A question about transporting chins in the summer

[Dappleganger]

It looks as if we are going to be moving from NE FL to Bloomington, Indiana sometime this summer. The last time we moved was also in the summer and only had 1 cat and 2 dogs, but this time we have a quite a few more and very different needs. We were able to stop and take breaks but it was still very hot.

I am concerned about the two chins we have and how they will handle the trip. We plan to stay the night at a relative's home to break it up. We have a male and female who are well-adjusted but remain separate (and plan to keep it that way). We will be driving them along with some of the other pets in our minivan which thankfully has good AC. What suggestions do you have for us keeping them cool along the way? We will be able to have an ice chest, too. What kind of a cage would be good for them, or could they even perhaps handle something like a cat carrier and then let them run around the bathroom that evening for a little while? I am really worried about disrupting their lives too much, but they will be going back to their original cages once we arrive (and even getting their own room!). Do they do better if the cage is dark or if they can see everything?

We will also have our mini-doxies, hedgehog and bearded dragon in the car. I'm not worried about them because they've traveled before and have done fine. It's the chins which are cause for concern.

Also, anyone here live in the Bloomington area? I'd love to meet another chin owner from around there!

 

[Stackie]

First of all, I live in Indiana, a few hours from Bloomington! I will be moving up to Indianapolis here in a few months, so we will practically be neighbors!

Cat carriers can work, but they may be inclined to chew at the plastic. I have some metal carriers similar to these: http://www.geocities.com/chinchilla_fancier/Chinchilla_Supplies.html
They are great and very good for long distance trips.

Most chins do surprisingly well on long trips so long as they are kept cool. Having the a/c is great. That should be your main source for cooling them down. Since you say you have an ice chest, you may want to bring along some granite slabs and frozen water bottles as a back up in case (God forbid) your a/c would go out. Another thing to watch out for is the sun shining through the windows. I am such a nut that I bought one of those shades for babies and put them on my windows for when I am taking the chins somewhere.

Running the seatbelt through the handle of the carrier is a good idea, too. Just in case you need to slam on the breaks, the carriers won't be thrown.

I like to put some chew toys and some hay in the carriers for the chins to munch on for the ride. I bring along water bottles, but I don't attach them. When I stop, I offer everyone a drink.

Edit: Oh, and bringing along one of those battery operated thermometers would be a great idea, too. That way you know exactly what the temperature is in your car.

 

[Kansas City Chinchillas]

Stacie gave you good information. Chins travel well as long as they are kept cool. Do not put them on the floor of the vehicle because it gets much warmer there than most folks imagine.

 

[Tiatrack]

Yep, I agree with Stacie. I've moved from Oregon to NY and back in the summer with my chins. If you move in the middle of summer, be prepared that you CANNOT stop and get out and eat for ANY amount of time. It's amazing how quickly a car heats up. When I moved in August we spent every meal in the parking lot of a fast food place, and even that was hard since the A/C doesn't work as well when the car isn't moving.

 

[stampinchick]

A little marble slab, or chin chiller, would be great in their cage for helping them keep cool.