Traveling long distances with a bunny

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rhianna

rhianna

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Joined
Jun 20, 2013
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Location
New York
I know there are several threads about traveling with bunnies, but those are usually 1-2 hour trips. I have a question about traveling for longer.

So because of a family emergency type of thing, my mom and I might have to go to North Carolina (from New York) in mid-January and we take the car, so it'll be about a 12 hour drive. Bear has been in the car before (when I first brought him home and when I took him to the vet) for just over an hour each way both times and he's done fine. I just wanted to make sure he'd be okay for 12 hours each way. Of course we'll be making stops and I'll take him out for a stretch (he does very well on a leash). I do also have a question about carriers- Bear's carrier is a <10 pound dog carrier, it's a perfect size for him for short trips. He's able to stretch out and turn around but he's not able to hop around or anything. I usually put him in it when I clean his cage (he's not neutered so if I let him free range unsupervised while I clean the cage he'd wreck everything) and he does very well in it. I think he actually likes it, he'll spend time munching on the hay cube that I always give him and then he'll just flop out and sleep. I'm just unsure if it'll be too cramped for him for a long trip. I do have a larger carrier, which is for 20-30 pound dogs, and it'd give Bear enough room to hop a bit and have a few toys to keep him entertained. However I heard that bigger carriers are more dangerous because the rabbit can be tossed around in them during car rides. So which one should I use?

The only alternative that I have to bringing him with me is bringing him to my mom's friend's house. She used to have a rabbit so she knows generally how to care for them, but I'm really just worried about the complete change in environment. He'd have to be in a temporary cage and he'd be in a complete new environment with new people and everything. I'm his fourth owner already and I don't want him to think he's moving again. At least on the road trip he'd still be with me and possibly be in his familiar carrier.

Any advice would be very helpful, I'm hoping to get everything sorted out ahead of time so that the trip will be easy and stressful. Thanks a bunch :pinkbouce:
 
The furthest I have gone with my rabbit is about 6 hours one way. It was for a weekend (doing rabbit agility), so a busy weekend for them. They did fine, but were also ones that don't stress too much. I did have 2 of them brought up from Oregon, so that was about 12 hours and an over night stay to get them here and they didn't seem fazed at all. Some rabbits do stress more, but most rabbits can handle the longer trips without too many issues. That your rabbit is used to the carrier and will eat in it is a huge bonus.

I would not go more than one carrier size bigger. It will give more room, but still be secure. The real risk is if you are involved in an accident or you stop suddenly. Using the seat belt to secure the carrier and having is facing sideways does help as well.

Make sure you bring supplies. If you can take the cage, that can work well. If you can't, a pen is the best option. Get a tarp to lay down, then put a blanket or something on top. This helps protect the floor and keep some mess contained. Take anything you may need on a daily basis and things to help him feel at home. A litter box, bed, and other items are good. Make sure to have enough food and hay to last a few days at least, you should be able to buy more if needed. I would suggest only taking a couple days of veggies to make sure they stay fresh, you should be able to easily buy more on your trip as well. Cleaning items are good as well from a dust pan and brush, litter scoop, paper towel, and garbage bags.
 
Korr_and_Sophie covered things pretty well... I'd just like to add one thing. It's not really possible to have a water bowl or bottle available when the car's moving without making a mess and a bunny may not necessarily get that he has to do his drinking during stops - if you've got an insulated lunch box or a little cooler or something, you might offer him damp leafy greens while the car is moving or maybe even give him a water bowl with a few ice cubes but no water so he can lick them a bit as they melt (assuming someone will be in reach of the carrier to remove the bowl and put a lid on it or dump it out the window when it gets too melted, of course).
 
Thanks for all of the advice. Knowing that he'll probably do well on the trip is a huge relief. Is it important that I buy a slightly larger carrier, or will he be just fine in the one he currently has? This is the one I have for him, in the smallest size: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Petmate-Pet-Taxi-Travel-Kennel-Multiple-Sizes-Available-Cats-Dogs/16785059

Also, would it be okay to have the carrier on the floor by my feet? I'd like to be able to keep an eye on him during the trip and also talk to him through the carrier to help him keep calm. That's how it was when he went to the vet, and the carrier fit nice and snug between my seat and the "walls" of the car.

I'm not able to take the cage with me at it's a massive dog crate and takes forever to assemble/disassemble. I thought about bringing an NIC pen but the problem with that is he's a very good jumper and could clear the sides of a pen in no time. I might purchase a bunny cage for cheap on Craigslist to keep him in while we're there. I also plan on bringing his pellets, hay cubes (his favorite snack), one bag of hay, his litterbox, cleaning supplies, a few of his favorite toys, his favorite grassy bed, and of course food/water dishes. I'll probably just buy a bag of litter while I'm there because he goes through so much of it and I can't justify lugging a 20 pound bag along with me.

