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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 Rabbit in Cargo

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    • deadgirl
      Participant
      14 posts Send Private Message

        Hi. The only way to get my bunny out my country (Ecuador) is to ship him as cargo.

        He will not be flying with me, but by himself as cargo. Apparently a pet shipping company run by 2 vets who seemed to care, will be picking him up, taking him to the airport, loading him and waiting for him to take off.

        This is the only option we have left, if not he will live a very short life with a family member who is not able to take care of him. Is the cargo trip worth it? I don’t know how many hours it will be, but it will be a direct flight to my new destination. 

        Is it worth the risk of him not making it, to be with me? He is very loved and part of the family, leaving him behind truly is not an option. Has anyone else’s bunny been through cargo? Again, I will not be on that flight with him as it is impossible. I’m afraid he won’t make the trip or something horrible were to happen. Although friendly and curious he is the type of bunny who gets disturbed if hearing something in another room.


      • Mikey
        Participant
        3186 posts Send Private Message

          A cargo trip can kill him. They do not make sure his crate is right side up at all through the trip and they do not regulate the temperature very well (rabbits can only safely stand a 10 degree difference). He can very easily go into shock in cargo. It also depends how long the trip will be. If its more than 5 hours (for some rabbits, less than 5 hours), he has a risk of going into stasis and being dehydrated, and stress will make this worse. Youll need a vet appointment set up as soon as you land if you feel your rabbit will be too stressed out as if rabbits do not eat for 8+ hours they have a very, very high chance of stasis

          Were you given a reason he cant be put into a small crate and slid under your chair? Many air flights are fine with this for smaller and quiet animals like bunnies

          EDIT
          I just reread and saw that you wont be on that flight. If you are already at your new place can you fly back to whoever has him, get him, then fly back with him under your seat [ask before booking flight to make sure its ok]? If you are not already where you will be heading, can you bring him under your seat when you go instead of sending him early?


        • Vienna Blue in France
          Participant
          5317 posts Send Private Message

            Not sure about other parts of the world, but in Europe taking bunny on board in the flight cabin is a def “no-no” on most flights


          • deadgirl
            Participant
            14 posts Send Private Message

              As I stated, this is the ONLY way to get him out of the country so it’s upsetting this is the way it has to be.  We have been on this since October to no avail. We have contacted everyone possible about getting him out of the country, and again and again our requests were declined. Only “dogs and cats” are pets here, and barely an airlines will take him. The rabbit himself, Casper, has been sick in the past and has even gone through minor stasis and has always has a smooth recovery. He is in perfect health now. He is not use to traveling and dislikes vet trips, but immediately calms down when I am with him again I’ve noticed. 

              After Casper’s cargo trip is over, I hope to be already at the airport waiting to pick him up. Then we will take a short car ride back to my apartment where his home will already be ready and waiting for him. No, I cannot fly with him. The airline (LATAM) doesn’t want to transport rabbits and we were not able to get any special paperwork for him to be able to fly with us. 


            • Dface
              Participant
              1084 posts Send Private Message

                Hi, I was wondering if the airline he’s flying with are flying him in actually cargo or in the seperate cargo section designed for animals? Often they dont specify, but the one designed for animals is temperature regulated. The shipping company you are using might be able to tell you more about it(especially if there are vets involved)
                I think with rabbits the risks are always going to be high, but there are success stories out there. My only advice is to prepare for the worst situation. Have a vet sourced, readyy to bring him there if you need to -critical care at hand incase he needs to be fed after the flight -things like that
                Im very sorry to hear of the stress you’re going through! I really hope it goes well!


              • Mikey
                Participant
                3186 posts Send Private Message

                  @Vienna, huh thats weird to me. I had no idea it wasnt like that everywhere! Nearly all airlines in my state atleast will allow rabbits under seats as long as they are in a small closed crate and are quiet (my family lives all over the states so ive called and checked many airlines around the holidays). Ive even read stories of buns being allowed to come out of their crates as long as they stay in their hoomans area

                  @Dface the animal cargo areas have semi regulated temp control, but many flights do warn that it may not always be the temp they set it at. Its often warmer than what they say

                  Are car rides or boat rides possible instead? Im sorry you and your bun have to go through this. Either way, have a vets appointment set asap after he lands. I googled some links that might be helpful for you
                  http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Rabbit-friendly_airlines
                  http://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Traveling_with_a_rabbit
                  https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/121931/Default.aspx (a binkybunny success story )


                • vanessa
                  Participant
                  2212 posts Send Private Message

                    Those are good quastions to ask the pet shipping company. I ship birds by cargo all the time. They fly in a temperature controlled section, right side up, and always arrive safely. Never had a problem.


