long road trip with rabbits

[Liv]

Hello everyone! I am going to be traveling to Florida next week and I am bringing my two rabbits with me. The reason I am bringing them is because we are going for about a month and I feel like that is too long to leave them. Both my buns are very nervous in the car but the longest they have ever driven is about 40 minutes to the vet. Does anyone have any advice on how to keep them as calm and comfy as possible in the car?

Also, I am going to be bringing their x-pen with me and was wondering if I should set it up at a rest area and let them out to run around a little or should I keep them in their carrier the whole time? The carrier is not very big. It is just big enough for them to fit comfortable and be able to spread out a little. Would 14 hours be too long for them to stay in the carrier?

I also bought some stuff called rescue remedy for pets which can be used for rabbits to calm anxiety. Has anyone used this on their own rabbits? If so did it work good? I am hoping it will help them not be as stressed.

Thank you in advanced for all the replies! Any advice you can give me is greatly appreciated:)

[Louiethebunny]

14 hours is a very long time for rabbits to be in the car, I would recommend giving them time outside of the carrier to at least feed them, and they most likely won’t take any food, so most people recommend giving water and food with a syringe. I would also give them some break time to use the litter box and such. Some people also like giving their rabbits calming herb blends to help keep nerves down during the ride, it usually does work.

[Liv]

I know it is a very long time. I would much rather leave them at home but I feel that it is way too long to leave them. I was definitely planning on feeding them and giving them water throughout the trip. Should I give them critical care or just mush up some food and put it in a syringe? I am going to bring some of their favorite treats along so I am hoping they will take that. I will definitely try some herbs out to help calm them down and give them time outside the carrier. Thank you for all of your advice!

[DanaNM]

I wouldn’t recommend setting up a pen a rest stops, they would likely be very scared and could escape. Rather, I think you would just want to take a lot of breaks to make sure they eat and drink, because a lot of rabbits won’t eat in a moving car. But, some get used to it and start eating, and eventually will sleep.

I know some members here have made long journeys before, so hopefully they will chime in.

In unfamiliar territory, the carrier is actually the bun’s safe zone, so getting them in and out might be more stressful? I did make a journey of about 5 hours with buns in the car and they did OK. Typically you want the carrier filled with hay, and have some nice fresh veggies to offer as snacks when you take breaks to get some water in them, as they might not drink at all.

Is it possible for you to split the journey into two or three days? I know people have set up pens in pet-friendly hotels when traveling.

It’s also important to think about how easily stressed your rabbits get. Some bunnies will go into stasis over a trip to the vet for a check up, but others are fine with going on adventures. If your bunnies fall in the first category, it would be much better for them to find a sitter who can care for them while you are gone.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Liv]

Thank you for all of your advice. I would prefer to get a pet sitter but we don’t actually know how long we are going for so it could be longer than a month. For that reason I would not want to leave them and it would be extremely expensive to pay for a petsitter for that long.

So I shouldn’t actually take them out of the carrier at all? Should I just open the top of the carrier and offer them treats and veggies that way? How often do you think I should offer them veggies and water?

Thank you for all the help 🙂

[DanaNM]

I think it would be important to take long breaks where you can let them out of the carrier in an indoor location (such as a hotel room) with no chance of escape, so they would actually feel safe.  Plus shorter breaks where they stay in the carrier but the car just isn’t moving. How frequently kind of depends on your bunnies. Some bunnies do adapt well to the car and will sleep, eat, groom themselves, etc., but others will just freeze up. Do you have a sense of how your buns do with the car now?

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Liv]

The only times my rabbits have ridden in the car is when I was bringing them home from adoption and when they went to the vet. The farthest they have driven is 40 minutes to get spayed and neutered. They both kind of just sat their frozen like you said. However I am hoping that they will get used to it since it will be a much longer distance. We will definitely take breaks to help calm them down.

[Liv]

Update: I just wanted to let everyone know that the trip went great! At first they were very stressed and wouldn’t eat but then they started eating there hay and veggies. Thank you so much for all of the advice! It helped me so much🙂

[Louiethebunny]

Super great!! happy to hear that!

[DanaNM]

that’s great to hear. 🙂

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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