moving with pet rats?

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R

_ratowner

Active Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2019
Messages
36
Location
Canada
I really despise that I have to write this but I want to gain as much information as I can within the limited time I have.

So, I just got informed that we am getting kicked out of the house and have 3 months to leave. I really dread it but we are moving quite a far distance away and will be getting there by car. Here is the kicker.. it is a 14 HOUR DRIVE. There is so much that I want to say but I just can’t put it into words. On to the point.. I want to know what I can do to cause the least amount of stress when travelling with a rat, and especially for that amount of time.

I did a little bit of research so far and watched a video about the situation but I still want to be as prepared as possible for when the day comes. I have read about people getting hard plastic cat carrying cages and putting fleece and boxes and such in there for their rats. Maybe I could put his crinkle tube in there for him, or would the constant noise be too much? It is winter and is very cold here so I want to guarantee that he won’t be too cold on the trip. I was thinking of keeping the carrying cage on my lap during the ride, would that be okay? He also really likes being under the blankets with me so maybe I could have him on my lap under the blankets (in or out of the cage?) if that is alright..

I really don’t know what to do. I am still in shock from the news and my brain is just mush at the moment..

How do I transport his cage? Do I have to collapse it or can I just wrap in up (in a blanket) so it is good to go when we get there? What should I do when we get there? Should I bring him in first? It could be too stressful having a bunch of noise around him when people are moving things into the house. I don’t want to leave him in the car or to be the last thing to be brought in, it’s cold and would probably be very scary for him. Should I get the room to the proper temperature and humidity before I bring him into it? Should I wipe all the walls and clean everything and air the room out before I bring him in? When I got them I had already been living in the room they are in so it was already up to living standards. I don’t know what to do in this situation. I’ve only moved houses with cats before. I am high key freaking out about the situation. He is my baby, my everything, and I would NEVER want anything bad to happen to him.

I will update with anything else I can come up with but for now this is what I can think of since as I said before, my brain is absolute mush at the moment. Thank you in advance to anyone willing to help out. All replies are appreciated :)
 
I wouldn't worry too much, main thing is to have an inescapeable cage that can be kept warm - and out of drafts!
I'm assuming his cage is large, so I'd go with a travel cage (easier to carry if you had a layover or god-forbid an accident), and you don't want him falling off a shelf or having things fall on him if you had to brake suddenly. You can put lots of cozy blankets in there for him to snuggle under (and have extra to change it out when it's wet), and a warm blanket over top of it. You'll have to rig up a water source (if you can hang his bottle you could put a dish under it to catch water that drips with the car movement so it doesn't soak his bedding) or offer water frequently. Some chew toys or bones would be good to help occupy him.
Transport his regular cage however is most convenient for you.

Most rats will be fine with the travel if kept comfy, but the travel & changes can be stressful to some, so if you have Immune Booster would be a good idea to give him that for at at least a few days before & after (or echinacea).
When you get there bring him in right away so he's kept warm (if the place is cold won't be worst than the car). If it's cold to start do you have a little heater you could put near his cage?
You could leave him in the travel cage, but personally I think I'd set his up and get him in it cause the moving in can take a lot of time. Just put lots of blankets in whatever he's in and be sure it's dry.. Put him in a warm area where he's out of the way from getting jostled or getting drafts from open doors while you move things in. A bedroom closet or the bathtub might work?

Other than that, the move will be worse for you than him, so relax. I'm sorry you're going thru this.
 
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I knew a lady who use to travel all over the place with her rats, long hours in the car in their cage and they seemed just fine. Rats are resilient. In the beginning, don't give too much food, a full belly creates more stress. I would only give them blocks during the move, no fresh veggies, so you can avoid any soft stools which will make for a stinky ride.
 
I’ve been meaning to reply to this thread! I also had to deal with a long-distance move. There are a few things I wish I could have done better, but I can share my experience if it helps at all.

It sounds like you’re really feeling nervous at the moment and I can assure you it will be okay! If you have a good rat sitter and a weekend free, it might be worth flying to the new location for a weekend before the big move just to get some basic things cleaned and prepared and to help give you some peace of mind. If that’s not a possibility, it’ll still be okay – I know because I wasn’t able to do that either.

As far as the cage situation – I have a couple of cheap travel cages and just always leave one in the car for any sort of emergency vet situation. Mine are 18x18x24 cages. One fits across two seats and can be strapped in with a seatbelt going across both. I do have a pretty big car, so those measurements definitely won’t work for all vehicles. Because it’s a small animal cage, I was able to include a water bottle, food bowl, hammock and hide. The problem with this type of setup is that it isn’t as convenient to carry as a cat carrier. But, I also had a second, smaller carrier just in case.

Regarding the bedding situation, I recommend having a stack of fleece and just using that rather than traditional bedding. When it starts to get stinky, roll up the old stuff, lay down some new stuff, and toss the stinky stuff in a plastic bag in your trunk. It takes half a second to do and then you all aren’t stuck in a small space with the scent of fresh poop and you don’t need to deal with the potential mess of regular bedding getting out of the cage.

