# Summer Vacation



## hedgielover224 (Feb 16, 2015)

Hello! Seeing as summer break is getting closer and closer, I would like to ask about travel. Every summer, I go up to my grandparents house in Kansas for about two weeks. I have no choice but to bring Rose with me though, seeing as my father won't do a proper job of taking care of her while I'm away...that and I would just miss her too bad.  Anyway, I am worried about how she will deal with all the commotion. It'll be a new climate, a new environment, and a new place all together. I don't want her to become too stressed, and I don't want her to get sick. 
I was wondering how I can reduce the stress that this trip will put on her. I have been warning my grandmother to keep the temperature warm, and I'm confident she will have a heater should the need arise. I also have rice bags to keep her warm. I am planning on buying some of those glove warmers in case the power goes out....which brings me to my next question. Kansas often has at least one thunder storm while I am there. The lighting flashes super bright, and the thunder is very loud. I'm worried that will frighten her. How can I help her there? 
Next, I want to ask about traveling in the car. My grandfather is a very stubborn man. I am afraid that the car will get chilly for her. Now normally, a person would tell the other too turn the heat up to keep their hedgehog safe, but I have really bad social anxiety, and to add to this, he is very intimidating when angry.
Also, how will she do when we stop for the night to rest at a hotel? I am very worried for my little girl. I want to make this trip as comfortable for her as possible. 
Next, Kansas has ticks...do hedgehogs get ticks? Since my grandparents live out in the country, there are lots of insects. June bugs, spiders, etc. What if they crawl into her cage? Will she be alright? 
That's all I the questions I can think of for now. If I think of anything else, I'll let you guys know. Thanks you so much for helping me through this! I appreciate it!


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Do you have a heating set up for Rose? Even if you don't have one at home (due to maybe not needing one), I would highly recommend buying one to take for your summer trips. It can be difficult to expect someone to keep house temperatures to accommodate a hedgehog, even in the summer, and if you have a heating set up, you can avoid any arguments that may arise and you won't have to worry about Rose getting too cold. 

As far as helping her deal with the trip, there are a few things you can do. She should be okay for the car ride unless she gets seriously car-sick. In the months before the trip, you could see if one of your parents could drive you guys around town a couple of times to see how she does in the car, if you don't already know. Don't give her food or water in the carrier, or let her have food in the morning before you guys leave. That can help lessen the chance she'll get carsick. If it's a long drive, you can offer her water periodically during the ride or on breaks, but most likely, she'll sleep through the car ride anyway. 

Make sure you have a hard-sided cat/small dog carrier for her to ride in. That's safest for her, especially in the event of a car crash. In the carrier, give her a couple of fleece blankets to snuggle up in. If you're concerned about the air conditioning, put a couple of handwarmers in with her, just make sure you put them in a sock or something so she can't get to them. Don't use rice bags - they can get damp once heated up, which isn't good. Handwarmers are a better option, or you can order a Snuggle Safe disc. That needs to be microwaved too, but stays warm for 8-10 hours. You can also put a blanket over the carrier, which can help keep any air conditioning drafts from going in. Make sure the blanket is light-colored; that will help keep the sun off of the carrier as well, without heating the carrier up too much.

Make sure you guys are stopping at a hotel that is pet-friendly. You'll probably need to call ahead to clear it. Personally, I wouldn't try to sneak her in, it's just not a good idea. I would expect she'll do fine there, just make sure that housekeeping or any other hotel staff don't bother her and try to keep your schedule the same as you usually have it, if possible. It doesn't sound like you'd be at the hotel long enough for any staff to be bothering her, though. At the hotel is another reason that it'd be a good idea to have a heating set up for her. If your grandfather prefers the temperature cooler and if you'd rather not argue about the temperature with him, then having a heating set up will ensure that Rose stays nice and warm either way. 

When you get to your grandparents' house, make sure her cage is placed in a quieter room. Make sure any other animals will not have access to that room, as well as anyone who you'd be concerned about handling Rose badly (such as younger cousins or something). Get her settled in, then take her out when you normally do in the evening. Try to keep her daily schedule as close to normal as you can. Make sure her light schedule stays the same as well.

Another thing that can help her settle in at your grandparents' house - don't change her liners or bedding in the day or two before you guys leave. Keep that same bedding in her cage for the first day or two at your grandparents'. Having her cage smell like her will help with the change as well. If she has a sleeping bag or fleece or anything in her igloo to sleep in, make sure you change that on a different day than her liner or bedding so she always has at least one thing that smells like her in her cage.

I wouldn't worry too much about the thunderstorm. I don't think most hedgehogs mind them too much, and if she does, it will most likely just show as a little extra grumpiness. If you are really worried, you could try playing some soft music as some white noise to make it less disturbing. But I don't think it would be a big issue!

Are the insects usually in the house? I don't imagine the insects would be a major issue for her if you're not taking her outside. If they do get in the house frequently and you think it'll be a problem, you could get some window screening to ziptie over her cage to help keep them out.

I hope that all helps! Let me know if I missed anything.


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