Can My Pet Mice Go On Long Car Rides?


Can My Pet Mice Go On Long Car Rides?

Since you’re reading this post, I’m sure you’ll agree with me that having mice as pets comes with a lot of advantages. However, for those who don’t know, one of the benefits of owning pet mice is that they are inexpensive to keep and generally require little space. Furthermore, mice are known to be entertaining, active, and companionable.

For you to keep your pet mice in optimal health, it’s important to stimulate them physically and mentally. One of the few ways to do that is by engaging them in various exercises and enriching their environment. You can even consider taking your pet mice out on a short and long car ride.

Your pet mice can always go on a long car trip with you. However, to ensure their safety, you need to put certain things in place. For instance, you need a quality escape-proof carrier for your pet mice. In addition to this, you need to get your pets familiar with the carrier, letting them feel safe inside it.

What is the best way to travel with a pet mouse? Is it okay to take your pet mice on long car rides? Are car rides stressful for your mice? These are the frequently asked questions that I’ll be addressing in the rest of this post.

How do You Travel With a Mouse?

Can My Pet Mice Go On Long Car Rides?

For you to travel safely with your pet mouse, there are a couple of guidelines that you need to keep to. Let’s have a quick look at some of them below:

1. You need quality and suitable mouse carrier

The very first thing you need to be able to keep your pet mouse safe when traveling is a quality carrier. Many people often consider putting their mice into a cardboard box to transport them. However, you need to understand that this is not a safe option for your rodents.

Instead of using a cardboard box, the safest thing you can consider using for your pet mice is a quality well-ventilated carrier. When purchasing a carrier, you need to make sure that it’s escape-proof. This is important, as pet mice are sneaky little creatures; they have great escape skills.

Since you’re going on a long journey with your mice, I’ll advise you to go for a soft-sided travel carrier. One of the benefits of the carrier is that it packs a soft cushion at its base – this will make your pet mice more comfortable as you drive your vehicle.

2. Make your mice get familiar with the carrier

One thing is to get a soft-sided travel carrier for your mice. Another thing is to get your pets familiar with the travel carrier. So, for you to achieve a smooth and successful trip with your mice, you need to get them familiar with the travel carrier.

However, before going ahead to get your mice familiar with their carrier, you need to first prepare the carrier itself. Here are some of what you need to do with the soft-sided carrier:

  • First, you must find a way to percent your mice from sliding during the road trip. So, ensure to line up the base of the carrier with puppy training pads, towel, or newspaper.
  • Next, you need to consider adding a blanket to the carrier. With this move, your pet mice will feel more comfortable inside the carrier.
  • After that, slightly cover the barrier and avoid placing a water bowl inside of it. This could end up harming your mice, especially if you find yourself in a situation where your vehicle jolts or enters potholes.

Now that you’ve prepared the carrier, the next thing you need is to get the pets familiar with the new cage. The best time to start getting your mice familiar is two or more weeks before the traveling day.

That said, one of the few ways to get your pet mice familiar with the carrier is by luring them with a lot of their favorite treats. After a couple of times of trying, test and see how well they have gotten familiar with the cage.

3. Other essential things to prepare for the long trip

Can My Pet Mice Go On Long Car Rides?

Since you’re going for a long trip, it’s safe to say that you need enough food and water to keep your mice healthy and active out there.

Apart from food and water, other essential items you will most likely need include a towel and extra bedding. After that, then you’re set to embark on the trip.

4. Things to do during the trip

For the trip, the first thing you need is to keep the carrier in the back seat. This is safer than using the front seat because of the fear of airbag deployment during a collision.

Another important thing is that you must always stop your car and check on your pet mice once in a while during the trip. This is important, as you need to be sure they are okay and eating fine.

Next, make sure you avoid overheating your pet mice, as this could make them sick and weak. According to experts, there’s a limit to how much heat your mice can withstand. The National Academy of Sciences recommends keeping pet mice between 68°F and 79 degrees Fahrenheit.

Can pet mice go on a long trip?

Yeah, your pet mice can always go with you on a long trip. However, to ensure their safety, you need to use a quality carrier and pay a lot of attention to them too. As you already know, there’s a limit to how much heat your mice can handle. As such, make sure to help them control their temperature.

Are car rides stressful for mice?

If done well, a car ride is, by far, the safest way to transport your pet mice to a new location. That said, ensure to follow the guidelines listed above for better results.

Gui Hadlich

Hey there, I'm Gui! These are my 2 good pals Ozzy and Luna. I've gone through the headache of figuring out what to do when either traveling with them or leaving them behind, and I know it can be a pain. I created Pets Travel Guide to make your life a bit easier when you love your pet but also love to travel!

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