Traveling/Car ride with bunny - advice

Hi everyone, looking for some advice! I will be traveling to the beach for 4 days and I’m contemplating on whether I should bring my bunny or not. It would be about a 3 hour car ride if I did. However, I know that car rides can be stressful for bunnies and I really don’t want it to be too stressful for him.
I’m extremely hesitant to leave him in anyone’s else’s care since last month when I was gone for a week I left him with someone that ended up handling him incorrectly and long story short he had to get surgery for a dislocated hip (completely broke my heart!).
I don’t really have anyone close to me that knows how to handle bunnies but I could leave him with my boyfriend who has agreed not to try to handle him at all and just cover the basics until I get back. I’m just nervous to leave him again!
So, what do you think? Too stressful for the car ride or bring him? Should I just keep him with my boyfriend and stay in close contact?
Thank you in advance!

Waiting on someone to answer you for future knowledge.

You can teach your bunnies to be comfortable with car rides. Both my bucks will just flop in their travel cage and sleep. They will also eat their wet veggies and hay.

So car rides aren’t stressful for them but in the beginning it was a little stressful. Before they was used with car, train and being in a place with a lot of people. But my bunnies soon got used with it. I often stuff the travel cage with fresh hay, wet veggies and have treats in my pocket as encouragement.

So the whole travel thing for my bunnies are something fun for them and relaxing with a lot of yummy stuff to eat.

But if it’s an old bunny, I would avoid it. I have a old doe that get extremely stressed traveling, so I just let her travel short distance max 1 hour for her. Adopted her when she was 4 years and now she’s 6 years old (french lop) so she’s old for her breed already getting gray fur patches ^^

Make sure your car won’t be so hot in it, so your bunny won’t overheat :3

Hermelin said:

You can teach your bunnies to be comfortable with car rides. Both my bucks will just flop in their travel cage and sleep. They will also eat their wet veggies and hay.

So car rides aren’t stressful for them but in the beginning it was a little stressful. Before they was used with car, train and being in a place with a lot of people. But my bunnies soon got used with it. I often stuff the travel cage with fresh hay, wet veggies and have treats in my pocket as encouragement.

So the whole travel thing for my bunnies are something fun for them and relaxing with a lot of yummy stuff to eat.

But if it’s an old bunny, I would avoid it. I have a old doe that get extremely stressed traveling, so I just let her travel short distance max 1 hour for her. Adopted her when she was 4 years and now she’s 6 years old (french lop) so she’s old for her breed already getting gray fur patches ^^

Make sure your car won’t be so hot in it, so your bunny won’t overheat :3

Click to expand...

This is really helpful! Thank you!

Since your trip is only 4 days, I would suggest keeping bunny home. If it was going to be a longer trip, then the travel time could be worth it. But with such a short trip, it would be constant stress for bunny. It would take him several days (at least) to adjust to the new location -- to him it is a new "home." But by the time he finally begins to adjust, it would be time to turn around and head back with another long car ride.

I agree with Hermelin that it is beneficial to get a bunny used to car travel. There is no downside to getting him gradually used to such travel.

I have taken my rabbits on trips with me, but only longer trips -- closer to 2 weeks -- because I know that they will have time to get settled and relax. For shorter trips (long weekends or less than a week), then that short of a stay will be stressful regardless of the length of the car ride.

Blue eyes said:

Since your trip is only 4 days, I would suggest keeping bunny home. If it was going to be a longer trip, then the travel time could be worth it. But with such a short trip, it would be constant stress for bunny. It would take him several days (at least) to adjust to the new location -- to him it is a new "home." But by the time he finally begins to adjust, it would be time to turn around and head back with another long car ride.

I agree with Hermelin that it is beneficial to get a bunny used to car travel. There is no downside to getting him gradually used to such travel.

I have taken my rabbits on trips with me, but only longer trips -- closer to 2 weeks -- because I know that they will have time to get settled and relax. For shorter trips (long weekends or less than a week), then that short of a stay will be stressful regardless of the length of the car ride.

Click to expand...

That’s true - thank you! I guess I just have to get over my fear and trust that he’s going to be okay.