Rabbits Need Cool Air Fanning over Their Ears
March 29th, 2012, Posted in RabbitsYou may have a show rabbit that you need to take a long distance to the next show or maybe you are moving home and are taking your pet rabbit with you. What ever your intention a pet shipping company know how to move most pets in comfort. However, if you are thinking of carrying it in your own car then there are some preparations that you can make.
Rabbits are quite a simple pet to transport as long as you make sure you take the right precautions to look after them throughout the journey. Firstly, warmth is the first thing to consider as rabbits are only able to control their temperature of their body by allowing cool air to flow around their rather large ears.
Before commencing the journey a specific rabbit carrying cage should be purchased. Almost all rabbit cage fabricators put together and market cages that are suitable for rabbit travel. They are fitted out with strong wire mesh along with a wire floor that is fabricated around and on top off a waterproof tray. It all fits together as one unit that is easy to transport and they come in different sizes depending on the size and number of rabbits that are going to be travelling together.
Once the rabbit has been placed into the cage make sure all food containers and water dispensers are unable to move if the car jolts or takes a bend a little too sharply. There are dishes and water dispensers available can be screwed onto the sides of the cage.
A point to note is that as long as the rabbit will not be travelling for more than ten hours, it can do without water and food for the length of journey. But once you arrive at your destination make sure you feed your pet and in particular provide it with some water. If you are likely to be travelling a long way, a piece of foam laid under the cage can help in cushioning the rabbit’s journey.
If you are the driver make sure you don’t keep sharply breaking and drive smoothly as animals are not accustomed to being driven around and their movement is determined by themselves not others.
Rabbits generally have a preference to a darker, cooler, environment and are particularly vulnerable if they are exposed to excessive heat than to excessive cold. If it is a rather hot or even only quite a warm day running the car’s air conditioner will add to the comfort level of your pet. Using a sun shade can help to keep the sun from directly shining on the cage. Don’t forget when you stop for a break to park the car under trees or in an indoor car park so as to keep the temperature down inside the car. If it is actually cool outside, just wind the windows down enough to allow the circulation of fresh air.
Once you arrive at your final destination make sure the rabbit is watered and fed inside its cage while you make arrangements for its new home.