Holiday Travel with Bunny

[PixelGirl2dot0]

Hi everyone!

My husband and I are planning on travelling back to our hometown for the Thanksgiving holiday. Our conundrum is whether or not to bring our bun along. She'll be 7 months by end of November, and it would be an 8 hour car ride (one way), which is what I'm worried about. I'd love to have her with us, but not at the sacrifice of her well being.

We have someone here who can house-and-bun-sit for us while we'd be gone, but it's the difference of having her with us for the whole Thanksgiving week, or just travel for 3 or 4 days and have someone else watch her till we get back. I don't really want to leave her alone for the whole week - she's used to having free run of our upstairs all day since I work from home, and the person we'd have watch her I don't think would be comfortable trying to wrangle her back into her hutch for the evening or chase her around.

She seems to do fine in the car on the short trips to the vet and such, and she'd have all the comforts of home where we'd be visiting.

Anyone have any experience with long-hauls for buns?

 

[qtipthebun]

We do four hours all the time. Tippy doesn't mind. I've never tried a drive longer than 4 (except for that time when it was pouring rain and took over 6 to get home)....she was a little annoyed at me after that, but....she was in a tiny carrier.

People will have more suggestions about types of cages and stuff to drive with, but since I've never done a long drive like that....

 

[PixelGirl2dot0]

Thanks for the reply!

We have a hard-sided kitty crate (but I guess for a monster-sized kitty!) that we bought for her when we thought we might have to evacuate for Sandy that I think will work for travel. She can bunny flop width-wise in it no problem, about 2 full flops long-wise. Room for hay/food and I can hang her water bottle in the holes on the side.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We brought 17 with us and it took 12 hours to get here when we moved. We kept everyone in their own hutch and they were all fine. If she's not a nervous traveler I'd take her, but, either way she should be fine--it's only a few days, not months.

 

[PixelGirl2dot0]

Excellent thanks! I think sometimes I'm a little overprotective of a bunny momma Always good to find out other's experiences!

 

[majorv]

If you're giving her food and water on the trip then you'll need a litter box, towelor something to catch the urine.

 

[PixelGirl2dot0]

Just wanted to thank everyone for the great advice - we made the 8 hour trip up to our hometown for the week last night and Bea did great! She was a little cranky last night, but today she's all settled in and her normal binky silly self

I actually ended up getting crafty and getting one of those plastic overhead lighting covers - the grid kind - and cutting it to fit the bottom of her crate, and I put a puppy pad underneath to catch puddles, and her resting mat on top of it. I cut a makeshift temporary hay rack out of a piece of cardboard and hooked it up in the back, and got a tiny water bottle (holds about a cup and a half) and hooked it to the door along with the crate dish for a little food. Worked fantastically!

I also threw a little fleece blanket over the top of her crate while in the car so she didn't get cold New England drafts or sunbeams through the window.

Happy bun = happy momma! She did great!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:clapping: