# Traveling long distances with a hedgie?



## Kiwithehedgie

I will be traveling to Tenn. for 4 or 5 days. It is about a 10 1/2 or 11 hour drive from where I am. I will have my dog, Molly, and Kiwi,my hedgie. I've already bought him some hand warmers that I am going to put in his travel cage, with a towel wrapped around it. 
I was thinking of putting him in the back seat of my Toyota Corolla. Molly will be back there too, but she mainly sleeps while in a car. My dad has to sit up front, because I can't drive if he isn't. I think that if I put Kiwi in the back seat and buckle his cage, that he would be fine.
It will be the end of September when we are traveling. I will wrap his travel cage in a blanket when I am transporting him to and from the car.

While we are in TN, I will be using a plastic tub as his cage. I use fleece liners, so this isn't a problem. I am going to bring his wheel, food, food bowl, toys, his heat lamp, and liners. Also I will bring his mealies. 

I have never traveled with a hedgehog before, so I am a little nervous, as you would expect. 

My car has a very big middle console. I could empty it and put his heat warmer(wrapped in a towel) in there and then a blanket and his snuggle sack. I don't know if this would be good, because he wouldn't be buckled, but he would be right by me and I could keep watch on him. 

I don't know if it would be good or not, as I said. So what would y'all do? I would love ANY advice you could give me! Molly is a medium sized dog, so she wouldn't take up that much room at all. She would be in one seat and Kiwi the other.

Thanks in advance! Also, I forgot to mention, it will be night most of the time we are traveling. So here are a few questions, that I might not have asked yet.


1) Have you ever travel with a hedgehog. If so, was it hard?

2)Any tips?

3) Will he be okay is his travel cage for 110-11 hours? When I'm not driving I will get him out and let him walk around on me or sleep, whichever one he wants to do.

4) Should I buckle his travel cage in, if I can?

5) Is there anything I shouldn't do?

Thanks again! Sorry this post is long, but I could REALLY use your help!


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## Poke

Along with food make sure and bring a couple bottles of Kiwi's typical water, I've had animals refuse to drink strange water. Also, I'd vote for buckling the carrier into the car.

Hopefully someone else pops on to answer your travel questions.


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## Kiwithehedgie

Poke said:


> Along with food make sure and bring a couple bottles of Kiwi's typical water, I've had animals refuse to drink strange water. Also, I'd vote for buckling the carrier into the car.
> 
> Hopefully someone else pops on to answer your travel questions.


Thanks! I didn't even think of the water! He usually drinks just filtered tap water. But I will bring a bottle or 2 of it! And I'm leaning towards buckling him in. To be on the safe side. Do you think it would be ok to have him in my lap while I'm NOT driving?


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## DesireeM81

Hi, I traveled with Penny this summer for over 12 hours. She did great. 

No matter what, your hedgehog needs to be in a carrier. Hard sided and preferably buckled in. If you got into a car accident and your hedgehog would not be safe and could possibly be injured or killed. 

I found that travelling with a hedgehog was probably more stressful on me than her. She did throw up the first time but we left super early and she had probably just ate. On the ride back she did fine. 

I used a thermometer probe in her cage so I could keep an eye on temp. It was summer and very hot so it was a balance of actually keeping her from getting to hot and having the ac cool things down to far. We did a decent job and didn't use anything extra like hand warmers or cold water bottles. The humans were pretty comfortable too. Obviously if it's cold, the hand warmers are great, just no direct contact. 

I would only check on him for a little bit, see if he wants water and then put him back. He would probably prefer to sleep through the whole ordeal anyway. 

Do not leave water in his cage but offer it when you stop. Water gets everywhere and would make for a cold hedgehog. Do, however, leave pieces of kibble in his sleeping sack so he can eat when he's hungry. 

It seems stressful but it doens't have to be. Hedgehogs sleep through the day and most of the time, besides the correct temperature, they aren't a fuss.

Do bring extra fleece so that if he does get carsick you can change them out for him. 

:grin:


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## DesireeM81

If the car isn't in motion, then yes it would be fine but honestly, I would let him sleep. He's going to have a rough day and any unnecessary movement or waking time is just less sleep he is going to get. Offer him water when you stop the car and let him curl back up.


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## Kiwithehedgie

Thanks guys! One more question! Does anybody have a list of things you should pack for him. I would love to compare lists! If you can think of anything to make this as smooth and easy for Kiwi as possible, let me know! Is there anything else I should add?
Here's mine:
food
water bottle
food bowl 
wheel 
plastic tub 
heat lamp
hand warmers
travel cage
toys
blankets
mealies
two bottles of his water


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## DesireeM81

Don't forget your thermostat and thermometer.


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## MomLady

You NEED a hard sided cat carrier or a similar item that can be secured. First responders are trained to look for carriers not plastic bins or those carriers that look like purses or luggage. Also, in case of a sudden stop, you don't want hedgie thrown to the floor or even ejected from the car.

Hedgies seem to travel pretty well. Remember not to leave them in the car during stops and they aren't allowed in restaurants usually, due to food-health department regulations. 
Agree with taking the water that they normally drink. I would bring a syringe to offer water during rest stops if hedgie wakes up! (Mine will sleep thru the whole trip, but I do put some kibble in her sleep sack)
I would add baby wipes and something to clean the cage and wheel with.
Also a bag or container for soiled liners and blankies.
I would take more snuggle sack/sleeping sacks/blankies and liners that I thought I would need just in case of poopies or water spilling. 
I would take a day or two of extra food "just in case". Last trip I spilled water and was glad I had extra.
I would take extra fleece in case you need it for padding or to put around the case to avoid drafts. If you are staying in a hotel, they can be drafty.
How about the litter box and litter? I have a travel litter box and then I just take a ziplock with litter in it. Also a garbage bad to discard the used litter.
Packing for hedgie is like taking a baby on a trip...


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## Kiwithehedgie

I will post a pick of his travel cage tomorrow. We will be staying at a family members house. I have plenty of fleece for him, and don't use litter. Also I don't use a thermostat.


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## DesireeM81

:???: Do you have a thermometer in his cage at least? A thermostat is not only needed to make sure it doesn't get to cold but to also make it doesn't get to hot. A hedgehog really needs a steady temperature. Do you just always have the CHE on?

I'm sorry I just read that you have a red light heat emitter. That is a whole other can of worms...


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## Kiwithehedgie

Sadly, I don' . I am looking into a good one. His old owner had his setup like it is now. Its what he is used to, so I didn't want to change i . It is cold in my house. So I am not worried about him getting ho . I check it all the time to make sure it's not hot.


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## DesireeM81

Humans are a really bad judge of temperature. Two people will feel two entirely different temperatures completely different. Men tend to feel hotter before women and women tend to feel colder before men do. 

Changing things up that will benefit your hedgehogs health should always be top priority. I would, at the very least, get a probe thermometer. Petco has them for 10 bucks. You are going to need this for the trip anyway.

Besides food and water, I think heat comes next in the importance list of what you will need on a trip. You don't know how cold or warm your friends house will be and you will need to be able to monitor it.


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