Drive 19 hours, or fly?

[zoologist]

In February i'm going to be taking a trip with my boyfriend to visit his family in upstate New York. He lives in South Carolina, and I in Florida. He has two weeks off and is going to drive to New York. I'm going to fly up a week after he drives up, spend a week up there with the fam and then we are both going to drive home in his car (he hates flying).

I have no one to care for Cloud for the week i'll be away in NY. Scratch that... I have no one I can TRUST to take care of Cloud for that week. I have two options.

1) Matthew said he could drive Cloud up to New York with him (about a 16-19 hour trip) in a cat carrier and he would bring Cloud's cage and set it up at their house in his old room and care for Cloud for the week I wasn't there. Then I would care for Cloud the week we're both there and then we drive home with him.

2) I fly Cloud up with me in a hard sided cat carrier (costing me about $200, just for a ticket for him. He will be with the luggage, not even in the cabin.) Have him live in a pop up dog carrier for the week with his wheel, food, etc. and then drive home with him in the cat carrier again.


Which should I do, and which would be less stressful for Cloud. I've briefed Matthew on the basic care of hedgehogs, and he says he can handle it. (Its not that I don't trust HIM, I just don't trust ANYONE with my baby.)

I've told Matthew he needs to...
-keep the temp a solid 78* in the car, NO EXCEPTIONS
-keep Cloud warm at their house
-change the water daily, refill food daily
-clean the wheel daily
-spot clean the liners, daily
-change the liners every 3 days
-Play with Cloud for a minimum of an hour a day, and make sure to clean up any mess he makes before it stains the carpet (lol)
-keep the dog and cat away from him
-NO playing in the snow with Cloud! (He said he never even thought of it, but I just thought i'd tell him anyway)


any advice on how to keep Cloud happy would be appreciated. I have a lot of time to think about this, but i want to get everything set up well in advance.

[zoologist]

Also, what should i bring with Cloud? I have a list started... let me know if I am missing anything.

-cage or pop up carrier
-excess liners
-his tube/bed/sleep sack
-wheel
-food dishes/water dishes
-Collar (doesn't wear it, but it does have an ID tag on it)
-leash (made for iguanas. I use it if I'm at the park with him or something)
- hedgehog ball (for him to roll around the house in as a form of excercise in NY? he does use it...)
-Shampoo, towels, nail clippers

anything else...?

[smhufflepuff]

I'd choose car over plane... except for Pennyslvania (where hedgies are illegal and could easily be confiscated and terminated). Can you go around Pennsylvania?

[zoologist]

Its possible, and I didn't think about it.

However, I drive up the east side straight through Georgia whenever I am going to South Carolina to visit family, and arn't hedgehogs illegal in Georiga? Geez! I was breaking the law and i didn't even know it! Good thing I never got a speeding ticket in GA

[Zalea]

I'm not sure that driving through should be a problem. I believe it's just residents of those states that need to worry. With an out of state license, it shouldn't be an issue as long you aren't making lots of stops in the state and you let them know that you're just driving through and not dropping the hedgie off anywhere. Odds are that even if you did get pulled over the cop would just say "Don't forget the hedgehog at any rest stops" and be on the way. I wouldn't worry about it, myself. If it's that much of a worry for you, you could probably call and ask the Pennsylvania authorities if they have a policy about driving through.

[PixiesExoticHedgies]

My concern with flying this time of year would be the temp of the cargo area of the plane. It is not temperature controled, and thus many breeders refuse to ship this time of year.

I have heard of hedgies being confiscated at airports, but never at a police stop in a car. Most cops would not be aware that hedgies are illegal, and secondly as long as you give them no reason to search your car, they'd never know the hedgie was in there.

BTW: This is not legal advice.
Cannot be held responsible, should something freaky happen.

[zoologist]

I'm not too worried about getting caught in PA with Cloud since A) Matthew will be driving, and he drives slower than a grandma and B) I flit up home practically every weekend with Cloud, stopping at numerous rest stops throughout Georgia and never have a I had a problem.


Ok, so. I'm guessing flying with Cloud is out? That works then now i just have to stop feeling like I am forcing Matthew to take Cloud. Do I need to remember to bring anything else or tell him anything else to do or do i have everything right so far?

[drowsydreamer]

I would recommend looking up a vet in the area, even if you don't know of one personally, and giving contact information to your boyfriend just in case something happens and you're too far away to be able to help.

[zoologist]

wow, that is a great idea Dreamer and one i never would have thought of! thanks

[smhufflepuff]

I thought I'd just copy and paste my list of everything I send along with hedgie when she's going to her hedgie sitter or on a trip with me. A bit of a warning, it turns out to be much more than when we take human children anywhere:

cage
cage liners; extra liners
wheel
wheel scrubber
paint can opener - it's how we can pull the roller blade bearings out of the bucket wheel so they don't get wet when the wheel is being washed
thermostat
heat lamp with ceramic heat emitter
light with bulb and timer
power strip
water bowl
Pur water pitcher (yes, hedgie gets filtered water)
food dish
kibbles
mealies
tweezers
plastic truck
veggies - baby food
igloo or fleece house
scale
3-ring binder with weight chart, routine care instructions, emergency instructions including vet contact here at home and away, instructions on how to access Hedgehog Central and Chins-n-Quills with expert members' names highlighted (eg, Nancy, Hedgemom, etc...)
Antigone Means' book about hedgehogs
paper towels
hedgie wipes
hand soap (for humans... it's the same we use at home so she doesn't bite them)
oatmeal bath
nail clippers
two towels
t-shirts - one of hedgiedaddy's and one of hedgiemommy's so she has a familiar scent to comfort her
snuggle safe disk with fleece cover
emergency air-activated 30-hour hand warmers
the fleece no-sew bag that holds the hand warmers
hedgie bag
stuffed animal - small cat toy

Most of the above fits inside her travel house (a smaller cage than her usual living space that has a thermometer glued inside)

Then she goes in her smaller carrying cage that's outfitted with a digital thermometer with probe that sits inside the cage and smaller liners for her to burrow under. In cooler temperatures, I put a handwarmer on one side and a snuggle safe below.