road trip!

[melissact]

We live in DC with our bun, Ernie, whose uncle (my brother) has never met him but watches him regularly on our buncam.  My brother and his fiancee live in NYC, which is a four hour car trip, and have been unable to make it down to visit for the last several months because they keep having to travel to other places due to impending wedding plans.  They’ve convinced us finally to drive up with Ernie to visit, because they really want to meet him.  We think Ernie would take it well (he’s a resilient little guy), but does anyone have any advice for the car ride?  We have a fairly small carrying case, because he generally only takes car rides from our house to the vet, a trip that takes all of 10 minutes.  We could buy a larger hard carrying cage for him for the trip up, but honestly, we don’t have any room to store it when we get back because we live in a small condo, and he has the run of the entire second bedroom. 

Would it make sense at all to lower the back seat, cover the back area with a blanket, put in a litterbox, and let him have the run of the back of the car?  No?  Put him in a box?  Get a cage and give it to a shelter after the trip?  Any ideas?

[kimberleyanddarren]

you can get carriers which fold flat, this would help with your storage problem, i think the car ride would be ok but i dont think having your bun loose is a good idea because if there was a crash he could get badly hurt, if he is securely in his carrier he will probably be better off, you could stop about half way down to let the bun out in the boot for some food, water and abit of a stretch then carry on

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I’m bad…but I found all of my bunnies feel better outside of a carrier, and I generally let them sit on the seat (I know that doesn’t sound the safest BUT I don’t really think that looping a seatbelt around a carrier would really do anything in an impact, and dogs are usually loose in cars too).

They pretty much just sit on the seat and look out the window. I like your idea of folding the seat down to give him room. Or you could just ‘bunny proof’ the back seat and put your stuff in the trunk… Good luck!

[rabbitsmba]

I’ve done 3 hour trips before and I always keep them in a carrier – safety! But I also always stop about half way and take them out. Usually it’s at one of those highway restaurant/rest stop places. I set up an xpen on some grass and take them out and let them hop around. I give fresh water, pellets and hay and I will wait until they have had time to stretch their legs, sniff the air, have a snack and a drink. We make it like a picnic – hubby goes in to get some food, comes back and we all hang out. It’s nice and you tend to get a lot of visitors checking you out, too. Of course, it adds time to any trip, but often it’s the best part of the trip and I know the bunns really appreciate the break.

[MarkBun]

It isn’t so much a crash as it is a sudden stop. Even slamming on your brakes at 15 mph could cause your bun to go flying and hurt themselves. With being in a carrier, they can’t get airborn and slam into something as both the bun and the carrier begin to de-accelerate together. The safety belt holds them from hitting an ‘abrupt’ stop as one would get slamming against the dashboard.

with that being said, I have let Maryann out of her carrier and let her ride on my lap for long trips.

BTW, wouldn’t want to give out that address for the bunny cam, would you?

[melissact]

I certainly *would* give out the address of the buncam, but apparently when too many people are on, it won’t let new people on to view him. The last thing I want is for *me* to get shut out of watching my bun. It the one highlight in an otherwise stressful workday.

[melissact]

(By the way, you know how much someone loves you when they get you a buncam for your birthday. Could never have thought of a better gift for me!)

[Scarlet_Rose]

I suggest buying a collapseable carrier if yours is really small. Nylabone makes them and they fold flat and I LOVE it! What is the temperature going to be like? Be sure to keep the sun from beating down thorugh the car windows, if you plan on having the rabbit in the back seat there are car shades that stick up with suction cups in the rear window, I got mine at Target and found it in the baby care section. There are also shades for the side windows I find it invaluable to use them rather than throwing a towel over the carrier which does not let the air circulate, also there are portable fans that run on batteries that attach to the doors of carriers now as well. Be sure to line the bottom of the carrier with a towel, bring extras and a plastic bag as well. If the one in the carrier gets soiled, place it in the plastic bag and change out with a new one. Take a harness with you for your rabbit and water and food. Be sure to also have a small bowl or special small water bottle made for small carriers in case your bun gets thirsty. Most of all remember to take hay with you!

Here is the Nylabone web site you can take a gander at the carrier:

http://www.nylabone.com/products/cozytime-pet-home-carrier.htm

[Beka27]

i was driving my dog (mutt, about 60 pounds) several years ago and he was sitting on the front passenger seat. he loves driving and watching out the windows. this time, i was cut off by another car and i had to slam on the brakes. he flew forward and hit the dashboard. HARD. he was okay, but just shaken up. i was so scared after that that i made him sit in the back from then on. another thing i would be concerned about is if the bun got tangled in your feet or stuck under your pedal and you were not able to control the car.

[kimberleyanddarren]

i have a dog seatbelt for my dogs.. does no-one else have this? you clip it into where a normal seatbelt goes and it clips onto the dog, it stops them being able to fly forward and hurt, most importantly, themselves and also yourself.
i dont think you should have them loose i know we wouldnt think about it if you had never had an accident like that, i know K&K did but if she had an experience like myself and Beka, she wouldnt have done so i think its a help to share advice because u can learn from us. if i hadnt had an accident before i wouldnt have thought about it either.

[Beka27]

i had heard aboutthose dog seatbelts, but i never had one. i just had never thought about him flying up like that because i’m a very cautious driver… but that is not taking into account all the morons on the road.

[kimberleyanddarren]

yer beka its not so much how u drive, its all those idiots about people who shouldnt even have passed their test (if they have even taken one) i read an article once about how a dog killed the driver by flying into the back of the seat and it caused the driver to fly forward causing fatal head injuries, i couldnt get it out of my head and my dogs are always in leads now, not only was the woman killed but they put the dog down like it was the dogs fault.. i nearly cry everytime i even think of the story

[ScooterandAnnette]

We just picked up one of those seatbelt tethers for Dakota. She hates it, but we make sure she wears it while she’s in the car. We decided to get one for her for several reasons. One is because she had a tendency to move around the back seat of the car, poke her head into the front, obstruct my view to the side or rearview mirror etc. Also because every time I had to brake she’d fall forward, sometimes in the back of the seat and sometimes into the centre console of the car. We just did a 14 hour drive with her in the car and she was belted/tethered the whole time. She can still stand up and lie down with it on so she’s not immobile or anything.

– Annette

[Beka27]

that’s good to know.  my parents have two dogs.  one is Benny… the one i mentioned previously who is my dog but lives at my parents b/c i couldn’t take him when i moved out (and now i have Meadow) and the other is Sheila my sisters dog.  Sheila is everywhere in the car.  and she’s bigger than Benny… she’s about 85-90 pounds, Ben is only 55-60 pounds.  Benny would always sit so nicely in the car, so again i never thought it was necessary.  some people even have the grates that go in the back…

but this isn’t even on topic.  sorry melissact!  you know us animal people, once we get going…  lol!

have you given anymore thought to what you’re gonna do?  i think he should definitely be confined, not lose.  maybe if you got a large cardboard box as a “car pen” put a shower curtain on the bottom so it would not soak thru and cover with some faux sheepskin or a blanket or towel for traction.  the smaller carrier could be used for actually transporting him to and fro.  what would you do for a cage once you got there?  do you have an xpen?  that would probably be easiest to allow for a safe play area… since i’m sure their home is not bun-proofed!

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