A Road Trip for Sherman?

[BunnyMommy]

You all know that I've been taking Sherman out onshort rides from the house to get him used to the fact that every carride doesn't end up at the doctor or being dropped off somewhere ....

Well, I'm thinking about taking him on a road trip with me.Do you think that a three and a half hour car ride would be toomuch? If it's not too long, how often should I stop along theway for him to get out to potty and play? Do you think thatthe grass at the rest stops along the way would be coated withpesticides (I don't want him to get poisoned)? If the grassis potentially tainted, where can I stop along the way so that he canstretch his legs for a while? Should I put a litter box inthe van (I know that Buck does this)?

Just as an FYI ... when I take him out on car rides he's usually alittle grumpy and miffed at me when we get back home.

P.P.S. Did I ever mention to you all that I got my husband tobuy me a mini-van before he passed away so that Sherman could becomfortable on his carrides? ...I know, I know ... yes, I am ashamed...


(Edited to add: Please forgive any redundancies or errors inthis post. I've only had about two hours of sleep thusfar.)

 

[bunsforlife]

If he's litter box trained, couldnt he ride in the back without a cage? Maybe a comfy resting box and his litter box?

I dont know... my buns seem to love going for rides in their carrier,even if it ends up at the vet. Guin will groom the vet, Girwill just sit sullenly hehe.

 

[m.e.]

The only danger would be him unsecured in thetragic event of an accident. Even a low-speed fender bender couldinjure him. It's probably safer for him to be realtively confined.

 

[bunsforlife]

Oh very true M.E... didnt think about that :shock:

 

[u8myhouse]

When I got Onzlo and Bella we had to drive quitea way back, I can't remember exactly how long it took, m.e. mightknow... Both rabbits calmed down the longer they were in the car. Theydon't mind car rides that I know of though. So it might be different.

If you didn't want to put him out on the grass you could just let him run in the back of the van at rest stops.

~Christine~

 

[m.e.]

It was about a three hour drive, with rest stop.We made sure the car was well-ventilated (being July and all), and whenwe stopped, they stayed in their carrier but we opened all the doorsfor fresh air. Christine's right, the longer they were in the car, themore they calmed down, though that may not be true for every bunster.

Some other things that have worked:

- cover the carrier with a towel or sheet to make it more cave-like and avoid overstimulation.

- play calming music; my buns like blues/jazz or classical.

 

[u8myhouse]

Mine like techno... It's not exactly the mostcalming thing though... Before my neice got kicked out of daycare theygave her a nap time cd... It's got classical children's stuff, Enya,and a few other things. My rabbit's love it, whenever I play it I comeback into the room to find them both all sprawled out happily.

~Christine~

 

[Cher]

Aww our baby Sherman is going to start being acar (or should I say mini-van) bunny, ahhh the master of the roads, togo where no bun has been before yadda yadda yadda...give him a craisinor two for me for being such a man about this new adventure, and foryou BunnyMommy I wish you the best of luck with him (and perchance alack of bunittude from him towards you) I have to agree with theclassical music, my girls love it-at home its a different story (theylike to binky to some serious alternative beats *grin grin*)

xooxoxox PS I want to see pics of our King in his *ride*

Cher

 

[Carolyn]

m.e. wrote:

The only danger would be him unsecured in the tragic event of anaccident. Even a low-speed fender bender could injure him. It'sprobably safer for him to be realtively confined.

Hehe. Been there, done that!


Buck here. Carolyn's avatar is showing in my post because Iam posting this from her computer, in case that fact confuses anyone.

Our rabbits often ride up on the engine cover of our full sized van.Once, while visting our son in Chattanooga, TN , I backed into someoneat a traffic light, don't ask why. That's another story?

Jumped out of our van to check upon the condition of the driver I justbacked into, who had suffered no injury, but was pretty angry.

Back to van, both doors were now open,to discover no rabbit. FearedMontie had fallen off engine cover and followed us out of one the doorsand was now enscounced somewhere around the area in the bushes.

Two of us, were now runnng around searching the vegetation in the area,shouting, "Montie! Montie!" Other driver thought we were lunatics, asthe behavior, after an accident, was rather unusual.

