[Cyanidegirl]

Alright, so I was wondering what kind of stuff I would have to get my baby for a really long car ride, I'm a little worried, because I don't want to stress him out, obviously I only want what's best for him and if need be I'll leave him with a friend. it's about a 16 hour car ride, so I'm not too sure about brining him or the stuff that I would need. I have a while to figure it all out because I'm not leaving till april 5th and coming home on the 10th.
Thanks!

 

[silvercat]

You'll want a hard sided carrier that you can buckle into the seat. Emergency response teams are trained to look for these at accident sites and will help to keep your hedgie safe. Many people will put a soft sided carrier or a lot of fleece inside to give the hedgie a) comfort, b) warmth, c) soft cushioning/protection in case of emergency (imagine a little hedgie rolling around inside a hard sided carrier). Put familiar smells in the carrier (liners/fabrics from cage). Make sure the car is warm before putting in the hedgie. A snuggle safe disk (or similar) can also be used to keep your hedgie warm.

From personal experience I find hedgies tend to poo when they get nervous/upset about a car ride. Some papertowels and garbage bags are good for spot cleanups.

Are you going to be travelling the straight 16 hours? What are you doing for meal breaks? Depending on where you are, the hedgie shouldn't be left alone incase the temperature drops. Ideally if you could leave early in the morning & get back late in the evening it would be easier on the hedgie than travelling when s/he is regularly up and energetic.

 

[Cyanidegirl]

alright, that sounds great , and yeah basically we will be stopping along the way but only to gas up , quickly eat and bathroom breaks, I usually stay in the car anyways and when I don't I'm pretty quick or someone else will be in the car. Landon wouldn't be left alone in the car
yeah i'd be leaving early in the morning,probably around 5 am to - 6 am.
I'm just worried that he'll get stressed out

 

[silvercat]

In terms of not stressing him:
~ once he's buckled in, try not to disturb him unless necessary
~ try to avoid any air blowing directly onto the carrier
~ keep the noise volume down as much as possible (additional fabric in the carrier can help to muffle the noise too, just make sure he can breathe & is not getting stuffy), also leave space if he wants to sniff around in the cage.
~ try to drive along main roads and avoid bumpy roads/pot holes
~ once you get to your destination, set him up in his new home & then let him be to get used to the new surroundings

I've only driven a maximum 4 hours. Sylvie was grumpy at the beginning but once we were on the high way for a bit, she actually came out hiding & was sniffing around/staring at me from in the carrier. She then found a comfy spot & went back to sleep. Much like a baby, I think the gentle vibrations are actually calming.

 

[Jiellen29]

It is also important that you come to terms with the fact that you WILL be making additional stops along the way. If you are used to marathon road trips where you don't stop for hours on end, you'll have to rethink your philosophy a bit. Your baby will need the chance to stretch, enjoy a change of scenery, get a diaper change, and to eat and drink. It might even be helpful to locate options for stopping such as rest stops or major cities on the map before your trip.