Travelling with your rabbit
Travelling with your rabbit
Rabbits are best left at home, but sometimes they need to be transported – moving house and veterinary visits are obvious examples. Travelling can be stressful for your bunny so, in recognition of Rabbit Awareness week (2nd-10th June 2018), the team at your local Healthy Pet Club practice have put together some tips about travelling.
Preparation
How to minimise stress:
- Use a carrier that is:
- Designed to transport animals
- A suitable size (e.g., small/medium dog carrier)
- Designed to open at the top and sides – this makes it easier to get your rabbit in
- If you have more than one rabbit, consider taking a companion
- Familiarise your rabbits with the carrier before you travel:
- Put into the carrier:
- Treats/food
- Toy
- Lightly used bedding (the familiar smell provides reassurance)
- Let your rabbits explore the carrier
- If they don’t go in voluntarily, place them in it
- As they get used to it, shut them in for short periods
- Then pick the carrier up – keep it close to your body, and don’t swing it about
- Work up to periods of 30 minutes in the carrier
- Get your rabbits used to using a water bottle.
- Put into the carrier:
The journey
- Keep journeys as short as possible
- If the journey must be long, take regular breaks
- If the trip will last more than one day, take an exercise pen for overnight
- Place something absorbent in the carrier base
- Provide hay
- If the journey will be of any length:
- Attach a water bottle to the carrier
- If you cannot do this, offer water once/hour
- Take with you a litter box, cleaning supplies, and enough food and litter for the journey
- Attach a water bottle to the carrier
- Place the carrier on the vehicle floor or use the seat belt
- Keep your rabbits’ environment cool and well ventilated >
- If possible, travel when the weather is cool
- Keep the temperature inside the car <24°C
- Do not place the carrier in direct sunlight
- If you use the air conditioning, do not let it blow straight into the carrier
- If necessary, put an ice pack, wrapped in a towel, into the carrier
- Consider covering the seats to protect them from stress-induced spraying.
Keeping your rabbits safe
- Only take your rabbits out of the carrier in an enclosed space
- Consider having your rabbits microchipped in case they escape
- Don’t let cats or dogs get too close
- Cover the carrier with a blanket in situations that might scare the rabbits (e.g., at the vet)
- Never leave your rabbits unattended in the vehicle.