We'll only be staying for about 1-2 weeks. We're going to be staying in a hotel but most of each day we'll be spending at my aunt's house. What I'll likely do during that time is bring the whole setup to my aunt's with us and put him in their spare bedroom. It'll be a bit of trouble to lug it back and forth but I hate the idea of leaving him alone in a hotel room all day every day that we're there.
 
That's a good idea for water, Imbrium. When I made the trip with my gerbils I offered them cucumber for water. I'll probably use ice cubes for Bear because he's currently not used to eating veggies (as recommended by my vet due to some digestive problems). I have one of those dishes that clips to the door of the carrier so that it won't tip and spill the ice cubes onto him.

We usually stop every 3ish hours so I'll give him fresh water from a dish each time we stop. As I mentioned in the first post I'll take him out on his leash during this time as well so he can have a hop around.
 
Aww, poor bunn, it's no fun when one's tummy says "no" to those tasty veggies!

Is it the kind of dish that comes with the carrier or one of those crock dishes (like this)? The ones that come with the carrier are really shallow and would probably slosh as soon as the ice started melting, but even the small sized crocks are quite deep - you could probably put an inch or so of straight water in one and it would be fine. If it's mounted low enough, he shouldn't have trouble reaching that far down into it to drink - my dwarf bunns dive right into the bottom of theirs to scarf up their daily pellet ration :p.

I'd be a little iffy about using a leash and harness at rest stops - there's a lot of unfamiliar sounds, smells and sights that could spook even the bravest bunny. I know you said he's a jumper, but what about having a little pen you could toss up for him *and* using the leash, that way if he tried to dart he'd get thwarted by the side of the pen instead of getting jerked back when the leash ran out?

If you already have NIC grids, you could potentially make a larger carrier out of grids (giving him more space without costing you money) - maybe 1x1x1 or 1x1.5x1... though that wouldn't fit between your feet.
 
The crock that he has is this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/321276780220?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649 so it is a bit shallow. I'll see about getting a deeper one, such as this (I'll just have to find one a bit cheaper): http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lixit-Corpo...845?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5af0f123e5

I currently live on a highway and there's a mining company behind my house and a railroad crossing up the road, so Bear's pretty much used to strange noises. I take him outside regularly and at first he was afraid but now he's completely fine. I also have one of those stretchy leashes that doesn't jerk him when he runs. Of course at the rest stops I'll use good judgement to make sure there's no potential threats or anything too scary around, such as big dogs or buses, before taking him out.

The carrier that I have is probably about the size of a 1x1.5x1 NIC carrier, so I guess he does have enough space in it :)
 
The crock that he has is this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/321276780220?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649 so it is a bit shallow. I'll see about getting a deeper one, such as this (I'll just have to find one a bit cheaper): http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lixit-Corpo...845?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5af0f123e5

I currently live on a highway and there's a mining company behind my house and a railroad crossing up the road, so Bear's pretty much used to strange noises. I take him outside regularly and at first he was afraid but now he's completely fine. I also have one of those stretchy leashes that doesn't jerk him when he runs. Of course at the rest stops I'll use good judgement to make sure there's no potential threats or anything too scary around, such as big dogs or buses, before taking him out.

The carrier that I have is probably about the size of a 1x1.5x1 NIC carrier, so I guess he does have enough space in it :)
 
I actually had a 12+ hour drive when I first got my boys because I went to Colorado Springs to adopt them and I live in Vegas. They rode in their cage wedged in the backseat. They traveled wonderfully, mainly sleeping and eating their hay and pooping. I dint really have anything to add to what the others said other than I believe my bunnies traveled better than I did.
 
Over 12 hours to get your bunnies? You must be pretty committed :) Let's hope Bear will travel as well as yours did!
 
Yeah, $15 is ridiculous for that! I was grumbly about paying $5-6 for one. Walmart sells them in the small animal section, by the way, which is a little cheaper than pet stores - that's where I got mine.

Sounds like you've got things pretty well planned out now :). You might bring a couple little toys like baby links ($4 for a couple dozen at Walmart), plastic baby keys or a little slinky - something he can throw around when he gets tired of snoozing through the trip.
 
