was a baby, I was able to give her half the apartment even when I was gone overnight because she wasn’t really getting into any trouble at that time. She does have a roomy 3 story condo. I’m mostly worried about her wondering why I’m not there and just in case she gets sick and nobody notices.

She’s been in the car a few times for 30 minute trips at a time. Sometimes she seems stressy. Other times she seems curious and wants to poke her head out and look around. I’m assuming if I take her on the trip, she’ll probably be stressed at first but then become curious and then probably not care after a while and just lounge around. That’s her personality mainly. But my first night I was going to sleep at my grandparents house when I got there and I won’t be able to take her in so I’d either have to leave her in the car (really don’t want to do that) or stay at the hotel an extra night. There are a lot of things I have to consider. I can’t smoke in the car if I take her as well so I might have to pull over more often which I’d probably have to do anyway to make sure she’s fine.

If I leave her home I’m probably going to be anxious the whole time worried about her. I’m terrible about that. When I first got her, I had a really hard time going to the grocery store worried about her back at home hahaha

[Nutmeg]

Well maybe this will be a good chance for her to get used to being a bit confined – as after her spay she will have to be confined for a good 10 days so that she doesn’t rip her stitches.

And ya, I wouldn’t leave her in the car lol. It’s amazing how much these little fluff balls get in to our hearts and make us worry!

[Alisha]

Yeah, I don’t know what it is! haha I’ve had cats, turtles, mice etc. But I’ve never been this attached to an animal before. She’s my little friend. My child. haha I think maybe because she has such a big personality and really looks up to me and we make each other feel safe and loved. She’s a sweetie.

[Cari]

So I had the same concerns when my husband and I had to go to Virginia (6 hours away) with 2 buns. They handled it ok, BUT I found a bunny sitter that is a rescue bun mom that boards bunnies or will check up on them. We have used her for one day and plan on using her for our 9 day vacation at Christmas. She knows what to look for if a bunny gets sick and what to do. Can you maybe look and see if you can find someone like that in your area? Good luck!

[Dasher]

When I was on vacation I set up an old phone as a camera so I could watch my bunny when I was gone. It worked out well idk if that’s something you can do.

[Alisha]

Yes, usually when I’m gone overnight I set up my webcam to watch her and I can tap into my desktop screen from my phone but it’s not entirely helpful if I’m going to be driving most the time :/ and my webcam can only get so much of her space with how the computer is located.

[BunnyNay]

It might be pricey but if you’re really worried have you considered boarding? I know that both rabbit rescues in my area offer it (some other places will board rabbits too, but I’d chose a bunny rescue over them).

[Alisha]

I personally don’t feel comfortable putting her in a place like that with lots of rabbits or a place that feels more like a jail than home, you know? She’s pretty much free roam and sleeps on my bed a lot of the time and she has a special diet and they can’t offer all of that to her. And I am not positive I have a decent one in my state. It took me days to find a rabbit savvy vet here and she’s an hour away. We have one place in the entire state where they keep rabbits and it’s the humane society and they put them in these tiny cages in a big room together and I just couldn’t do that to her personally.

[mimimomo]

When I moved from Ohio to Texas, I took my bunnies in the car with me (four ~6 hour days in the car). They did alright, but I think it was pretty stressful for them. I’m glad they had each other for company/support! Also, they already had a lot of experience riding in the car.

Personally, I think it would be better to leave Luna at home. It’s not cruel to leave a bunny in the cage for a few days, particularly if the alternative is something really stressful! Sure, Luna will probably be bored and miss you, but at least she’ll be in a familiar environment that she’s comfortable in. It’s not a bad thing for her to get used to that situation, anyway – what happens next time you take a trip and CAN’T take her with you, like a trip by plane or something?

I think Nutmeg is right that it probably depends on the bunny, so maybe I’m wrong! You know Luna better than we do But make sure you’re thinking about what’s really best for Luna instead of what’s best for your own peace of mind!

By the way, if you do end up bringing her in the car with you, putting a cage/litterbox together might not be worth it – I kept my bunnies in a large carrier while in the car and even though there was plenty of space, they stayed huddled in the back and didn’t even want to move around to get water/treats. I think the vibration and bumps in the road make it hard for bunnies to hop around steadily while the car is moving.

[joea64]

I’ve driven Panda and Fernando down to North Carolina with me a couple of times in the past year (and am planning to go down with them again for Thanksgiving next month), about a 6- to 8-hour drive depending on various factors, and I’ve observed behavior like that mimimomo describes. They have a big carrier, but whenever they’re loaded in it and are in a moving car, they generally just stay huddled up together in the litterbox placed for them inside the carrier (cushioned with litter and hay). I agree the vibrations and bumps probably discommode them, like yours.

When I can’t take them with me – like earlier this month, when I went up to Gettysburg and Antietam over Columbus Day weekend – I always take them to the rescue, Friends of Rabbits, from whom I adopted them; they offer bunny-sitting/boarding services and it’s quite a comfortable environment for them, not jail-like at all. They get big X-pens set in large plastic pools with hidey boxes, litterboxes and IKEA beds, and lots of care and attention from the staff. I wouldn’t want to leave them alone at home longer than I have to (which is during the working day), since I don’t really have anyone local to me who can come to feed and check on them regularly.

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