portable pen/cage recommendations for weekends away?

[Yasmin&Quozl]

Hello, my partner and I live 2mins drive from each other so my new bunny Quozl will, after her settling in period, be coming with me to stay at my partners place for the odd weekend and I’d also like to take her with me to visit my brother and friends from time to time.

Can anyone recommend a good portable but secure nibble-proof pen or cage? She is a smallish bunny, lionhead crossed with dwarf lop, and although she doesn’t seem interested to jump over her 60cm pen I’d like something either 90cm or with a roof/cover for peace of mind when taking her to a non-bunny-proofed place. If possible light-weight ish… and definitely collapsable, and with a solid floor if possible… otherwise I’ll bring a piece of lino with us.

Any other tips for travelling with bunnies appreciated!

Thanks, Yasmin x

[tobyluv]

Dog crates are probably not that lightweight, but they do collapse. I don’t think that they have solid floors, but you can buy pads for them, and you can place protective sheeting or flooring underneath. Some people keep their rabbits in a large dog crate all the time, or when they aren’t out exercising. They come in various sizes. It is recommended that you get one with 2 doors, or even 3 doors (one opening on top) because the ones with the one door at the end make it hard to get the rabbit out, especially if it is a larger crate. Here is one with 2 doors: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3307+10627+24436&pcatid=24436.

When traveling with a rabbit, their carrier should be large enough for them to move around in, but they need to be secure in the car, with towels or blankets for padding. You don’t want them bouncing around and hurting themselves.

Most rabbits aren’t great travelers and they prefer to stay home. Traveling, or being in unfamiliar places could even cause them to not eat properly, which can result in GI problems. I’m not trying to dissuade you from traveling with her, but I’ve had several rabbits, and known a lot of rabbits at the sanctuary where I volunteer, and I know that they are basically homebodies. Quozl may even enjoy traveling, as some other rabbits might too, but my experience has always been that they would rather be at home.

[flemishwhite]

All rabbits are different. 

Our previous rabbit, Bunny, lived as a house rabbit.  About 11 years as a uncaged/unpenned bunny living freely in our house.  On weekend trips, we just took her with us.  We’d put two or three litter boxes in the trunk of the car.  We usually stayed at Marriott Residence Inns.  We’d put her litter box and water bowl in a closet with the door open.  She’d usually sleep beside our bed, hiding under neath the skirt that surrounded the bed/mattress.  She never soiled the carpet on any stay.  On one several day stay, there was a floor length window and curtain.  She liked to lay between the curtain and the window and watch people walk by outside.  People and very likely the hotel staff could obviously see we had a rabbit in our room.  We never had a complaint.

……………………….

I’ll agree with tobyluv’s comment.  Rabbits don’t enjoy car trips.  I agree they are basically homebodies.  I think it’s important that for an overnight trip, there’s nothing in their new surroundings that stresses them.  For Bunny, my wife and me, it was in hotel rooms with us all together, she had her litter box and hidey place so it all worked out well.    

[Yasmin&Quozl]

Thanks Tobyluv and Flemmishwhite for your replies!

I have a carrier that has puffed edges inside and I also put a towel in, she can lie down comfortably but is surrounded by soft padding and towels on all sides… So if when driving I had to break suddenly, if it dislodged her she would only move about 2 or 3 inches and that distance would be filled with towel anyway… Do you also know where is the best place in the car to put her carrier? I’m thinking, either on the back seat with a seatbelt around it, or in the footwell of the back seats?

She hasn’t been bothered in the slightest by car journeys so far, we had to drive an hour and a half from where we collected her to bring her home, and she’s been to the vets too (30mins each way)… but we have only had her a week so she may be not expressing herself fully from being in a new environment and with new people… But she hops happily into her carry case (I never herd or place her in) and she very soon lies down, back feet sticking out, and sometimes gets up to nose through the mesh door to see me. When driving I try to talk fairly constantly in a low soft voice, or just gently sing something to soothe her. She seems to be relaxed?

I’m intending to make wherever we travel to a home-from-home for her. Same bed, same placement in her cage/crate, hidey place, same routine, and only staying with people that she’s had time to meet and get to know by them visiting us at home a few times first… I really don’t want to disrespect her or stress her by placing her in alien environments.

[tobyluv]

It sounds like your bunny doesn’t mind car travel now, so hopefully that will continue. If you get her used to a routine and she comes to expect staying in different homes at times, maybe she will be fine with that and even enjoy the new environments and experiences. Carefully monitor her food intake and pooping when traveling to other places, and note any changes in that or in her behavior, to make sure that she is happy and well adjusted to the new environments and situations.

When it comes to car travel, rabbits should be treated as small children. They should ride in the back seat, secured as best as possible.

[Yasmin&Quozl]

thanks so much tobyluv, all taken on board x

[Theodorusrex]

I often take Theo with me when I go to stay with my parents for the weekend. We have a good system set up where I got a 2nd hand cage off gum tree (similar to craigslist i believe) for £10 which stays permanently in my parents garage. I also bought a second x-pen off amazon for around £20 and a spare litter tray, all of which slots inside the cage for more compact storage. This means that when I go to stay at my parents I just pop Theo in his carrier and bring his food and a few favourite toys in the car – its so easy.

You wouldn’t even need the cage if it took too much space or cost too much – you could just keep a spare secure x-pen at your partners and set it up when you arrive, which takes 5 mins. I line the bottom of ours with a blanket just. It’s worked really well for me – its taken all the hassle of travelling with Theo in tow.

[Yasmin&Quozl]

Good idea Theodorusrex – just bought an x-pen off ebay for £20! Will leave that at my partners place. Quozl likes to push things out of the bottom of the bars of her pen, so thinking to get thick plastic or lino and turn up the edges to make a sort of bucket-style bottom to sit the pen into… And then blanket over that like you’ve done. Thanks for the advice!

[Theodorusrex]

Not a problem

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