Take them with me or hire a sitter?

[danakscully64]

I recently moved to Texas and for Christmas next week, we're going to drive home. I have a Jetta and here's who I'm trying to get in the car: My boyfriend, myself, my 3 chinchillas (1 F, 2 M), a 45 pound dog, and a 5 pound rabbit. The cages I have don't work unless I put my girl chinchilla on my lap in a cage. My rabbit has a pretty big cat carrier, that's how he's going. I have 1 large chinchilla cage and 1 smaller one. If I can get a medium sized cage to go with the smaller one, everyone will fit in the back seat fine. I searched Petsmart and Petco and as expected, can't find a cage. I don't think I have time (or money) to order online. Any cage suggestions?

My other option is to leave my 3 chins AND rabbit in my neighbors care. She's my age and we've been hanging out a bit. It's not that I don't trust her, I'm just afraid they're not going to get the level of care I give them. Plus, they will miss me It's not a short trip since we're driving, 4 full days of driving plus we'll be gone from the 23rd to the 2nd or 3rd of January.

Money wise, neither is really cheaper. If I buy another carrier, that's going to cost some money. Then if I take my bunny with me, I have to buy him a temp cage for when we get to California. If I leave my animals here, I'm going to pay my neighbor. I also have the option of leaving my bunny only and taking the chinchillas.

What do you think?

 

[AZChins]

I say leave them at home with a sitter and just tell them to not let the chins out just to keep any accidents from happening.

It is JUST three chins, you could do it if you wanted to. It's just that you will have to worry about them the entire trip and it would be easier to keep the animals at home so you can have a little more relaxing time. You could always send a cage to where you are going in California so it will be there when you get there.

 

[danakscully64]

3 chinchillas, a rabbit, and dog, if it was just the chins, it would be easy. I don't know how much relaxing I could do not knowing if my animals were okay. Even when my Mom animal sat when I vacationed in San Diego for a few days, I was worried the entire time. If you've seen my post on moving help a few months ago, you know I'm a worrier

If I do take my rabbit with me, I was planning on having the cage shipped to my parents house I left my giant wood chinchilla cage at my parents house for when I visited. I didn't plan ahead for Mason (bunny) though. I even have someone on the way to my parents house in Texas who said she would babysit Mason, but I don't know if she has an extra cage. I know he'd get the best of the best care with her. I'd prefer to keep them all home if I could... I was even considering hiring a "professional" animal caretaker, but that would be a stranger.

I'm leaning towards letting my neighbor take care of them. Thanks

 

[AZChins]

Professional petsitters are the best though. They are insured and do a good job, just make sure that it's someone with a legitimate business. They can be pricey though. I have a few petsitters here in Arizona that I highly recommend to people...maybe you should ask around your town to see if you can find someone.

The petsitter in the town nearest to me is actually willing to come take care of ALL my chins if I need to go away on an emergency, bless her heart! She charges by the hour and for her travel. Hopefully I won't need her to come because I have a feeling that she would stay longer than necessary just to hold the babies and then charge me for it! (Oh, she wouldn't do that, I'm just kidding...she's a nice lady!)

 

[AZChins]

You know...if you are taking interstate 10 through Tucson, they can come stay here. I just thought of that!

 

[danakscully64]

You know...if you are taking interstate 10 through Tucson, they can come stay here. I just thought of that!

That's so sweet of you, but my main issue is really getting them to fit in the car, if I can get them all in, we're home free I am taking the 10 though. Will I be driving right by you?

 

[Jazicat]

I am a new chinchilla owner but have had this problem with my birds. Very often it is determined by whether or not the bird is comfortable while traveling. I have three that are very attached to me so if we are gone longer than a night they usually go with us.

We would like our chinchilla to travel with us as well so we have a good sized travel cage and introduced Edgar to it during play time. I think this was a good idea because when he went to the vet he seemed to be very comfortable. The vet even commented on how calm and happy he seemed.

Some of my concerns when traveling is also where I am staying. If it's a busy house or I think that there may be anything dangerous to any of them they have to stay home. Proper out time is also considered as they stay in travel cages and need a little exercise.

Remember too that I am a pet owner. Breeders probably have some well traveled chinchillas. I'm sure that there are a few that don't like it but if it were really dangerous there wouldn't be as many showing them. It will be nice to see what some of them say,

 

[AZChins]

You probably are...I'm about 25 miles off of the I-10/I-19 interchange when you get to Tucson. If you can get them into carriers, I can have cages ready...so then you wouldn't have to transport cages? I don't know if that would work...

 

[danakscully64]

Today I took the 3 carriers I used to move here outside and tried fitting them into my car. No luck. I got the 2 large cages in with space for my dog, but no space for Twilight except on my lap. These are the 2 cages I use for my chins:

My rabbits cage is a Medium Dog carrier.

 

[danakscully64]

I am a new chinchilla owner but have had this problem with my birds. Very often it is determined by whether or not the bird is comfortable while traveling. I have three that are very attached to me so if we are gone longer than a night they usually go with us.

We would like our chinchilla to travel with us as well so we have a good sized travel cage and introduced Edgar to it during play time. I think this was a good idea because when he went to the vet he seemed to be very comfortable. The vet even commented on how calm and happy he seemed.

