Travelling With Rats
Like 2 Dislike 0 Published on 19 Feb 2016
More Information; Travelling with rats does not have to be difficult. Consider the type of journey and how many rats you will be travelling with and plan in advance to reduce stress for you and your rats. You should always have a suitable carrier and spare cage available at all times ready for emergencies. See also our four part series, 'Ready to Evacuate' and our three part series about the Savic Zeno 2 cage. Cages featured in this video;
Ferplast Aladino, large rabbit size carrier.
Ferplast mini Duna Multy hamster cage.
Savic Zeno 2 cage.
Ferplast Mary cage.
Also mentioned Ferplast Furet Plus cage.
Savic also have a cage similar in size to the Ferplast Mary cage, it is the Ruffy 2 cage.
Carriers should only be used for a short journey, around an hour.
The Duna cage is suitable for travel and up to two days as an emergency cage only.
The Mary, Furet and Ruffy cage are only suitable as temporary holiday accommodation for up to two weeks. Your rats will need extra time out of the cage to compensate for the smaller size of these cages. But take extra care at your holiday destination, make sure the room is completely rat safe and keep a very close watch on your rats to prevent injuries, check for any places your rat could get stuck or lost and dangers from chemicals. It is best to use a small room or corner of a room and cover the floor with a sheet from home.
The Zeno 2 and Furet Plus cages are suitable as homes for 2-3 rats and have the advantage that they fold down for storage, but they are not large cages and your rats will need at least an hour a day outside of the cage for exercise. Always buy the biggest cage you can as a permanent home for your rats.
Rats must always have access to fresh water and food in their cages and when travelling. It is a good idea to always have a spare water bottle in case of leaks. Small bottles will need to be refilled at intervals with fresh water, for this purpose you can keep a large bottle of water in a cool bag.
Plastic clip-lock food grade tubs will keep food and treats fresh.
Another useful tip is keep some spare bedding in your travel bag and some plastic bags to dispose of any smelly bedding, you don't want to sit in a smelly car on a hot day.
Take great care when closing carrier lids and moving carriers and cages. Luggage straps help secure travel cages and carriers.
If your rat is on regular medicine, make sure you have enough to take with you and find out where the local vet is before you travel.
This seems like a lot of preparation but if you are prepared you can hopefully avoid stress and enjoy your holiday.