As far as putting your rats on your lap, it’s probably safer not to, but that didn’t stop me when I was travelling. If someone wanted some cuddles, they got some cuddles. My dudes were adults at the time and not terribly wiggly, so there wasn’t any fear of losing someone under a seat. I just wouldn’t do it while you’re driving. Only do it if you’re the passenger.

Regarding transporting the cage – pack as many of your own things as possible first. This will make it easier to visualize how you’re going to fit it into your vehicle. Try to plan it so when you pack, you can ensure that your rats’ cage and other necessities can be some of the last things to go into the vehicle and the first to come out. I also recommend having a day bag for yourself and your rats – just some basic essentials that are nice to have on hand. Keep this in the front within your reach. One notable addition for the rats was a couple of grapes, blueberries, and cucumber slices in case they didn’t feel like using the water bottle.

The type of cage will determine how to best pack it. In my case, my cage was very heavy. In order to keep the parts from bending one another, I used zip ties to hold parts together after it had been dismantled and I laid blankets between each big part. If you’re able to fit your cage so that it’s just wrapped up in a blanket but still together, feel free to do that.

When you get there, I would advise bringing him in with you when you go in. I suspect that the house shouldn’t be freezing – because then you’d have the bigger problem of dealing with frozen pipes and whatnot. But that’s just speculation. That’s one part you’ll have to judge. Do you have anyone helping you move? When I moved, I put the rats in the bedroom and my mom watched over them while we brought the cage in. If you’re able, I’d suggest putting the cage together first thing! Set it up somewhere relatively quiet, get your rats settled, and then set to work on everything else.

One more thing I recommend is finding a good vet ASAP. If possible, find one before moving and have any files transferred over before you leave. You all will be just fine but getting that out of the way eliminates a lot of stress. If you can find a rescue near your new location, they might have some information for you.

If you’re still feeling anxious, I recommend making a checklist. Knowing what I need to do and seeing what I’ve already accomplished really helps me with keeping calm.

I tried to cover your points question-by-question, but if I missed anything or if there’s anything more I can tell you about my experience, just say the word!
 
Hello,

Sorry for not responding for such a long time. At first it was because I was busy with work and such but then I just forgot to reply all together. I appreciate all of the feedback that I get. Also, I apologize in advance that this is basically just a wall of text.
We are moving in a couple days so I just wanted to give a bit of an update if anyone is able to give me any last minute suggestions or tips :)

Situation #1: We are leaving as soon as the moving truck is all packed up and gone. The drive will take 2-3 days and we will unfortunately be without all of our stuff for 7-10 days once we get there. I am of course bringing all of the supplies I need for my pets with me in the car. I bought a sizeable hard plastic cat carrying cage for the travel which I will fill with lots of blankets for warmth and shelter along with some boxes (I sadly couldn’t find any igloos at the store that would fit) and plastic food and water bowls which I assumed would be better for travel over ceramic bowls. I will also be bringing the actual cage which I hopefully won’t have to collapse so I can easily set it up once we get there without all the stress and hassle. I am going to cover it with a blanket in the car because I am a bit of a germaphobe. As well as bring water, dry food, fresh food, treats, wipes, extra blankets, maybe I will try to fit a hammock in there too and maybe some toys although I doubt he would use them. I don’t think their is any point in even trying to put any form of litter tray in there as it would minimize the space and I doubt it would be used anyway. I don’t mind cleaning up stray poops every once in a while. Is there anything else I should bring with me? Anything else I should do to ensure he is comfortable during the drive? Anything else I should put in the carrying cage?
I do have other animals that are coming along as well as suitcases and such so the space in the car is a bit limited.

Situation #2: We will be staying at a hotel throughout the trip I believe so I don’t know how that would go when travelling with a rat. Would I bring his whole cage in or would it be okay for him to be in the travel cage for the night? I really don’t want him to feel too uncomfortable but I don’t really know what other choices I have in this situation.

Situation #3: Once we get there, we won’t have any of our furniture for about 7-10 days. I normally have the cage on top of a bookcase so I really don’t want to have to put it on the ground until I am able to get the bookcase. My reasons being because of the whole germaphobe thing and because I also own “predatory” animals and don’t want them to have easy access to the cage (or climb on it). Any suggestions on what I could do or do I just have to deal with it being on the ground?

Situation #4: I have a whole set up that I use to keep the room at a comfortable humidity and temperature which includes, a space heater for.. heat, a fan for air flow/circulation (it is never pointed towards the cage), and an air moisture humidifier which I fill with fresh cold water twice a day. These three machines are always on to ensure comfortable humidity and temperatures are maintained. I also have the machine that measures the humidity percentage and temperature degree (I forget what they are called, sorry). Since I can’t have this elaborate set up in a car, how would I be able to maintain and ensure the humidity and temperature is appropriate and comfortable for all parties? I am going to do so no matter what but I’d like a second opinion.. should I bring all three items with me in the car so they can be set back up as soon as we get there?
Hopefully those are all labeled correctly. I can’t really think of anything else to add at the moment but if I am able to thing of anything I may have missed, I will be sure to update the thread. Thank you much for all of the help you all have offered thus far, I really do appreciate it.

And before anyone says anything about moving with the whole pandemic situation going on, there is nothing I can do about it sadly, we have to be out of the house by the first of May. We will of course be quarantining once we get there though :)
 

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