Bringing a bunny to college?

[bunny34422]

Hi all, I'm going to dorm in my college campus next year and I've been considering bringing my dutch boy with me as the college has a pet-friendly residence that allows rabbits. This is mostly because since I've been doing school from home, I'm the one who spends around 10+ hours with him everyday and the human that he's 'bonded' to the most. I got him during quarantine, so he's used to someone being with him almost all day. If I were to leave him home, he'd be left in the care of my mom who's usually at work and my younger teen siblings, but none of them spend as much time with him as I do.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm worried that bringing him to college (5ish hrs away from home) may be too stressful to him. If I decide to leave him home, then I will try to find him a spayed girlfriend in hopes of bonding them before I go so that he won't be as lonely, though this may take awhile since I can't get him neutered until mid/late January. Finding a neutral area where I can keep them in for several hours for bonding will also be a bit difficult (my grandma's a little allergic so I have to keep my boy away from her), but I'll make it work.

Any thoughts on what I should do? I want to do what's best for him without stressing him out too much, so I've been leaning towards adopting a girlfriend for him and just hope that the bonding process goes smoothly.

 

[JBun]

If you're the one that spends the most time with him and seems the most bonded to, if you think you will still be able to spend a good amount of time with him at college and he will be getting more attention than he would get staying at your home, then I would bring him if he can manage the journey(for some rabbits it can be really hard to travel). I know of a few people that have had their buns with them at college and it worked out well. A lot of rabbits can adapt fine to the change as long as they are with their favorite person. But if he's the type that gets super stressed with change, bringing him may not be the best option.

If you think leaving him back home would work best, but he's not going to have someone there spending a lot of time with him, getting him a companion would be good if you can find the right one for him. Last thing you want is a difficult bond where they never settle into a happy contented bond.

 

[SableSteel]

5 hours is not much of a trip in the scheme of things. I make trips like that regularly, for shows. I've travelled up to 18 hours with rabbits before without issue. Just make sure that they are a carrier with good grip on the bottom and good airflow. And not too large of a carrier; just like with horse carriers you don't want something big enough that they can get thrown around in it whenever you stop or accelerate. I like something just long enough for them to lay down, and just wide enough for them to turn around. I prefer travel carriers with a wire floor so that they can grip onto it and don't end up sitting in their own urine. Wouldn't travel with anything else. You can buy those from rabbit supply stores. Rabbits don't usually eat when they're travelling, but you can provide water (water bottles will leak with the vibration from the car moving), and hay for something to munch on + something to pad the bottom/sides if you want.

A small trip like 5 hours shouldn't be a barrier between taking your rabbit or not. Any healthy rabbit should do fine on such a trip. I wish I had a pet friendly dorm when I was in college, so take advantage of what you can.

https://www.kwcages.com/cages/transport-cages/16-x-8-x-10-transport-cage-1-compartment.html