4hr car ride with bunny, help!

[emay75]

hey guys!
tomorrow morning i am going on holiday and we have to take my bunny lemon with us as he is unsuitable for house sitters to care for.
i currently have a carry cage set up for him with a layer of newspaper then a towel then hay that i’ve made into a little nest, and a bowl of pellets for him to eat as they are a treat he really likes.
i’m worried about water as he only knows how to drink from a bowl not a bottle but i don’t know how to provide water without it spilling during the journey, and doubt he will eat or drink anything anyway.
he is very skittish and has only travelled once, to the vet, and i’m very worried about how to go about a 4 hour trip.
we will be stopping for a few toilet breaks but no where he can be let out to stretch his legs or calm down enough to eat or drink and i’m very worried it may impact him badly
i’m just looking for some advice on how to make the journey easier for him or if there’s nothing really i can do

 

[Nancy McClelland]

$ hour is not a big deal--try putting up a water bottle--he may surprise you.

 

[majorv]

During the stops you can offer a water bowl. Four hours isn’t that long...he should be okay with just hay until you get to your destination.

 

[Björnmor]

Put some watery vegetables, like cucumber, tomato and or lettus .
That way he will get at least some liquid in his body

 

[emay75]

okay thank you all for reassuring me aha i was worried 4 hrs would be a long time for him!! will provide a few watery veges that’s a good idea

 

[lulubun]

It might help to put a blanket over the carrier so he feels like he's hidden. When I go on car rides with my bun I also talk to her occasionally to reassure her lol

 

[lilnaugrim]

I just drove 10 hours with my bunny in a move. He only ate a little bit of leafy greens when we stopped for breakfast for a longer period but otherwise, stayed still. So I doubt he'll even want to drink let alone eat.

The best thing we did was putting a blanket over most of his cage and I also put his carrier inside the cage. He doesn't normally like his carrier for obvious reasons but during the trip, he was more than happy to huddle in the darkness of the carrier and rest.

 

[Blue eyes]

As few stops as possible is best. Once the car is underway, they will get adjusted to the constant hum of the car's engine and the steady pace. Any time there is a stop and the engine is turned off-- that is when they start to get nervous and wonder what is happening. It isn't 'a break' for them, but more of "uh-oh, where are we? what's happening?"

I've found it best to keep the trip as short as possible with as few stops as possible. Mine also don't usually eat or drink in transit. But they will start munching hay after a couple hours of steady driving.

If you cover the carrier, be sure that at least one side is uncovered to allow plenty of airflow.