                  • vanessa
                    Participant
                    2212 posts Send Private Message

                      I just looked up Air Latam. The cargo animal transportation page http://www.latamcargo.com/cuidados/alive is not in English, but with some translation, they do use a temperature regulated area that has an oxygen supply. Theck out the page. IT might answere some of yoru questions. I’ve shipped an 8-week old puppy, a 4-month old puppy, and 7 birds. Use a hard crate, not a soft one. Get some glue, and line the bottom and top with foam. I use a cheap camping mat. It has nice thick foam. The foam is to protect the animal in case of turbulence. They put a “live animal, this side up” sticker ont he crate. They usually have strict check-in times. Find out the exact drop off and pick up address. It isn’t always inside the airport. Get some onion/potato sack, preferably black. Bulap will also do. I use cheap utensil drawer liner that is perforated. Cut 3 pieces. One for the back of the crate, and one for each side. Glue each piece at the top of the crate like a curtain that doesn’t open. It will keep the crate dark, which will be less stressful for yur bunny. Wrap the metal door in the same fabric. Be sure the door can still close properly. Attatch a food and water dish to the inside of the crate. They want you to provide water. It will probably spill, so I only fill it half way. The floor must have leak proof lining such as newspaper. I use puppy pee pad. Don’t use saw dust or wood shavings. Not allowed on international flight. Don’t use anything that even resembles wood shavings. I put the puppy pee pad down on top of the sponge lining, and that’s all. No straw/hay is allowed. They may have rules about whether they allow a blanket in the crate or not. Remove the 4 corner plastic clips and replace with metal nuts/bolts. When you are ready to hand the crate over, use 4 zip ties on the door. That is standard pet crate shipping. Find out from your shipper exactly how they want the crate setup, and don’t deviate. You don’t want them to reject the crate at the airport. Find out what paperwork you need for the departure *typically a health certificate), and for the arrival destination. The health certificate requires your departure and destination address. Find out how long the flight is… If it were me, I would bring my bunny with, and ship him in cargo. I would be very worried, especially if the flight was longer than 8 hours. My biggest concern woudl be the poop/pee in the crate. So I woudl find out more about what is allowed in the crate as bedding.


                    • deadgirl
                      Participant
                      14 posts Send Private Message

                        Thank you for the links haha but I’ve coincidentally read all of em already! I hope my rabbit going through cargo is as successful. And although I don’t know any details about his flight, I can only assume the worst and that there is no separate cargo section for animals/he might travel with dogs, etc. And here the only animals that can travel in the cabin must be a dog or cat who weighs less than 10 pounds! It’s extremely uncommon here. Car and boat rides are out of the question as I am traveling from Ecuador to New Jersey.


                      • deadgirl
                        Participant
                        14 posts Send Private Message

                          Thank you for the links haha but I’ve coincidentally read all of em already! I hope my rabbit going through cargo is as successful. And although I don’t know any details about his flight, I can only assume the worst and that there is no separate cargo section for animals/he might travel with dogs, etc. And here the only animals that can travel in the cabin must be a dog or cat who weighs less than 10 pounds! It’s extremely uncommon here. Car and boat rides are out of the question as I am traveling from Ecuador to New Jersey.


                        • vanessa
                          Participant
                          2212 posts Send Private Message

                            I haven’t found many airlines in the USA that allow rabbits in the cabin. I would call the airline, and ask all your questions. The whole thign will be stressfull… I’m not sure which is better – a bunny travelling with barking dogs, or crying cats. Next thought… do dogs even bark on airplane rides? I’m sure cats cry.


                          • jerseygirl
                            Moderator
                            22338 posts Send Private Message

                              I think there are less airlines now in the US that will allow them in the cabin then there used to be. I’ve come across comments online, here and there, saying its changed. Maybe even within the last 6-8 months?

                              @deadgirl, will this service allow you to do a tour?

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                          Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Rabbit in Cargo