18 hour car ride

[steffiexxweffie]

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

So during my Thanksgiving, my parents decided we were going to go to my Aunt&Uncle's and cousin's house for Christmas. I live in New York and they live in Georgia. I told them that I'm not going unless my animals go (2 dogs and my bunny) becuase i can't have Christmas without them. So they said that the animals can come. We're going to drive down there, it's about an 18 hour drive and I need some suggestions on what to do with Patches my bunny. He hates the car even if he is only in there for 30 min, he breathes so heavily, his nose runs and he just hates it. Does anyone have suggestions on what to do to make him more comfortable in a car for 18 hours? All I have is a carrier for him and we can't bring his NIC cage because it wont fit out the door of my house.

 

[missyscove]

What will he be staying in when he gets to Georgia?
I'd suggest that you do something similar to what they do with the cats in this video to get him used to riding in the car in his carrier. Leave the carrier where he can go in and out of it and make it smell like him and then start taking him just out to sit in the car and then for short rides in the car.

http://www.catalystcouncil.org/resources/health_welfare/cat_carrier_video/

 

[MiserySmith]

I know you can knock out cats and dogs for stressful trips. Maybe there'd be something similar for rabbits? I'd check with your vet. My bunny is good in the car and we drove for 2 days with him and 4 other animals and he was fine. We kept him in the bathroom when we stayed at a hotel for the night but yeah.
If you're able to get a cage similar to his in the place you're staying that may help calm him down.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

My first instinct is to suggest housing him with a sitter if that's a possibility. We have a couple of other slaves here and trade off sitting. We will be sitting Peanut again in April as larryng is going to a wedding in CA.

 

[ldoerr]

I would try to get him used to it. If you cant I think that it would be in his best intrest to leave him at home with a sitter. If you were closer I would take care of him.