Really concerned because we could not find him and rued the fact wemight have to leave him there in the middle of Chattanooga, TN to a"whatever" fate.

The Missus, rechecked the interior of the the van, to find Montie,perched securely under the little passenger jump seat we carry in ourcargo van.

By then the other driver had calmed down some, or fearing that we weremaniacal, permitted us to explain the circumstances of our odd behavior.

Just another rabbit oriented "war story!"

Re: your original questions, BunnyMommy. I carry around a wire cagemanufactured by Safequard, or one of those rabbit cage manufacturers. Ibought it very cheaply at a yard sale.
Within the cage are litter box, feed bowl, water bowl(bottles don'ttravel well and have a tendecy to leak from road vibration) and hayrack.

Whenever, a rabbit signals it may have to use the "facilities, or if,in our judgment, it might be appropriate timing, we place it(them) inthe cage. You probably could affect a similar situation if you have amini-van.

Most of our buns don't seem to be overly stressed by automobile rides.
This weekend, Missy/Calbert and Enest and Mitzie(his intended partner)accompanied us to Tucker Town in two separate cages that are largerthan our customary "travelling cage," because they will be "living" inthem for the weekend. It was a 3 1/2 hour drive to Tucker Town for us.

Over the years very few of our buns have ever inadvertently peed orpooped out of the litter box, and on those few occasions, more oftenthan not, we missed or misinterpreted their "signals" that they neededthe "comfort" cage.

Chemically treated vegetation can be difficult to recognize, unlesslabeled as such, but it is often posted. I think if is more likely tooccur on homeowners' lawns than in many public places, but don't takethat as gospel.
In truth, for the amount Sherman is likely to ingest while being takenfor a walk,I doubt it would poison him to death, anyway. I mean, whenonce considers all the "chemicals" we eat on a daily basis, yetsurvive, I think the danger to Sherman would minimal.

Be prepared to spend more time accomplishing your appointed tasks whenSherman acccompanies you about. People always have so many comments,questions, and remeniscences about their own bunnies of yore, that itis often difficult to walk more than 2 feet without being accosted.

I know you and Sherman both will be a most excellent public relations spokeswoman and spokesbunny for rabbit keeping in general.

Buck

 

[LuvaBun]

Hey, King Sherman is going to drive around hisKingdom - the streets will be lined with people waving flags, cheeringand waving and bowing down before him. All hail the King .

Seriously, I took Pernod and Perry to a Rabbit Welfare Day inManchester back in May. That is over a three hour drive and they werefine - much better than I had hoped for. I stopped once, just to givethem a cuddle and check they were OK (they were in a large carrier). Ihad the windows open and the car radio on. We were in Manchester anbout6 hours, where they were in a run in a barn, then we drove back, againwith one stop, then they went mad in the garden for an hour when we gothome. I think we all enjoyed ourselves, and now they are often jumpingin and out of the carrier, as if wanting to go out again. Goodluck - Jan

 

[RaspberrySwirl]

Carolyn's avatar is showing in my post because I am posting this from her computer, in case that fact confused anyone.

Buck

It took me a minute to figure that out!:?

Raspberry

 

[BunnyMommy]

LuvaBun wrote:

Hey, King Sherman is going to drive around his Kingdom - thestreets will be lined with people waving flags, cheering and waving andbowing down before him. All hail the King .

- Jan

 

[RaspberrySwirl]

Sebastian seems tolove to be in the car. We haven't taken a long car trip but he has beenin the car for 3 hours at a time before running errands and such. Wetake his litter box and keep it on the floor board in the back seat. Hehops down and gets in it when he needs to. Otherwise he is very happyon his little girls lap, which is elevated by a booster seat, lookingout the window. Sometimes he sprawls out across the other side of theback seat and sleeps. But in general he doesn't seem to mind being inthe car any more than anything else he does.

Perhaps this would be a good thing for Sherman. Certainly he couldn'tbe any more miffed at you for the car ride than he could be for youleaving him?

Raspberry

 

[BunnyMommy]

Hey, guys! Will post update later.

I'm not at my computer.