Traveling with Rats
Traveling with Rats
With travel being
so common these days it's likely that you'll be faced with the decision of
whether or not to bring the rats with you for a trip. While it's difficult
to think of being separated from those cute little furry faces, sometimes the
easiest, safest and most convenient thing to do is find a responsible rat
sitter. This will be someone you trust and who is acquainted with your
rats.
If a rat sitter is not an option or if you are moving then the rats can travel with you. Below is a discussion of things to consider when traveling with rats.
Car Travel
Road trips with
rats are quite safe as long as a proper carrier is used and planning has been
done ahead of time. The weather
extremes here in Canada can make road trips with rats a challenge.
I once made a 2000km road trip with a rat in a car in -30 degree weather
and everything was fine but I had to be extremely careful when transporting him
into and out of the car. Intense
cold or hot weather can pose a risk to rats but as long as your vehicle has a
heater or air conditioner that is in working order the rats will be okay.
It is important to have an adequately designed rat carrier to get your
rats into and out of the car. Once
in the car, rats can either be kept in the carrier or in their cage during the
trip. Because they are very small
animals, rats can become cold or hot in a shorter span of time than larger
mammals like dogs or humans. For
this reason it's important to take all the steps you can to ensure the
temperature is as constant as possible for the entire trip, and to monitor the
rats frequently to make sure they aren't cold or getting overheated.
The temperature inside the vehicle should not be lower than 16 degrees
Celcius or
hotter than 25 Celcius when traveling. The
best way to monitor temperature is to use a small portable thermometer that can
be clipped to the rat carrier or rat cage during the trip.
Cold Weather Car Travel
If you have to
travel with your rats in the winter it is very important not to expose them to
cold drafts. The best carrying
container for this type of situation is a solid container that has a single
large air vent at the top that can be covered with a towel during brief dashes
to and from the car. You can make a
very inexpensive carrier like this out of a Rubbermaid container (pictures
and instructions here). Make
sure that the car is completely packed and heated to room temperature before
putting the rats in the car. The
carrier should be the last thing to enter the car and the first thing to exit
the car. When you have the rats in
the carrier and are ready to make the dash to the car, put a folded thick towel
over the air vent in the top to keep the cold air out, and whisk the carrier
into the car. Once in the car wait
a few moments, check the interior air temperature, and then take
the towel off the top to allow air circulation. Make sure the temperature
remains at a constant comfortable level for the entire trip. If the cage is in an accessible location inside the car and
you are certain that the cage won't be cold (ie. not in the drafty location near
the back) then the rats can be moved from the carrier into the cage.
Don't put the carrier or cage on the floor of the car because even though
the air temperature might be okay the floor underneath the carrier will likely
be cold.
For short (2 hrs or less)
trips in cold weather my own preference is to keep the rats in the carrier for
the entire trip because that way I can be certain they aren't exposed to drafts
and I can keep a very close eye on them. The
best spot for the carrier is on the passenger seat or on the lap of the person
in the passenger seat. Include a
few pieces of food in the carrier and offer water from a water bottle at least
every two hours. Grapes and pieces of fruit
are great non-messy sources of moisture too. Although it's most
important to avoid the rats getting cold, be aware that if the heat is cranked
up too high then you run the risk that the rats may get too hot in the carrier
during the trip as well. Reach
inside the carrier every now and then and feel your rats' body temperature to
make sure they are doing okay. Rats
use their tails for temperature regulation so if the tail is unusually cold it
means the rat is trying to conserve heat (and the air temperature is too cold)
but if the tail is unusually hot it means the rat is trying to get rid of excess
heat and the air temperature is too hot. It's
a good idea to make note of your rat's tail temperature before the trip when the
air temperature is normal so you have a reference point for later.
Hot Weather Car Travel
Hot weather. If the rats are to remain in the carrier during the course of the road trip it's important that it be well ventilated. The carrier described previously for cold weather travel would not be a very good design when hot temperatures can pose a problem except if it is used only briefly for transportation to and from the car. If you have air conditioning in your vehicle then hot weather shouldn't be too much of a problem because you can keep the interior temperature at a constant comfortable level. Rats can be kept in a well-ventilated carrier for the entire trip or can be transferred into the cage if it is in an accessible location in the vehicle. Offer water to the rats frequently but don’t hang the bottle on the cage during the trip because it will drip and soak the cage. Grapes or pieces of fruit are good source of moisture and can be conveniently left in the carrier/cage for the rats to eat. If you don't have air conditioning, plan to make your trip in the morning or evening when temperatures are coolest. Don't travel with rats if the temperature in your car is going to be above 25 degrees C. Rats do not do well in hot humid weather and they can get very stressed if overheated. Do not let direct sun shine on the carrier/cage during the trip. If you plan to make stops along the way, don’t leave the rats in car for very long (10 minutes tops!) and always crack the windows and park in shade. Use drive-thrus for meals so the rats aren’t left alone in the vehicle for any length of time.
More Car Travel Tips
-If the rats are going to be in their cage during the car trip make sure that all heavy objects have been removed. Don’t hang water bottles during driving – they will leak and soak the cage.
-Have a bag of clean bedding pre-packed for each night if your trip is going to last more than one day. If you can, use flannel or cotton sheets as bedding. (advantage=less mess). Don’t use terry-cloth or material with little loops that rat nails can get caught in.
-Be prepared for medical problems. In case of a medical emergency it is a good idea to have Rat Health Care booklet with you. It is very likely that an emergency vet won’t be experienced with rats so the booklet is an important resource to have on hand.
-Let the rats play in and around the carrier at least day before the trip. Place treats in the carrier so that the rats get used to spending time in it. Let them jump into and out of it. If the rats are comfortable with the carrier it is MUCH easier to get them into it and it will be less stressful for them when the time comes to begin the trip.
Airline Travel
Unfortunately, all the major airlines in Canada (Air Canada, West Jet, etc.) have chosen to ban rodents in the passenger area of the plane so you can't take them on as carry-on baggage. Whether this is due to some sort of health concern or to avoid any complaints by rodent-intolerant passengers is unclear (the explanation varies depending on which employee you talk to), but the fact remains that rats cannot travel as carry-on. This is definitely something to be aware of if you know that you'll be traveling by plane while you own rats. The best solution is to find a reliable rat sitter in advance to take care of your pets. Friends and relatives who have previously met your rats will usually be agreeable to caring for them for a week or two. Be sure to write out a detailed list of instructions for them about feeding, cleaning and any medications, plus the phone number of your regular vet and emergency vet. ‘Last resort’ alternatives include boarding the rats at a vet or kennel but this can get expensive with daily fees and staff are too busy to pay much attention to small animals in a corner.
Pet rats are allowed in the cargo (baggage) area of most airlines and rodents are sometimes shipped around the country using this method. Although assurances are made about heating and temperature this remains a risky thing to do. A delayed flight might mean that baggage and carriers don't get the treatment they should, and all it takes is one disgruntled employee to mishandle a carrier. Everyone is comfortable with a different level of risk, but personally I would not be comfortable with the amount of risk involved in this method of air travel. As discussed previously, rats have sensitive respiratory systems and should never be exposed to drafts or fluctuating temperatures. For this reason, air travel in the cargo hold during the winter is definitely not advised.