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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Moving my rabbits to a new house

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    • Julie H
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        I’m planning to move my 2 rabbits from Indiana to Florida next year – which will be a ~13 hour drive (15 if we stop to take a break).  

        Has anyone done this before?  I’m afraid they’ll stop eating and drinking, so I was thinking about having them ride in their cages where they feel safe, but their cages each have 2 levels and might be dangerous in the moving truck, so maybe regular carriers would be better?  I’m also moving 4 cats – which will be traveling separately, so perhaps I should cage the cats in the moving truck and take the rabbits in the car?  

        So far,my rabbits have only traveled to visit the vet 30 minutes away and they get scared.  They’re not friends, so they would need to be in separate carriers.  Any advice would be appreciated.


      • BunnyBrigade
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          I definitely would not leave them in the moving truck. There is no air conditioning and trust me it will get way too hot for them in there. Especially if you’re moving during the summer time. I have not moved that long of a distance before with rabbits but have with cats. We allowed our cats (we had two) to have free roam in the front area of the moving truck. I honestly wouldn’t suggest putting any sort of animal in the bed of the moving truck because objects will shift and move around in there. I have read that after a few hours of driving that the buns will settle down, however, I would keep an eye on them to make sure that you don’t need to stop and feed or water them. So I would keep food and water on hand for them. Also, I would have frozen wear bottles on hand if you’re moving during the summer for both your cats and the buns. It can get very hot and unbearable in sometimes. If you can I would see if you can take your buns on car rides before the move to get them used to it.


        • JackRabbit
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            I absolutely would not put the bunnies in the moving truck, no matter what time of year. Between shifting, lack of airflow, fumes, etc., you are likely to no longer have pet bunnies when you get there.


          • MeketatenBun
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              I literally just made a trip with my bunny, four hours one way, two days ago! Though I realize your trip is much, much longer, here’s the advice I have from a bunny who is scared of just about anything different in her life. She had only previously driven 15 minutes to the vet’s office in her life. She was nervous for the first half-hour or so, but then started to calm down and even took a nap in her carrier around an hour and a half in.

              First, I agree with the others that you should avoid them in the bed of a truck or moving truck. However, it’s up to personal preference what you carry your rabbits in, whether it’s their cage for comfort or a carrying cage. I used to show my rabbits in 4-H, and we were all given the option to buy those small, metal cages shown here: http://www.bassequipment.com/files/…arrier.jpg

              I chose to transport her in the carrying cage because, when the cage is secured on the floor, it acts like a bunny seatbelt. If something happened where I had to stop fast or was hit from any direction, she’s in a small cage that she kind of leans safely into the sides of it instead of sliding around the entire backseat in a hutch or large cage and gaining momentum incase of a crash. But since the cage is small, I made sure to stop and let her out at the two-hour mark. To do this, I had her travel with her walking harness on while she was in the cage, and simply clipped her leash onto the harness at our pit stop. Since she was on the floor, I put a towel over the half of her cage facing the air conditioner vents with a small opening on that side incase she did want to be in it. I noticed she’d rotate between wanting her face by the opening and her butt, but the towel also double as a “safe space” for her as she felt at least half-covered.

              I would recommend, since your drive is so long, maybe stopping for 15-20 or even 30 minutes every two or three hours to reduce the stress of being in a small carrier for such a long period. If you have them in their hutch or make a larger enclosed area for them to be in for the ride, you probably wouldn’t have to stop as often, but breaks would always be appreciated by them.

              I had her water bottle strapped to the side of her carrying cage with a handful of hay for her. She didn’t touch the waterbottle during the drive, but when I let her out of her cage I detached the bottle and let her drink it while I held it and she happily drank it. Also offered her an ice bottle to lay/lick at and her food dish with her favorite treats, but she didn’t touch it. I wasn’t too worried since it was a relatively short drive, but for your longer drive it may not be a bad idea to get some Critical Care incase your rabbits refuse to eat ANYTHING during or after the drive. I wish I would’ve offered her her litter box during the pit stop- she apparently was holding it because she didn’t know it was okay to use the bathroom in her carrier (there’s a litter pan attached to the bottom) and I got peed on while holding her outside of the cage. Lesson learned! If your rabbit’s are litter box trained, they may not go to the bathroom in the carrier unless they can’t hold it anymore. If you don’t want a new shade of yellow pants, I recommend offering them their box when you’re stopped.

              Of course when the ride is over, set up their cages in the same way they’re used to, or as same as you can get. Make sure they’re eating and drinking, but they’ll probably want to be left alone to cope with that ordeal. I simply sat in my room within view of the cage while Meki settled into her new place. She knew and smelled I was nearby, but she had her alone time to sort things out for herself.


            • JackRabbit
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                Meketatenbun — I never thought of offering their own litterbox at stops. That’s a great idea! Nothing like your own potty to help you relax and do your business!


              • Julie H
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                  I realize I’m a little late, but thanks for the tips! 

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              Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Moving my rabbits to a new house