# Travel in Vermont



## Caffesaurus (Jan 15, 2012)

Alright, so I just got my first hedgehog on the seventh - His name's Watson, by the way :]

I've kept him at my mother's house for the past week so that he can just adjust to having an owner. I'm supposed to go to my father's house sometime this week, and I want to take him with me, but I have no idea how to go about it... I live in the boonies of Vermont, and yesterday it was -6 degrees. I don't want Watson to get cold, so what I'm thinking is to get a shoebox with air holes that has bunches of blankets in it and pre-heat the car... (Is that alright?), but that's not my initial question...

In Vermont, the roads are absolutely horrid. Potholes, potholes, potholes galore. He gets huffy just by me poking him, so how do I make sure he stays calm during the car ride?


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## TeddysMommy (Apr 24, 2011)

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... Id=2751237

^ Thats a great carrier, use a hardsided carrier. If there is a car crash they will be safe and rescuers are trained to look for those, a shoebox might be overlooked. You can keep him warm by using handwarmers from the camping section at the store, or a snuggle safe heat disk (make sure its not too hot) http://www.petmountain.com/show_product ... 442-519873
Give him something like a snuggle bag to cuddle inside and some blankets, he should feel secure and safe, If you cant sew a snuggle bag you could just wrap him in the blankets you were going to use, also give him a stuffed animal to cuddle with  I was told to use an Ice cube for the water so it does not spill and he gets hydrated 
Have fun!


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Hand warmers, wrapped in socks (so he doesn't have direct contact) will help him stay warm in the car. I'm not sure about the car ride itself - my boy loves car rides, the motion seems to really relax him, but I know some hedgehogs will also get motion sickness. Depending on how far you're going, and how regular traveling is going to be, you might want to invest in a hard-sided small cat carrier, which is what some people on the forum use. Personally I don't travel enough with him to have one of those yet, I just carry Ares in a hedgie bag (with an added strap that goes over my shoulder) and he's happy enough with that and one of his blankets. I'd figure a shoe box with fleece/blankets would be comfortable enough for him. If you'll be having it on a seat/the floor, rather than holding it, you should consider some way of keeping the lid on and make sure it's secure wherever you put it, so it's not knocked around while you're driving. Unless it's a long drive (several hours +), I wouldn't consider it necessary to have food/water in there with him; water can easily spill. You could always try offering him some in a bowl when you're at a rest stop instead.


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## Caffesaurus (Jan 15, 2012)

The car ride isn't too far, it's about a 10 minute drive. I never thought about the hand warmers, thanks!


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Hand warmers are great for travel, and also to have as back-up heating in case of power outages. Walmart sells packs of 6 for $1.97.


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## NoDivision (Aug 29, 2010)

I always use my carrier or my sturdy travel cage even if I'm just going 10 minutes away. I couldn't imagine traveling without one. You never know what's going to happen on the road, whether it's 10 minutes or 10 hours. 

Also, hello to another Watson!


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

I wouldn't use a shoebox, they arent safe. Most accidents happen within 20 minutes from home, same as you wouldn't let a child ride without being in a car seat even for a couple minutes, you shouldn't let your hedgehog ride without being properly restrained. The safest way is in a hard sided pet carrier seat belted into your vehicle. That was if something does happen they aren't flying around the vehicle. Hand warmers are great for keeping them warm for travelling. Its -29C here today and I've transported hedgehogs at this temp with no problem as long as you're properly prepared.


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## Caffesaurus (Jan 15, 2012)

I'll keep that in mind... The pet store that I got him from just handed him to me in a box a bit SMALLER than a shoebox, so I just assumed it was safe. Although, the same store also said that there was no way to tell their gender and that they bite more than hamsters -_-


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