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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A 37 hr road trip advice (3 rabbits)

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    • Slowebot
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        Hello all. In the next two weeks my boyfriend and I will be driving from Texas to Washington with our 3 rabbits. 2 of them are already bonded and we are wanting to bond the last one with them through this trip. However, the issue I’m faced with is how to house them all because the third bunny is my Flemish giant who basically overflows out of every container except his extra large under bed storage container litter box. Initially I had planned on just putting all three bunnies in the litter box across the back seat of the car (Toyota Camry, not a ton of space) but would really like to give the bunnies something to be comfortable inside like a carrier. I was considering hanging a sheet low over the litter box to give them a more confined feeling but am really open to suggestions.
        Sherlock: 3lb holland lop 1.5 yrs
        Simba: 4lb lionhead 10 yrs
        Benny: 17lb Flemish giant 1.5yrs
        We also haven’t made any decisions about stopping yet. Given the opportunity to drive straight through we would but of course if the bunnies need the night to unwind and recalibrate their sanity and stomach we are more than willing to stop. Sherlock and Benny do remarkably well in cars, Simba shows more stress. We are going to take water, apple juice, veggies, treats, pellets, towels, litter, hay, we will be driving all our bunny materials, everything. And before we leave we want to pick up some critical care from the vet. So aside from typical supplies are there any suggestions on supplies and does anyone have creative large bunny housing ideas for the long car ride?
        Thank you guys!


      • Pomandcourt
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          I would be reluctant to have the bunnies loose in the vehicle for a few reasons. Bunny safety: if you stop suddenly or have to make a sharp turn etc, when they’re in an appropriately sized carrier they’re less likely to be injured. If they’re not bonded, it’s not guaranteed that they will bond with the stress of the drive (very likely they will, but not 100%) and you don’t want to have to break up a bunny fight while you’re driving and then have no way to separate them.
          Also, depending on your bunnies, they could jump into the front seat and harass you while you’re driving. Not ideal.

          As for stops, that’ll depend on your buns. If they’re drinking water and eating normally, you’re fine to drive through. If they’re not, you’ll need to stop and let them rest and make sure they consume fluids and food.

          Mine will sometimes nibble hay, but refuse to drink water in the car so we wouldn’t be able to drive for that long.

          Also, watch the water bottle/container you’re using. I tried using a mounted water bottle and it just leaked out over the course of the drive so the blanket she was on got quite damp and I had to remove it and the bottle.


        • BarbaraC
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            Pomandcourt is right. They would be safer in a crate of some sort. Also, since bunnies tend to get really stressed out in card you may want to plan on stopping every couple of hours to give them a rest and stretch. You could bring an X Pen and some old blankets with you and let them run around for a bit.

            I would also start the bonding now and see how it goes.

            Good luck and let us know how it goes.


          • Eepster
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              Is renting a larger vehicle for the trip a possibility? I’m just having a hard time imagining 2 carriers, one big enough for a flemmie fitting comfortably into a Camry. If you could manage to rent a large enough vehicle you could tow the Camry loaded up with a lot of your stuff.

              I know this isn’t a realistic option for many, but if you can it would be easier.

              I would plan stops. Not only is it good for the bunnies, but you and your BF will be a safer drivers if you aren’t relying on sleeping in the car. Call the hotels and make sure pets are OK. Keep them in cages or pens that are very secure, b/c hotels use a lot of pesticides, toxic cleaner, and aren’t bunny proofed. You don’t want them having direct contact with the carpets.


            • Kokaneeandkahlua
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                I’m not sure if stopping or not would be best-mine seemed to get used to the car after a few hours. But 37 hours is a long way-I’m a lover of road trips and that sounds daunting!

                Pack juice and critical care so you can force feed every few hours if needed, (mix juice with water so you don’t overdo the sugar!) and bring their favorite veggies.

                When I traveled (we went 14 hours to adopt another rabbit, two days in a hotel then 14 back) I did have mine loose, I filled the leg wells in the back of the car and folded down a seat so they could get into the truck. Pee all over my suitcases but otherwise it went just fine.

                ScooterandAnnette took a long road trip with 6 rabbits I think-in a similar way-hopefully they see this post and can offer some more advice.

                Oh and bring a small broom and dustpan-if you do stop in a hotel it’s the only way you’ll get the hay up-I learned that the hard way!

                Do you have a car starter? You will want to keep the car running with AC for any stops-only turn off while gassing the car, but you must keep it running while you run in for refreshments because cars get super hot super fast and rabbits won’t tolerate that at all. If you don’t’ have one, a spare key will do -you can lock the car while it’s running with the key in.


              • Kokaneeandkahlua
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                  Oh and another option-if you don’t get bonded, you could crate your two and let your giant free in the car?


                • Eepster
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                    A bunny loose in the car would be exceedingly dangerous.

                    If you have to stop short the bunny will go flying. If the bunny gets scared and hides under the brake pedal, you could be forced to choose between crashing the car endangering everyone or stepping on your bunny injuring him/her. There are wires under power seat and stuff that s/he could chew through.

                    Think of a good pet carrier like a child’s carseat. It is the safest place for your bunny.


                  • Slowebot
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                      I thought I’d update with what I ended up doing and how the bunnies handled the trip. My boyfriend and I scoured pet shops looking for the right carriers for our bunnies and ended up settling on a pop-up tent for dogs. It slid right onto the car seat and was larger enough to play a litter box, food bowls, towels and toys into. The two, smaller, bonded bunnies shares one and the Flemish had a separate one. I had initially planned on them all sharing one and being too stressed to worry about each other but the bunnies actually adjusted to their surroundings immediately and so I never had the opportunity to use the road trip to bond them. They love the tents still. The bunnies hopped around, ate and slept like normal. When we stopped for gas (like every 2 hours) I gave them a bowl of water which they all happily drank from and then about halfway through the day I stopped to let them hop around at a picnic area. In all honesty the bunnies seemed to not enjoy stopping and preferred being in the car (with the ac) rather than outside. When we stopped for the night we moved the furniture around in the hotel and laid out a large tarp which we set their pens up on. It made for quick and easy clean up the next morning. The road trip was a complete success, if anything I think the bunnies even trust us more after that whole ordeal. They are now happily settled in at our new home and I’m now working on bonding them!
                      With regards to hotels, we had a lot of success staying at comfort inn. We called ahead and let them know we had rabbits and 3/4 of the comfort inns we contacted had no problem and the last night we stayed at a quality inn that was okay with the rabbits.


                    • Lizanddarla
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                        I am doing a long trip too. Darla is doing ok but not eating drinking too much but she had a lot last night. I’m hoping my first hotel she will eat more. Good luck


                      • LittlePuffyTail
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                          Glad to hear your trip went well!!!!


                        • ryanmackk
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                            This makes me feel much better. I am moving from Florida to Toronto and although I’ve done the trip myself before, I was not confident to do it with the bunnies. I have 2 very young ones and I am so nervous about taking them across the country. It’s a 25 hour drive in total which breaks down to three 8 hour trips and at least 2 hotel visits. I was worried about hey they would react to such a trip but it seems it’s totally do able! Thanks for posting this thread! Now I just need the right materials.


                          • LBJ10
                            Moderator
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                              This thread is old, so I’m locking it now.

                              ryanmackk – You are welcome to start a new thread if you have questions about taking your bunny on a long road trip.

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                          Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A 37 hr road trip advice (3 rabbits)