I'll probably get one from walmart as well, I don't have many pet stores around me anyways (the closest and only one is petsmart 20 minutes away). He has tons of toys which includes several sets of baby links and other baby toys, so I'm planning on bringing a few of those as well as some of his favorite chew blocks. Thank for the help :)
 
We make 12 hour drives periodically with callaway. We put towels in the back seat, put his litter box and water bowl along with a toy we always keep in his cage but never plays with for familiarity. We put his hay bucket thingy in his litter box. Generally he stays in his litter box the entire drive and comes out when we stop. He won't wear a harness so we cannot take him out of the car. He is fine once he gets to my inlays house. He has a large dog crate set up almost exactly like his cage at home and having the things from his cage (even the toy he doesn't play with) seems to help him settle in.

Just try to make him comfortable and if you can give him breaks stops periodically to stretch his legs. :)
 
Bird coop cups works well for water, and they come in a few sizes. I haven't really had a problem with them spilling too much. It is good to have something somewhat deep (1-2"). One for pellets can be good as well, but isn't necessarily needed. I would not go too big as it can take up a fair bit of space in the carrier and could make opening the door tricky.

I would not recommend just having him on a harness and leash at rest stops. I hear of dogs getting loose because something scares them, I can't imagine a rabbit would do well. Even a pen can help. If there is space in the car, you could just let them move around in the back for a few minutes.

NIC pens can still work. You could get a sheet to put over the top to keep him jumping out. Making a stop using the grids could work as well, just get some clips to secure it. It could even work to have a cage at the hotel and a pen at the house, then you don't have to take as much back and forth. I have a few jumpers too, so know that it is a pain to travel with them sometimes.
 
I guess I will likely not take him out at rest stops then. I'll probably just let him hop around the back of the car a bit. I like the idea of having the cage at the hotel and the pet with the sheet at the house, I think I may do that. Thanks! :)
 
I took my two Agouti's with me from DC to South Carolina for a week. It was an 8 hour drive and I took both their cages AND their water bowls with me along with their food and made certain one crate, Chico's was on the floor and near an air vent (I made the trip in July of this year) and Chica's was in the backseat (I have a Town and Country van and folded down one of the second row seats for Chico's cage and easy access to the bunnies). I laid rugs on the floor to protect the cages and also cushioned Chica's cage in the back seat with pillows.

I filled the water bowls half way and would stop and get ice and add
ice to the water bowls and before travelling took some washcloths to put under the water bowls in case they spilled.
They slept most of the way. I did NOT take them out for the world because if I stopped some where and they happened to get out, I would never be able to find them or get them back since I was travelling on Interstate 95. However after I stopped to use the bathroom at the state lines at NC etc. I would get some fresh grass and water and refill their
water bowls and give them fresh grass to much on during the trip. I was careful to keep the temperature at a good
level for them for their comfort and my van had blinds I could shut on the second row seats all the way to the third row so that blocked out the suns rays and kept the van nice and comfortable for the trip. I took a very light blanket that I have always used for their cages to halfway cover their cages so if they wanted to sleep they could and have most of the sun blocked out.


They started eating toward Emporia VA and by the time I got to Myrtle Beach SC I stopped at a roadside vegetable stand and stocked up on watermelon- which BOTH of them love and was eating on the way to the timeshare-- and other veggies and fruits I know they love and eat- lettuce, tomatoes, etc..

The first few days they were not themselves because they are creatures of routine and habit, it was a strange place and not at all the place they normally get out and run around in for a few hours a day in the morning and evening, and Chico was used to watching TV a few hours a day (long story when he was little I would leave a TV on for him when I would go to work so he would still think Me or someone else was still in the house and he would be calm and start watching TV which he still does to this day and gets pissed off when I turn the TV and bites the cage bars to let me know how unhappy he is with not being able to watch TVLand but that's another story and another post...) so after we got to the hotel and I pulled out my portable DVD player which was not charged on the way down and popped in a cartoon for him, he calmed down and was happy and along with feeding the both of them they started to settle down.


It will take them a few days to adjust to the new surroundings and know this or that area is where they can roam whenever you take them out of their cages... because I was on the 7th floor and near a sliding glass door we always kept it shut but one day Chico was out running around, saw the ocean and took a flying leap for the shut door... BOOM! After that he stayed away from the door.. I guess he thought I played a trick on him or it was an optical illusion.

