Whether you’re bringing your beloved rodent with you over the holidays or taking him to the vet for a checkup, it’s important that your small furry pet is safe and calm while riding in the car. Travelling with a gerbil, mouse, or hamster is much different than riding with a dog or cat, so make sure you’re taking proper measure to transport your rodent in the car without traumatizing or injuring it.
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Keep him in his cage
It’s important that your fuzzy friend stay calm while moving in the car, and the best way to achieve this is to keep him in a familiar environment. So, if possible, transport his entire cage he normally stays in. That way, you’re minimizing how many uncommon stimuli he’s experiencing at once.
Or, use a designated travel carrier
If the normal cage is too big for travelling or not secure enough to take on the road, use a compact travel terrarium. These plastic, ventilated enclosures are easy to carry and are quite cheap. You can get one from a pet store for around $10, and it’s secure enough for your hamster to stay in for a period at your destination. Fill it with shavings from his cage that have his scent on it, as well as some food and a couple of chew toys.
Remove any dangerous items, and add extra shavings
You don’t want to hit a pot hole and cause a hard or weighty object in the cage topple over and collide with your hamster’s fragile head. Remove any dense wooden blocks, ceramic feed bowls, etc. Use a lighter item as a substitute nesting domicile during the travel; so, replace that wooden hut with a plastic igloo or cardboard teepee. The best way to protect your friend from impacts is to add extra paper bedding to the cage so it cushions his body. It’s like adding air bags to the cage.
Strap the cage to a seat
Minimize how much the cage is jostled around during the trip to reduce internal injury or trauma. Instead of setting the cage on the floor, where the bumps in the road are more intense, place the enclosure on an empty seat and strap it in with a seat belt. Don’t trust a passenger to hold it, as they might accidentally drop it or lose their grip at a bad time. You don’t want the cage to fly through the air if you’re in a fender-bender. Also, place a sheet of cardboard against the back of the chair so the cute critter won’t chew on the upholstery!
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Give him the right food
Instead of using a water bottle for hydration, remove that hazard and supply a couple of slices of a moist snack like melon or cucumber for hydration and nourishment. The metal tip of a bottle could be dangerous if the hamster is thrown against it during the ride. Plus, it’ll leak the whole time and you’ll wind up with a soaked cage of sloppy shavings.
Stay quiet, and play relaxing music
Even with all these precautions, your hamster or gerbil will probably be a bit anxious in the car. Provide him with emotional comfort by minimizing loud noises that could further panic him. Speak softly and don’t yell or raise your voice when talking to other passengers. Don’t place the cage too close to a speaker. If you must, cover the outlet with a pillow to muffle the noise.
According to Pet Educate, small animals actually enjoy listening to music, as long as it’s gentle, soothing instrumental material that’s played at a low volume. Put on some new age tunes, smooth jazz grooves or piano concertos. Just make sure it doesn’t lull the driver to sleep, too!
Bring a towel for shade
You don’t want the sun to shine on the cage all day, so bring a towel to cover the cage and keep it out of the direct sunlight. Just make sure there are still plenty of openings for fresh air. Covering the cage also alleviates more stress on your hamster by reducing environmental visual stimulation.
Don’t open the windows
Stick to the air conditioning to keep the cabin cool while you’re travelling. Don’t roll down the windows or sunroof on the road. The blasts of wind can scare and potentially harm an animal that size.
Don’t leave him in the car
If you take a stop for lunch or a hotel stay overnight, bring the cage with you (make sure you’re staying at a place whose policy allows this). Don’t leave the little guy in the hot or frigid car, because temperatures can get extreme in that enclosed, glass greenhouse.
Hamsters, gerbils, and other rodents are easily transportable and make great companions on road trips. Just make sure your pet enjoys the adventure as much as you do.
Aaron is unashamed to be a native Clevelander and the proud driver of a Hyundai Veloster Turbo (which recently replaced his 1995 Saturn SC-2). He gleefully utilizes his background in theater, literature, and communication to dramatically recite his own articles to nearby youth. Mr. Widmar happily resides in Dayton, Ohio with his magnificent wife, Vicki, but is often on the road with her exploring new destinations. Aaron has high aspirations for his writing career but often gets distracted pondering the profound nature of the human condition and forgets what he was writing… See more articles by Aaron.