Moving chins?

[Aquatic Giraffe]

I currently live in Virginia but I just got a job offer in Texas. I need to get my two chins from Virginia to Texas with minimal stress and I'm trying to figure out how to go about doing that. Right now my tentative plan is to drive with my chins in the car. However, it's a 20 hour drive so I'm going to have to stop for at least a night or two in hotels along the way. I have a feeling they're going to get a little stir crazy being cooped up in their carriers for two or three days straight. Should I get a couple bigger carriers for the trip, or should I get some sort of exercise pen to set up wherever we stop for the night to let them stretch their legs? Or should I just make them deal with being stuck in their carriers for a couple days?

 

[Dreamlite]

I have moved chins on 2 long day trips before incat carriers. They did quite well. Obviously ac is important, I had mine checked before I left. And make sure the hotel allows animals. I let mine have a few minutes to run around in the bathroom. Most hotels have all the electric cords in the calls or up on the counters so nothing for a chin to chew on.

 

[Megan]

Chins are kept in carriers that long, and sometimes longer for chin shows all the time. Make sure they have hay, pellets, and you offer water when you stop. They'll be fine! Bring some extra bedding incase you need to change out some of the bedding.

I would do a smaller carrier that offers minimal room to move around. This will reduce the likelyhood of getting hurt (sudden stop= slamming into the end of the carrier), also offers more sense of security.

 

[mistywaterwoman]

I do carriers for car rides and have collapsible cages for evacuations. If you can stand the expense, they are worth every penny. It would offer them a larger area than the carrier for the overnight part, and they fold down to 2.5" tall when collapsed. If you use a fleece liner and a fleece hanging house, you can just smash those down when you collapse it.
http://qualitycage.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=129_142_153&products_id=533

 

[Roni Jasper]

I took my chins from MI to TX for my family reunion last year. My biggest issue ended up being their temp. Even with the AC going I had to keep rotating the cages to keep them out of direct sun. But they faired pretty well and couldn't wait to get back to their playroom.

 

[Aquatic Giraffe]

I took my chins from MI to TX for my family reunion last year. My biggest issue ended up being their temp. Even with the AC going I had to keep rotating the cages to keep them out of direct sun. But they faired pretty well and couldn't wait to get back to their playroom.

I didn't even consider one or both of of them getting baked on the trip down. Would covering their carriers in something like a towel to block out the sun a bit help keep them cool? I'm driving down in June so it's gonna be hot.

There's a developing chance of me flying down there and buying a new car once I get there since my current car is slowly but surely crapping out on me and the last thing I want to do is get stranded on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere especially with the chins in tow. Anyone have experiences with taking chins on planes? I've got two and I don't want to stuff them in the same carrier together because they're not bonded and would fight, so I'm not sure how this is going to work since airlines only let you take one carryon.

If I can't find a workable solution then I'm going to leave them with my parents until I find some way for them to join me, but I'd rather have my little fuzzy friends come with me.

 

[mistywaterwoman]

Ryerson makes double carriers, which are technically ONE carryon.

Call the airline and ask them, because each one may have subtly different rules about animals flying.

 

[Riven]

The double carriers should work fine. I believe Delta allows pets on board.

 

[Spoof]

Most airlines allow one animal in the cabin per flight. For the smaller planes it is first come first serve. Two would need to be shipped cargo. Some airlines don't allow any animals at all. Delta and United/Continental both do.

I use cardboard to keep the sun off of them during car trips. )

*edited to say that the carry-on animal is also at the discretion of the captain. If they don't want whatever on the plane it won't get on regardless of the airline's rules.

 

[Aquatic Giraffe]

There's no way I'd ship them cargo, especially in summer. I see that Quality Cage makes a carrier with a divider in the middle. I might get that regardless of whether or not I'm flying so they only take up one seat in my car and not two so I have more space for other stuff.