Rabbits are one of the most frequently purchased pets worldwide. With good reason. They are easy to care for, show a great deal of love and affection and increase the quality of life for the owners daily. On the flip side of things, we all still have lives to live and must find ways to care for our bunnies in the most ethical ways possible. It’s important to know as much about your rabbits as you can and do your best to avoid pitfalls. With life comes travel and with travel for rabbits, comes some common things you should and shouldn’t do. In recent weeks, one of the questions I’ve seen popping up frequently is also regarding traveling with rabbits. Can rabbits get car sick? After some diligent research, here’s what I can tell you about the topic.
So, can rabbits get car sick? No. Although some owners report that they believe their bunny is experiencing car sickness, other factors are much more important when traveling with your rabbit. Items such as cage size and temperature control are more significant factors to consider compared to your rabbit getting car sick. In most situations, a rabbit will not become car sick but does have potential for injuries occurring that could be fatal.
I can’t really mention that other factors when traveling with your bunny is more relevant than possible car sickness without elaborating further. I feel obligated to give you more information than that.
The good news is that I intend on doing just that. Let’s break down everything you need to know about traveling with your bunny in the safest, most comfortable fashion so that you have nothing to fear and so you and your bunny don’t experience any anxiety before or during your upcoming trip. Let’s start diving into it.
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Do Rabbits Travel Well in Cars? Do They Like it?
Like stated before, we all have lives, and we all need the ability to travel from time to time. I get that. We also need the ability to bring our bunnies with us in the safest most comfortable ways. Overall, rabbits don’t travel the best, but they also don’t cause too much of a fuss. At least that we can notice.
You see, bunnies have a strong disliking toward being outside of their environment. When they travel, they are known to get very anxious and even tremble with small, fast tremors. Keeping your bunny from getting too terrified is one of the most essential steps to traveling with bunnies to avoid overheating.
What’s the Safest Approach?
Using a travel crate is your best approach, but you must be careful not to use a container that’s too large. Any bad movements or unexpected stops and your bunny will slide which could potentially cause injuries. This is a mistake that many individuals make when they travel with their bunnies.
Stick with A Smaller Travel Crate
Sticking with a small travel crate will help eliminate this issue. Their needs to be adequate room in the crate for the bunny to sit comfortably and room for some additional hay. Outside of that, you don’t need any extra space.
Ventilation Is A Must for Your Bunny
Ventilation and ensuring there are no chance of your bunny overheating is probably the most essential and vital task to the entire process. You don’t want your car heat blasting, and you also don’t want a cage that doesn’t allow for any adequate breathing or air to pass through.
Bunnies don’t sweat the same we do, and they have dense fur. The potential for overheating is very real and something to be on alert about. It’s one of the easiest ways for your bunnies to fall sick in the car or even worse yet, potentially result in death.
A Trick with Temperature Control in The Winter Months
Another key you can do especially in the winter months is warm the vehicle before getting into the car. By the time you are ready to leave you can have the car at a temperature and perhaps close a few of the vents in the vehicle or turn the heat back down. This eliminates your vehicle blowing full force hot air through the vents.
Trust me it’s heating up your bunny way faster than its heating up your behind on those cold leather seats. Don’t overdo the heat and be sure to check on your bunny from time to time to make sure they are doing okay.
What About the Summer Months?
The same goes for these months, but the biggest concern is your bunny overheating because of the vehicle being too hot. You can start your vehicle ahead of time to ensure the car is plenty of cold enough by the time you are ready to leave. This should ensure that heat or possibly an overheated death doesn’t occur for your bunny.
Never Try Traveling Without A Carrier
Any rules that would apply to your children apply to your bunny when traveling in a car. Well, I’m assuming you don’t keep your kids in carrying cages, but I think you get the point.
Don’t try taking your bunny anywhere without being in the proper “non-oversized” travel crate. This is even more dangerous than a crate that is too large to travel in.
When you make sudden stops, or anything happens while driving, it would be easy and common for your bunny to slide around in the crate and potentially harm himself by suffering fractures and other injuries. To recap, travel crate only and don’t go oversized or too large and you will be okay.
Eliminate Some Fear with Fresh Veggies and Frequent Stops
If you are on a long road trip with your bunny, you can help ease them and the physical tremors, they are experiencing by stopping periodically during your trip. When you stop to use the restroom or grab a caffeinated beverage, be sure just to provide your bunny with some time to calm down and get their bearings back for a few moments. It will help more than you probably would think.
During this period, you can also offer your bunny freshly cut and cleaned vegetables. This will hopefully relax your bunny some and get them to calm down which can reduce the panicked state that they are in from being in the vehicle.
During this time, it’s also essential to offer your bunny some water. Your bunny needs to stay hydrated during your trip to prevent overheating or becoming car sick during the adventure.
Avoid Slippery Bottoms
We mentioned this a bit earlier in the posts, but another trick that can help immensely toward keeping your bunny safe and illness free is ensuring you line the bottom of the carrier cage with hay. The hay will keep the bunny eating during the road trip, and it will also reduce the slipping you may experience if you needed to stop or make a turn.
Remember, your bunny won’t be visually vomiting during this trip so they may not get car sick in the traditional sense we are thinking of, but it’s best to avoid all injuries and illness potential by eliminating as many risks as possible. At least if you ask me.
What Should You Bring with You When Traveling with Your Bunny?
We have mentioned a few of the items already, but I wanted to take the time to give you a nice detailed list of what you should make sure you have packed for your bunny and your upcoming trip. Consider it your checklist or to do list so to speak.
Here’s a look at all the items you should have with you for your bunny.
- Additional Food Including Pellets, Hay, Fresh Vegetables
- Water Bowls- Preferably 2 (1 As A Backup)
- 1 Food Bowl
- 1 Litter Box and the Litter
- Extra Towels and Paper Towels in Case Your Bunny Has an Accident
- Feeding Syringe in Case Your Bunny Falls Ill
- Correct Size Travel Crate
Having these items will have you 75% prepared and already safely arriving at your next destination. All you need now is to monitor the car temperature, the patience to stop for 10-15 minutes every now and then and no sudden stops and braking if possible and you won’t have any issues at all. Your bunny will do just fine.
Do Rabbits Get Stressed When Moved in Vehicles?
Yes, rabbits are not big fans of being outside of their comfort zones, environments and don’t necessarily enjoy the movement of the vehicle. It can cause physical symptoms such as trembling, but most of the impact is taking place mentally with your rabbit. They are scared and not comfortable with car rides or being outside of their home.
How Can I Tell If My Rabbit Is Stressed?
As mentioned before, if your rabbit is stressed, they will likely be showing signs by a slight shaking or trembling. Also, they may look down toward the ground almost like they are bracing for the impact or trying to hide. Usually, these symptoms are not avoidable. From here you just have to do the best you can to keep your bunny comfortable and happy.
Don’t worry, you will be back home before you know it and you can have your bunny sleep with you the first night again.
Putting It All Together, Your Bunny May Not Like It but Everything Will Be Okay
In summary, your bunny may hate traveling in the car and may experience some of the signs and symptoms we have discussed here today, but it’s not overly challenging to ensure your bunny is safe and as comfortable as possible. After you travel with your rabbit a few times you will be like a seasoned pro ready for any trip life throws toward you and your bunny.
Do you have any experience traveling with your bunnies? What steps did you take and how did you actively battle against the physical and mental impacts that traveling can often have on our furry friends? Be sure to leave a comment below.
