ok, ok, ok, ready, set, go! here's the letter i just sent my vet....who wants in on it? i'd love to read as much feedback as possible so all you know it all bunny mamas and papas with opinions as long as the day....let 'em rip or forever hold your peas.
so without further ado, here's the letter/bombshell:
i'm moving to oregon, and i'm really at a loss for how to try to figure out the best way to get the bunnies across the country. it's just bells and nuage still.
if i flew them maybe they could be sedated? could i administer the sedative or would a vet need to do it? i'm not sure how i'd schedule a vet visit AND a trip to the airport, they're in the opposite direction. how long is the longest one that is still safe for them, that i could give them? and finally, do their ears need to pop like ours do?
i'm about an hour and 20 minutes from the nearest airport and then i'm sure id need to get there early, so all in all they may be traveling/stressing for about 10 hours or so. delta airline lets small animals on board, obviously i'd NEVER check them with cargo.
OR
i could try to drive them out very slowly.....taking my time and stopping regularly even for a day or two or three if need be and not driving for more then 4 hours at a time, but that would be long term ongoing stress. i could practice by trying to get them used to the car starting now, if i plan on leaving in approx 2 months.
in a way i wonder about flying, thinking it could mean instant death, or just hurry up and get it over with having all my little bag of bunny emergency stuff ready to implement upon landing.
what would you do? fly or drive....i have no set schedule, just waiting for it to cool off before trying.
26 comments:
Wow, that's a distance! I drove with bunnies in the car from where i lived previously, three hours, and they didn't enjoy it. Even though they behave going to the vet. I have no experience more than that, but would panic if i had to put them on a plane where i couldn't keep an eye on them. :\
Wish i had better advice to give, but hoping someone knows the best way. Have fun in your new home, i know people who live out there and they enjoy it. :)
dear tfangel, to be super clear here....they would not be out of my reach. having said that i'd still not be able to totally keep an eye on them as i probably would have to keep them in their carrier. even if something happened in the air how would i manage that? even if i could keep an eye on them...???? that's why i'm hoping/needing to know about a gentle sedation. and i plan on putting them in the car for a short while each day to get them used to it building up their trips slowly by driving them around here rewarding them with little treats afterwards.
I'm so glad you're asking this question! I'm going to be moving to Oregon from Vermont in about nine months and I'm facing the same conundrum with my angora, Linus. I looked into airtravel and found that even Delta won't let you have a pet in the cabin that is not a bird, cat or dog. So it looks like a roadtrip for me! I'm planning on getting him used to the idea of a carrier and then the carrier in the car beforehand and then bringing a folding cage with me to set up on rest stop lawns along the way. Maybe bringing him along will force me to travel slower, make more stops and enjoy the whole process more! I'm looking forward to any advice you get...
We did do this, from Florida to Oregon, and we drove.
They were in a cage, not a carrier (more space), together, during the day when we drove, and every time we stopped, we took them out on leashes (attached to their harnesses) to let them stretch their legs.
Every night, we would get a hotel room and set up a portable x-fence (actually for dogs), and a piece of rubber-backed carpeting. We'd put down the carpet, fence off part of the room, and put the cage in there with them but otherwise let them run around all night.
We also used a sun-shade (made of cardboard) in the car to make sure they didn't get too hot. We made sure they had water and food all day and all night, as well as hay to munch on and disapprove of at all times.
The only bad thing was that they figured out that we were still in the same room and started thumping every night at around two thirty in the morning, demanding attention.
eeeeeeeeeeeeep, and I was so hoping to get together with you in person. Now you'll be on the other side of the country! :(
I don't know of any rabbit-friendly airlines; the ones I know that will allow rabbits don't allow them in the passenger section (even in a carrier).
Anonymous gave some great pointers to you for car travel. How do the buns respond to regular car travel? What's the longest they've been in a car? With frequent stops, it might take you longer to get there, but they'll be happier.
OREGON?!?!? WHYYYYY??????????
I have no suggestions, unfortunately. I am panicking about how they're going to do with my move one borough (burrow!) east.
I'd be interested to know what the answer is, though. If NO airline will allow buns on board (which is bs btw, Dogs and Birds and some Cats make NOISE and disturb customers, rabbits dont bother anyone, duh), I guess I'm never moving anywhere I can't drive.