Some of my concerns when traveling is also where I am staying. If it's a busy house or I think that there may be anything dangerous to any of them they have to stay home. Proper out time is also considered as they stay in travel cages and need a little exercise.

Remember too that I am a pet owner. Breeders probably have some well traveled chinchillas. I'm sure that there are a few that don't like it but if it were really dangerous there wouldn't be as many showing them. It will be nice to see what some of them say,

My chins did very well on the drive here, it was a 3 day trip. Their carriers are comfy. I'll be staying at my Mom's house, so it's no biggy, it's where they were living for many many years. In between the 2 full days of driving, we'll be staying in a hotel, the same one we stayed at on the trip here, they're very pet friendly, no extra charge

You probably are...I'm about 25 miles off of the I-10/I-19 interchange when you get to Tucson. If you can get them into carriers, I can have cages ready...so then you wouldn't have to transport cages? I don't know if that would work...

I luckily don't have to transport any cages, just carriers Sorry I wasn't clear, I did say cages, but meant carriers.

 

[Jazicat]

As soon as I saw the posts I realized you had all of that covered. Awesome chin moms you both are!

 

[AZChins]

It's okay! You need a larger car.

 

[Snickers]

I was going to tell you if you needed cages when you get here you can borrow some of mine, just bring them back.

 

[danakscully64]

It's okay! You need a larger car.

I told my guy that he was the one who needed a larger car, I love my Jetta I'm also afraid to drive larger cars, Hahaha. A few times I drove my Dad's old Dodge Durango and boy was I nervous. Oddly, I feel safer in my Jetta. *hugs car*

I was going to tell you if you needed cages when you get here you can borrow some of mine, just bring them back.

Thanks, but it's a rabbit cage I would need, my chins have their giant tank of a cage in my parents garage You're always so sweet I absolutely LOVE the smaller cage you gave me, wish I had 2! I'm still holding on to the 4 hole carrier, going to use it for shorter trips. If it wasn't an overnight thing, it would be fine, but to keep them in there for 48 hours doesn't sit well with me.

 

[AZChins]

Can we by any chance tie anything to the top of your car? LOL

If push comes to shove, they are welcome here...I'm still pretty far from you...

 

[danakscully64]

Can we by any chance tie anything to the top of your car? LOL

If push comes to shove, they are welcome here...I'm still pretty far from you...

:rofl: I have a bit of space in the trunk, it's inside the car that's tight on space.

I'm leaning towards hiring a professional (can't really find any great ones and the ones I'm finding I can't contact without paying $30 membership to the site) or my neighbor. I can take them with me if I really do some more searching and some Macgyver trick with a hamster cage, toothpaste, pocket knife, and meat cleaver, I just don't know if it's worth the stress to everyone. *sigh* Why can't this be easy? Nothing is easy!

 

[AZChins]

Nothing is easy...it never is, never will be. Even with modern conveniences nothing is easy except for you can microwave a potato in seven minutes.

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

Have you tried pet taxi's?
Used pet taxi's for the chins. And sit them on top of each other, or if possible, sit them on top of the rabbits cage and somehow secure it to the cage so it doesn't move around.
Walmart sells pet taxi's.

Since its a four day trip, I'm not sure if you're driving all night and day, or staying in a motel for the nights, but if thats the case, you can always give the chins playtime at the motel so they get their excercise aren't are cramped up in the little cages.

Or maybe leave the dog back with your neighbor since it doesn't require as more care as the chins do.

Just some ideas.

 

[addictedtochins]

Well, if it was me I would give the dog away on Craig's List....Um, I mean let your neighbor take care of him and the bun-bun and take the chinnies

 

[danakscully64]

Nothing is easy...it never is, never will be. Even with modern conveniences nothing is easy except for you can microwave a potato in seven minutes.

This is very very true.

Have you tried pet taxi's?
Used pet taxi's for the chins. And sit them on top of each other, or if possible, sit them on top of the rabbits cage and somehow secure it to the cage so it doesn't move around.
Walmart sells pet taxi's.

Since its a four day trip, I'm not sure if you're driving all night and day, or staying in a motel for the nights, but if thats the case, you can always give the chins playtime at the motel so they get their excercise aren't are cramped up in the little cages.

Or maybe leave the dog back with your neighbor since it doesn't require as more care as the chins do.

Just some ideas.

I was at Petco and saw the small cat/dog carriers, even saw one for only $20. I was considering it, but all 3 of my chins are chewers and those things are plastic. Since they would only be in them for a total of 4 days, would it be okay?

The four days of driving is broken up in to 2 day blocks (there and back). If we leave very very early Wed morning, we can get there by Thursday night. Going to stay in a hotel for 1 night. In the hotel room, there really isn't a place to let them out. They don't do well outside of the cages.... they poop, pee, chew, and run so I can't catch them if I let them out in a large spot A hotel bathroom is too yucky as well.

My dog requires about 10 times more care than my chins. She has to be taken out 5-6 times a day easily and becomes destructive when she's left alone (and has accidents). It would be much easier to leave the caged animals in the apartment and have my neighbor come over. I've actually never heard of a dog being easier than a chinchilla... what kind of dogs have you had?