Guinea pigs traveling

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Claire W

Claire W

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Does anybody no how well guinea pigs travel? The reason I ask is because me and OH are going back to Nottingham for Christmas. When we go away for weekends etc our neighbour pops round to feed the guinea pigs and shut them up at night. The problem I have however is that Connie may still be on medication by the then and I don't really want my neighbour to give her her antibiotics for obvious reasons. Therefore, we will have to take them back to Nottingham with us from Rochdale or stay here which I really don't want to do :( Do guinea pigs travel well and what can be done to make it easier for them?
 
Claire,

My piggies are well travelled. They often come with us to Scotland when we go for more than 2 nights as I can't impose a litter change on my neighbour . We bought a small pet caddy from PAH. One that opens from the top so we can put their normal bedding and lots of hay in it. They used to stay in the cage but would insist on being in the same house and that was too small for both of them... In the carrier, they snooze most of the way and munch on the hay when we stop. I wouldn't say that they like travelling but they are less stressed in the carrier and it is dark so I guess they feel secure in it. When we arrive, we 'make their bed' straight away and they may have a small apetite for a coupe hours but they eventually eat well. The problem for them is that at my in-laws' they can't be in the living room so they can feel a bit lonely. Just one thing for you to bear in mind, where are they going to be kept and will they feel like they are ignored?
Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for the advise. At the minute they live in a hutch in our out building but it will be too much to take their entire hutch to my parents house as it is also covered with carpet and a towel. I no it isn't going to be ideal but we have a large unused rat cage at the minute that I thought would do them just to sleep in for 2 days and 3 nights. Because they don't live in the house normally, my mum said that she will turn the heating off in their spare bedroom (which is quite cool with the heating off) and they can go in there. During the day I will set their indoor pen up so that they can go in there. My parents do have a shed but I do not fancy keeping them in there in a wire cage.
 
Sparky has travelled over 300 miles in one day when he went to visit my nana and he was fine, I think he really enjoyed it

Was rather embarrassing when I went it a service station though ")")
 
I think it very much depends on the piggies. I've had some travel as if nothing had happened - they arrive bright eyed and bushy tailed - but I've had others, only travelling for an hour and a half, that on arrival were very stressed, 'sweaty' and floppy and had to have fluids syringed down them and be carefully monitored. Some pigs just don't travel well, and if Connie hasn't been well I'm not sure I'd personally want to travel her if it could be avoided. Just my opinion!

Good luck whatever you decide to do

Sophie
x
 
My piggies are very very well travelled. Cinder and Flame come to their granny's regularly and travelled by Bus, Train, Foot and Car.
Blaze has been to the greatgrandhumans too. and we are all going there in 2 weeks.
All travel well...
 
Of course it'll al depends on your piggies. How are they behaved when driven to the vets? that would be a good indicator... We tend to fuss over our and open the carrier during the journey (whoever is not driving that is) to cuddle them and reassure them. They also get their fav treats whenever we stop and on arrival as well as a run around to inspect new surroundings. That helps...
 
my piggies are well travelled. ive never had any problems. I even brought Lincoln on holiday with us to devon once and he kept us amused in the car. I would say they will be fine x
 
The main thing is to keep them at a consistent temperature, too hot is as bad as too cold.. and keep them hydrated. Chunks of cucumber in the carrier, take some water and syringe with you just in case.

Sophie
x
 
MrsM said:
Of course it'll al depends on your piggies. How are they behaved when driven to the vets? that would be a good indicator... We tend to fuss over our and open the carrier during the journey (whoever is not driving that is) to cuddle them and reassure them. They also get their fav treats whenever we stop and on arrival as well as a run around to inspect new surroundings. That helps...
Click to expand...

They seem fine when we go to the vets. Connie now hides under the towel but I think this is because when she goes in the carrier, she know's where she is going and she has been to the vets lots of times over the past few weeks. When Eliza is with her though, they just lay down and talk x
 
Hi Claire, With all the car journeys that Pinkie has done recently I brought a carrier from p@h only £9.99 it is brilliant. You can put a snugglesafe and or a cushion they would be fine. You can even take the top off it completely and have them on your knee in the base so that they can have a fuss as they travel. Take them with you you will only worry with all that has been going on lately with Connie. Sharon.x>>
 
Sharon has a very good point here. I would just add that as well as fussing when in the car try to keep things as normal as possible. if your girls are happy together in the carrier, then I see no problem. I wouldn't take the lid off mine cos they'd take themselves on a wee adventure round the car and the last thing you need is piggies free and loose when you're on the motorway!
 
Sounds like yours are little rascals then. Good point about motorway, explain that one to the police officer,eeerm. My two girls are very placid, Archie my young boar on the other hand is a very different story, he's very confident likes you playing chase with him with your hand across the carpet. Runs off then comes back for more, jumping about and popcorning.
 
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well, last time we took Rene to vets' (RIP), as she and I were discussing his progress, he decided he's had enoough so he jumped back into the carrier. It's quite high and for a sick piggy, I thought he was doing ok... ;)

Yeah, mine can drive me NUTS. They are so nosey.... Finlay's only been in the car once, when we got him back fro the rescue but I can sense he'll be worse that Rene and Bertie. Bertie on his own is calmness personified but he's a follower! So, if there's something naughty to be ****, it'll be done! grrrr
 
My pigs are military pigs, hence they are regular travellers! If it is a short journey, a rodent-sized carrier is safer than a cat sized one. Anything over an hour or so, I would recommend a cat carrier.

I have also travelled with an ill pig (kidney tumour, and abscess) which was more worrying but he did absolutely fine. He was a seasoned traveller by then though.
 
I take Rodney in the car with me every day, to got o schools, nurseries, birthday parties.

I keep him in a cat carrier, with newspaper and hay.
 
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