Travel

[Whobott]

Ok so i have lots of questions. I will be going away in a couple months on vacation. We will be gone for almost two weeks, there are no pet sitters that i can get around here, and i wol prefer not to board him. My aunt lives abou two horus away from me and i was hoping to bring him there, i would borrow my grandmas dog crate and bring his x-pen to use as hs cage and bring his food, bowls, etc. there are four of us that have to go in one car so can i bring him in his pet carrier for te two hours? My aunt has a cat a dog and somtimes a rabbit is there, he would probably have his own room though, would staying there be too stressful? I think we would go a day early to spend his first night there with him, long story short: how do i travel with him, is it a bad idea to bring him there, how can i prepare?

Thanks!

[Emma Divine]

I think being in his pet carrier for 2 hours will be fine, as long as he has access to food and water and maybe one or two stops. Bunnies won’t usually drink while traveling so stops would be a time for him to hydrate. Two hours isn’t that long so I think he’ll be ok stress-wise as long as the atmosphere in the car is farily chill and relaxed. A dog crate sounds like it might be a bit big for transporting a rabbit…you don’t want him rattling around and injuring himself if there are any sudden stops/turns. There are some good, inexpensive bun-sized carriers on amazon that might work. If that’s not a possibility for you, just make sure to drive carefully and that the crate is secure.

Re: the other pets at your aunt’s house: As long as he isn’t in direct contact with them (which it seems like he won’t be, since you said he had his own room), it’s not too loud (barking or what have you), and none of your aunt’s pets have any communicable diseases they could pass on to your bun, it should be fine. Sounds like you’ve got a great plan.

In terms of prep, I would check and see how much, if any, bunnyproofing needs to be done in the room he’ll be staying in at your aunts. Make sure to bring enough hay/pellets/veg to last both weeks. Also, it might be a good idea to type out specific rabbit care instructions just to make sure there isn’t any confusion about what he’s eating and when/how much. I would also give her the number of your vet as well as the number for the closest emergency animal clinic in case something happens as well as signs and signals of possible illness. Maybe also put down a list of common items that are toxic to bunnies (the HRS has a list I think).

Good luck!

[Megabunny]

Great advice. I second the whole “small space for travel”‘ buns feel more secure in a burrow-like area For travel. Don’t worry about two hours. Our rabbit went 15 hours in the car with some stops and was fine. Sounds like you’ve got a great place to take him. Be sure they know safe foods. Some people think Iceburg lettuce is ok. Just make sure they know not to give anything you haven’t approved. I always call a lot while I’m on vacation

[MoxieMeadows]

Emma Divine pretty much covered it all.

Traveling for 2 hours should be fine. My bun’s ride to the vet is about 45 minutes there and 45 minutes back, that’s and hour and a half, so I think your bun should be okay.

Like Emma was saying, as long as there isn’t direct contact between them and they don’t have any diseases that could be passed to him, he should be fine. Make sure he has enough supplies for the entire time you are gone, and maybe even a little extra just in-case. I would write down a list of toxic foods, any strange behavior that could point to signs of illness ect.

Gook luck!

[Whobott]

I wiuld first like to say thanks SO much! Very helpful! i suppose i caused a little confusion there, the dog crate will be part of his cage there, i have a carrier that was used for our cats (cleaned it VERY well lol) its pretty smal he has about 2-3 inches on either side of him while hes in it. My rabbit drinks out of a water BOWL not a bottle but i do have a bottle (at the shelter i got him from he used a bottle but once i got him he seemed to like the bowl better) so should i just make a bottle available or bring his bowl and pour water in when we stop? Also as far as i mnow the cat doesnt have any sickness but the dog has many, i dont tink any of them are ones that my rabbit can get but i will ask.

Megabunny- lol ill be calling them probably 2 times a day

Emma- the dog tends to bark a bit (not too much but enough where it could scare my bunny) anything i can do about that? Also, i have an x-pen and a dog crate that i will put together to be his cage while he is there, do you think they are big enough where he won need to come ou for floor time? Because i dont think they would let me bunny prof their house lol, and most of their hou is wood floors and my rabbit REFUSES to even touch hard floors.
Thanks so much!

[Megabunny]

While it’s nice to have them treated the same when they’re away from home, or even if someone is coming in to pet sit, you really have to just make do. And if it’s a new place, he may not want to run around anyway. But it sounds like you’re doing everything you can. I’ve attached crates and Xpens before. It usually has resulted in escapes until I figure out how to totally keep said rabbit in said cage ha ha.So he may get his own exercise in the beginning! if the enclosure is big enough for the litter box and food dishes and such, it’s probably OK for the couple of weeks. Honestly, what else CAN you do? And I don’t think it’s neglectful either!
Don’t stress about the water. If he’s not used to a bottle and you want to stop and offer him water, you can. But for two hours, I’d just worry about there being hay for him to munch. The shelter I’ve helped at put rabbits in rooms to run for 3-4 hours with nothing in there for them. Obviously, I didn’t condone this, but they were doing what they could, I suppose, and the rabbits survived just fine.

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