Squirrely Road Trip

[skeebo]

Next week, my son, me, and my little guy MAY be taking a two 5 hour one-way road trip. I've read that these dudes don't do well traveling. I've taken him on several trips in my golf cart, with him inside my jacket. He loves to crawl up my sleeve, and does quite well "traveling" around my house. Will he totally freak out at highway speeds in a car for five hours? I'll be entertaining him while my son drives.

[CritterMom]

Just make sure you:

Have him INSIDE a sturdy carrier he cannot chew his way out of with plenty of fleece to burrow into. It should travel, SEATBELTED IN in the back seat. Throw a cover over part of it so it feels protected and quiet and he will likely burrow in and sleep most of the time. Don't let him run around in the vehicle - if, God forbid, you were in a collision of some kind, being IN a sturdy carrier belted in the back will give him the very safest option. :thumbsup

[skeebo]

Thanks. I have a cage that fits in back, seat-belted, and an inverter for his heating pad. I'd love it if he slept the whole trip. He just crapped on my laptop!

[island rehabber]

Yes to everything Critter Mom said, and I can vouch for the fact that squirrels are pretty good travelers. i have to take mine 20 miles on the interstate to the release site every season, and rarely do I get so much as a peep out of them. All in all they are way more pleasant in a car than any dog or cat I've ever had. BUT do make sure he can't chew out of his cage or carrier; a loose squirrel in a speeding car is not a good thing.

[skeebo]

Understood. Anything that gets in the way of a brake pedal is a bad thing.

I had a funny story about "inertia" when I was a teen. I started braking and sliding the seat forward in a '70 Duster, when I discovered the positive feedback of a seat sliding forward, while pressing a brake pedal. We both came to a sudden stop. :grin3

[farrelli]

You also might reconsider traveling outside with no securing other than your sleeve. We've had countless stories of heartbreak where a squirrel who "never had done anything like that before" suddenly get s spooked and runs off, probably to find a bad end.

[skeebo]

He has a nice cage, and will have his heating pad plugged into inverter power. I'll cover him up, so he thinks it's bedtime. "Sleeved" travel is limited to golf cart speeds, which squirrels can easily exceed.

[skeebo]

You also might reconsider traveling outside with no securing other than your sleeve. We've had countless stories of heartbreak where a squirrel who "never had done anything like that before" suddenly get s spooked and runs off, probably to find a bad end.

I misread your post. I may have been a bit "reckless" when I had him for the first two days, by letting him run "loose". Ever since I was warned that he would wild up and get away, he's been under my complete control. He's tried, but can't escape from my jacket. :grin2

Other than that, he's only outside in his cage. I want him to be familiar with lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and all the other suburban noises.

Thanks for the warning.

[Nancy in New York]

They get very dehydrated when they travel in the car,
so make sure you have a water bottle on the cage as well.
You can also put some leafy greens in, block, and some other food that he enjoys.

[skeebo]

So far, all he does is drink formula. I give him HHB chunks every day, but he eats little solid food. He has turned his nose up at all veggies and fruit I've offered him, with the exception of tiny pecan pieces. He's on a severely limited pecan "diet".

I haven't tried a water bottle yet, but tried water on my fingers and he doesn't seem interested. He'll readily drink formula off my fingers though.

[treeratmom]

My two made a five hour car ride to my parents house frequently when I lived in a different state, and both did great every time. I have a chew proof carrier that has a fleece hiding cube that they travel in. Majority of the time they just sleep, and occasionally get up for a drink of water or a snack. The only issue I've ever had is that one of mine is particular about where he pees, so he held it the entire car ride! He never looked so relieved to be back in his cage, and I've never seen one little squirrel pee so much! After that experience, I just took a small piece of dirty bedding from his cage and that fixed the issue. Like others said, as long as your carrier is escape proof and you provide food and water, your squirrel should do just fine!

[lennysmom]

When we took Lenny with us on a six hour road trip, he was about three months old and he did great! Luckily, my husband had made him a detachable cage that fit in the back seat in two halves (just barely!) and we put a temporary cover over the half he was in with his water bottle and bed and all. We also covered the cage with a blanket to hopefully minimize stress and left an opening where he could still see us clearly - he did great! Slept most of the way and I never heard a peep out of him.:) Good luck with your trip.. hope your little one is a great traveler!:grouphug

[skeebo]

Slept most of the way there and back. He's a trooper. I felt it was only right to give him a few pecan halves, for being so good.

[lennysmom]

:thumbsup:)