Now, the fact that Bear is a big bunny like my Brooke who is now close to 10 pounds, I put her in a dog carrier whenever I take her to doctors appointments, grooming, etc. I'm mixed on keeping her in a dog carrier for 8-12 hours, and I would only let her out in the CAR and not outside and would take a little litter box with me since she is litter box trained. My other two, Chico and Chica use a corner of their cage for the bathroom on 'wee wee pads' so they were fine on the trip and since they slept most of the time, that wasn't an issue. I keep thinking if I take her out and we are stopped somewhere and she gets away I might never get her back and Brooke was a rescue as well. If you can secure her cage like I did with Chica in the backseat of whatever vehicle you are using (I used the two back seat belts to keep Chica's cage in along with the pillows on the sides) and keep her carrier on the floor and let her stretch out while you have stopped or are on breaks in the back of the car that might be good as well. Then you could move her between the cage and the travel crate. I brought with me heavy duty cafeteria trays to put on the floor of the van in case I took the two Agouti's out and maybe you could do the same with Bear. I understand what you are saying about leaving Bear with someone and you want Bear to feel secure because Bear has been from home to home. I have always been weary about taking my rabbits out of the car when travelling interstate and I have paid a transporter before that did have my animals (it was two dogs) secured when an 18 wheeler on 95 hit him and knocked the car over the animals were in. One died and one I was able to get back safely from North Carolina to DC- so anything can happen even in the most secure of situations and with a professional pet transporter.

All in all, Chico and Chica did well and as long as I had some treats for them and some watermelon or other yummy foods for them that was rich and water based to assist with their water intake, they did fine. For the most part they slept for the first 3-4 hours. After that they ate and dozed. On the way back from South Carolina to DC it was basically the same. We left at 5am in the morning so they were tired from being moved around and put in the car so they slept again most of the trip.

Just make certain you had the cages/ crates secured and extra bottled water on hand. That is the other thing we stocked up on. I bought a gallon jug of water for Chica and Chico to keep refilling their water during the trip and would give them cilantro and other fresh veggies after an hour or so.

Good luck!
Vanessa
 
Thanks for all of your advice, Vanessa! Bear's actually not a big bunny at all, he's a little lionhead about 3.5 pounds. We have a large van that we travel with, probably similar to yours, and it has a large open area in the back (we took out all of the seats to make room for our dogs when we first moved them up here). My plan is to keep Bear's carrier by my feet and give him his pellets to eat throughout the ride (his favorite thing in the world) and also one or two hay cubes (he's addicted to those too). He can't have fresh veggies or grass but I'll be buying one of those deep clip-on coop cups for water. I'll be letting him out to hop around the open back area of the car whenever we stop and he'll get fresh water at those times as well. I will also be lining his carrier with puppy potty training pads and fleece on top, so that if he pees it will absorb and he won't be sitting in it. I'm going to bring a cooler with bottles of water in it and I'll bring some of his favorite treats to help him calm down if he gets nervous. He likes calm music (such as the beatles) so we'll be playing that on the car stereo during the trip. He usually falls asleep when I put it on in my room so it should definitely help during the trip. I also usually leave HGTV on in my room for him when I'm not around and it helps him stay calm, so I'll do the same at the hotel during the night and when we're not in the room (he'll be coming with us to my aunt's during the days though). I think I have things pretty much figured out at this point, I've traveled with animals many times before so it's not going to be too big of a deal. Thanks again for all of your help!
 
I'm super excited because I just bought one of these: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00028IX7C/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 brand new for $13.50 on ebay! I'm going to be using it primarily as a run/extension to Bear's cage at home (he's not allowed to free roam at all currently because he's not neutered yet and sprays constantly) but it'll also be excellent for the trip. It's 3 feet tall so he probably won't be able to jump over it (I'll cover it with sheets just in case), and reviews say it's easy to move around so it'll be simple to bring back and forth from the hotel to my aunt's. I'll also be able to let him out at rest stops for some fresh air because it's simple to set up :yahoo:
 
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Hey there, Cool so it sounds like you got everything figured out. I used the same wee wee pads with Chico and Chica and it worked out fine. I think as long as you can see him and make certain that he's comfy and feels secure things will work out ok. You should take some pics and post them from the trip! That's wild he likes HGTV! We should put him and Chico together for a TV play date!
Good luck with the trip and I hope everything works out well. I think for me this is the last time I will take Chico and Chica with me because they are such home bodies and freak out in leaving the house. They like their own little play area and know where they can roam and Chica has her fav spot to just sit in her basket and chill. Brooke and Lady are a bit different but for the near future I'm going to let all these guys get adjusted before we go on any more road trips!

Take care!
Vanessa
 
I'll definitely take some photos during the trip! Hopefully the experience will be able to help other people who are vacationing or moving houses with their rabbits. As I mentioned earlier he's traveled well both times I've taken him in the car for just over an hour each time. I'm sure he'll be fine on the trip and I feel good about it now that I've got it all planned out. It's not until the middle of next month but I figured I'd get things sorted out now so I can just pack up and go when the time comes :)
 
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