I would imagine they'd be OK in the car. Two months is a long time to get used to driving.
PS. Those photos look like a fairy tale. Gorgeous.
Great photos! Why oh why are you going to Oregon? Don't forget us, please!
I'd take them in the car, using anonymous' good suggestions. My buns have a big dog kennel in their room and it's home for them: holds a litter box, newspaper, food, water. They hop in and out of it all day long; it's theirs and smells like them. When I take all three to the vet, I pop it in the backseat and it's so much better than a carrier. It's a little combersome, but it works. As long as you give regular exercise in the evening and travel during their sleepytime (mostly during the day, really), you should be able to make good mileage and not upset them too much. I would get them used to it a little at a time though. I wouldn't try putting them on a plane even with me, and even if the airline allowed it--flights sit on runways for hours and hours in bad weather, etc.
Sorry, just remember the last time i heard about someone wanting to fly with their bunn in the cabin, and told they couldn't be in the cabin. :\ I probably should focus more before posting. ;)
I would think a road trip would be best, if you own or can rent a vehicle you trust for the journey. One of my blog-friends did a long road trip with her bunnies in 2007. I just asked her to drop in here and share any tips she may have, but feel free to hop on over to her blog, yourself: Diary of an amateur triathlete
I used to drive all over Australia with Burns, my house rabbit, and she was a well seasoned traveller.
She travelled with me in my car for over 6 years and usually about once a week. She loved the car.
Even though it was very hot over there (incredibly HOT) she still did well with the windows open and a big bowl of fresh water and plenty of fresh greens.
We did some long distance trips of 1000+km which took about 12 hours driving and she was fine.
At night in motels she would run around to stretch her legs. She had plenty of room in the car too, her own 'seat' where she had her own bed with hay and papers underneath for her toilet. Very roomy.
Burns also flew in the cargo of 2 jets. In the days before rabbits could get passports and travel in the normal area.
She was dropped off by me and arrived 6 hours later to my mum. And a month later I got her back the same way.
She was fine with this, but I'm sure it was very scary, however I would never have used any drugs on her.
Drugs are powerful and dangerous and can cause side effects.
If you have a choice then drive.
They need to see you and rabbits travel well if they are given space and privacy.
best of luck :)
ps - when you are driving make sure to never open their door incase they decide to hop out.
I can't stress how important this is, especially filling up at gas stations. And keep the window up to avoid fumes getting in to them.
In an unfamiliar area they will easily get scared or spooked or chased or run off and you can't take that chance.
I made sure that Burns went in and out of the car very securely in my arms. Burns wasn't into leashes or harnesses, but maybe Bells and Nuage will accept them?
Here's something from the House Rabbit Society on travel:
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/travel.html
I've never flown with a bunny, but we got info once about flying a cat from San Francisco to Denver and the vet said sedatives were not recommended for cats. I once took my rabbit on a business trip by car and she severed the phone cord in my motel room - she stayed home after that...
Thank you!
The confident rabbit, Sneezey, was fine. Well actually, she held still, and the rest of the world moved to put her where she needed to be -- AS IT SHOULD!!!
Our less confident bunny, Mr. Sniffles, spent her time snuggling into the confident rabbit, except at rest stops, when we let her out. It never took long for them to be noticed by people, especially children, and while Sneezey wanted to be held like a baby by everyone, Mr. Sniffles would spread herself out so that as many people as possible could pet her at one time.
Yes, Mr. Sniffles was a girl!
I can't say anything about really long trips, but my two buns managed the 4 hour drive from New Jersey to Massachusetts with no problems.
They are used to being in an air-conditioned house all day, so being in an air-conditioned car was no big change (except for being smaller and moving around a bit). Of course we drove during the day so they just hunkered down and kept quiet, same as they do during the day at home.
If I had to take them on a long trip, I'd definitely drive if I could. The car can be scary, but if you use, say, a carrier that you've used before (has their smell all over it) and keep the two buns together (for company and comfort) it's not too bad.
I'm planning a cross country move from Boston to San Diego myself, and we're flying Alaska/Horizon which allows you to bring rabbits in the cabin with you. You need to call them to reserve the flight for your rabbit, use a carrier within their specified measurements, and get a certificate of health from within the last 30 days. Also, I believe it's a 1 rabbit per person ratio, so you would need to fly with someone else to bring them both.
