ILiveInFlipFlops Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 We're going on vacation soon, and we're not sure about the best thing to do for our large, friendly, social hamster. We'll be gone for a week, and our usual pet-sitting option isn't available (he'll actually be with us on our vacation!). We don't have anyone that we trust to take care of her: All friends have poorly managed cats or large dogs and aren't knowledgeable enough about small pets for us to feel that she'd be safe. We probably could pay a pet sitter or board her somewhere, but that's expensive around here, and it seems kind of silly to pay big bucks for rodent sitting if we can avoid it. So we're debating bringing her with us on our trip. We'd bring the whole tank, so she wouldn't be out of her environment, but it's a 9-10 hour drive. I've read some things about that much car travel being stressful on little pets, and I'd hate to get there and find out we put her through a major trauma, only to have to then get her home again! It's been my experience that most of those kinds of dire warnings are usually unfounded, but still. Can anyone weigh in on this? Have you brought little friends with you on car trips, or long moves, or anything like that? I'd love to hear your experiences if you care to share. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 The rescue I foster rats for has done very long transport trains, all the way up & down the coast. I don't think it's necessarily stressful, especially if it's their own regular large habitat rather than a cramped travel cage. Assuming you have space in the car, the big issue is climate control. You have to be super careful to not have sun glare, or super cold a/c blowing directly on the enclosure during the trip & during any rest stops. So depending on your climate, it might mean having to park in the shade, keep the engine running etc during rest stops. Make sure everything is secured in the cage, remove heavy dishes that might shift during sudden braking (i'd just put food down on a paper towel) and ensure the water bottle is on & working properly. Same with your destination - so long as you can ensure a good, safe temperature, I think it would be fine. to be sure, you can try taking your hammie for short drives in your town now & see how she does. Fwiw, I pay about ~$100/week for rat sitting for one group (2-3 rats). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valley Girl Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 We have small animals. Does your hamster have a vet? If so, ask the vet for advice on travel. Some vets even board small pets. (Ours will.) I'd be cautious about a fish tank enclosure in a car. I'd worry about the animal getting overheated. Hornblower had some very good advice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalytic Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 We traveled thousands of miles with a hedgehog, guinea pig, and snails...take him with you :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 Oh I didn't register the word tank. I would be concerned about that if it's a glass tank; way too little air flow in tanks for the small furries IMO. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted May 18, 2016 Author Share Posted May 18, 2016 (edited) Thanks everyone. Her airflow seems to be fine. She's in a 20-gallon tank with a fine metal mesh top. She was originally in a cage, but it was too small, and since her main goal in life seems to be escaping from wherever she happens to be, she was spending a lot of time chewing on her cage bars (which, in the past, has resulted in broken gerbil teeth :() and wrestling with the jiggly door. The smooth glass tank walls have reduced that a lot, and now she only chews on appropriate things! I think the airflow in the car wouldn't be worse than it would be in DD's room--it might actually better with the air conditioning circulating the air a bit. And of course we wouldn't stack anything on top of her tank in the car. Her tank would be packed in and surrounded on four sides by our soft-sided luggage. We don't actually stop much on this drive (in too much of a hurry to get there!, so we can make sure we always have someone in the car making sure it stays cool. I like the idea of taking her for short drives. We'll start there and see how she does. Thanks for all the tips! Edited May 18, 2016 by ILiveInFlipFlops 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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