From what I read on the House Rabbit Society website, sedation is not recommended for flying because of the high altitude. I'm hoping being nearby and being able to pet him will soothe our little guy.
Good luck! With the bunny move and the move in general! Your pictures are so fantastic!
Hey Alice-It's me Lisa
Wow that is a bombshell! I did a couple of 4 or 5 hour car trips with Judy without even really thinking about it. She didn't seem to mind. I rented a hatchback and put the back seat down so she had plenty of space but there was no chance of her getting out. Nonetheless, she sat in her litter box the whole time and seemed to just watch the world go by. I don't think the flying thing would work out too well and would be extremely stressful for all of you. Also for you if you are moving cross country I would recommend driving. It's good for your head to really just cover the ground and get a feel for the distance. It makes for a nice transition. Plus the scenery can be insanely beautiful. I don't know about the 4 hour rule though. I kind of think driving a minimum of 8-10 hrs per day would be better. Even so, that's about a week. Which is a very long time to be on the road. Maybe you can visit some of your admirers. Any Midwesterners out there?
What's taking you to the West Coast?
Better photo ops in a car trip.
No advice here for you that hasn't already been said, but let me say I hope the trip goes well and enjoy the new adventure in Oregon! You'll have to fill us all in on what you've got planned and how you chose the place you did!
there's some good advice (all kinds of hard facts, too) on this topic on the Etherbun list, which is part of Yahoo Groups.
Can't recommend them highly enough. You might want to join just so you can kick around in the archives there.
All the very best on this trip, for you and the bunny boys...
oh, and... i would deffo use a carrier in the car; it's much safer for them!
I always put Nibbles' carrier in the passenger seat with me so that we can talk and so forth on long trips. Seems to work quite well... and if the carrier is familiar to the bun(s), so much the better. Nibbles isn't crazy about driving (and neither am I), but she always gets plenty of run-around time at the motel. I carry along some foldable toys (including a hinged panel grass mat tent) to make her feel more at ease.
We drove Weasley from Virgia to Massachusetts, and he was fine. It was pretty much like everyone else is saying, small dog crate in the car, x-pen in our hotel overnite, leash at rest stops. Just be very careful about the ground you are setting them down on. And I was leery about letting him eat any rest stop greenery, not knowing what it might have been sprayed with. Good luck.
Hi there! Bunny girl (http://tri-bunny.blogspot.com/) notified me about your question. I have bunnies and volunteer for the House Rabbit Society. I had to move my bunnies from St. Louis to San Diego. I drove them. I would never fly them; it's waaay too traumatic because so few airlines allow bunnies to ride in a carry-on under the seat. That would be the only way I would do it. Anway, I got a dog crate, built it in the back seat of my Toyota Corolla, and all 3 of my buns rode in there with litterbox, water, and places to hide. We drove about 8 hours a day and stayed at hotels overnight, where I would set them up in pens. They weren't exactly happy about all the hub-bub but they recovered pretty quickly. Good luck!
Alice,
this is Nadine here. We just got our wee ones home and they had a 3 hour trip. They were fine with it all. Liked the treats they got when we stopped with them. We are going to try to drive them around weekly so they get used to it. We like road trips and think they should come along.
JellyBaby only went on one road trip and it was 9 1/2 hours each way. She was not pleased on the first drive but did fine with the fresh greens we treated her with. On the ride back she knew what to expect and still was unhappy but ate and used her toilet on the trip.
We both clapped our hands when you broke the news and we thought we could make a trip down to Oregon. Not too far from us here in Black Diamond, Alberta.
Hugs, don't know if you use Craisins for the boys but JB loved them and came out a funk for them every time.
Hugs, again,
Nadine
I was so excited by the Craisins idea, but then my creatures could not have been less interested in them. Go figure!
Any more info you can give us about your move Miss Alice?
dont sedate the rabbits, if, then use something like bach rescue drops, they come in little granules for small animals. i flew with my bunny once and everything went fine, i could have her in the cabin with me though (inter-european flight). they (bunnies) are a bit excited in the beginning (also when you drive), but theyll get used to it and start to relax soon. thats at least my experience.
regards,
sandra (living in finland)
You were not mistaken
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