How to Bring Gerbils on a Plane?


How to Bring Gerbils on a Plane?

If you’re going on a short vacation, you can find pet sitters willing to sit your dog for a fee, while that is rarely the case with gerbils. Ironically, dogs are allowed on most planes, but gerbils are not. The only feasible solution is bringing your gerbil on a plane, but how do you even do that?

You can bring gerbils on a plane in their cage if it doesn’t exceed the limits for pet carriers. If it does, you may need to get a travel carrier and modify it to feel like their natural cage. You must also provide enough food and water for the gerbil throughout the transit.

In this article, you’ll learn how to bring your gerbil on an airplane. While it may require searching for specific airlines, getting special passes, and in some cases, sneaking, the result will be the same; transporting your gerbil safely.

Can Gerbils Travel in a Plane?

How to Bring Gerbils on a Plane?

If you’ve previously tried to fly with a gerbil or any other pet rodent in general, you’ll notice how tiring the entire experience can be.

There aren’t many airlines that allow you to travel with your gerbil. Those that let you travel with it impose lots of restrictions that make the process more complicated than it has to be.

The complications involved in traveling with a gerbil don’t mean it’s impossible. Many airlines will let you fly with your gerbil, as long as you agree to the terms. One of the terms, however, is that gerbils aren’t allowed to fly in the cabin, except in specific circumstances.

The specific circumstances will most likely not apply to you. Your gerbil will only be allowed in the cabin if you can prove it’s an emotional support animal. While you can get a document proving that over the internet, you don’t want to be tried for forgery, do you?

Also, your gerbil will only be allowed to travel in a plane if your destination lets you keep gerbils as pets legally. As surprising as it may sound, gerbils aren’t lawful pets in California, and you can’t travel with your pet gerbil on a flight to California.

To determine if your gerbil can travel on a plane with you, you must check if your airline will let you fly with rodents. If they allow that, you’ll also need to confirm that pet gerbils are lawful in your destination. If both of these responses are positive, you can carry your gerbil with you on the flight.

How Do You Bring Gerbils on a Plane?

If your airline allows you to bring gerbils on a plane, you can start preparing for the long travel ahead. Gerbils require special treatment, even when at home. That should be an indication that they will be a hassle to deal with when going on a flight.

Since your gerbil will most likely stay in the cargo for the entirety of the journey, you must prepare its cage to mimic its natural environment. However, you must ensure that it has access to enough food and water to last it through the flight.

Here are some of the items to put in place when bringing a pet gerbil with you on a plane.

  1. Food and water.

If you’re bringing any animal on a flight, you must pack enough food and water to last it through the journey. This is especially true for gerbils, as their foods aren’t very complicated to find or set up.

If you have some leftovers from their regular diet, you can bring them with you on the flight. Gerbils don’t need any special foods during the flight; they’ll be fine with what they’re already used to.

It’s also important to bring enough food to last them through the flight and for a couple of days after that. Since you’re traveling to a different environment, you can’t tell if there are any pet shops with gerbil supplies over there.

  1. Travel Tanks.

Most times, you’ll be unable to transport your gerbil in its regular gerbilarium, in which case you’ll need a travel tank. Your gerbil’s travel tank doesn’t need to be fancy; as long as it can carry the gerbil comfortably, as well as their food and water, it should work.

You may discover that plastic tanks sell for much cheaper than metal tanks. While you may be inclined to save money by using a plastic tank for your gerbil, you shouldn’t. Gerbils love chewing on plastic, and there’s a chance that they might make a hole big enough for them to escape.

  1. Bedding

Unless you’re flying with your gerbil’s entire cage, you’ll need to get extra bedding for their travel terrarium. For the best results, you should use the same kind of bedding in their regular cage to keep the experience familiar to them.

What Airlines Let You Fly with Gerbils?

How to Bring Gerbils on a Plane?

All of the tips for flying with a gerbil on a plane will only apply if your airline lets you fly with it. While many airlines will let you fly with pets, even in the cabin, only a few allow gerbils. Since your options are very limited, it’s important to verify if your airline will let you carry your gerbil along.

If you’re looking for some suggestions, I have quite a few. Here are some of the best airlines that will let you fly with rodents like gerbils in the United States.

  1. Aegean Air

If you’re trying to fly with a pet that is naturally disallowed on airplanes, try Aegean Air. They are famed for allowing almost all kinds of pets on their flight, as long as you’re fine with your gerbil traveling in the cargo.

Aegean Air will allow up to five gerbils for one person, although you mightn’t be allowed to carry extra cargo. You’ll also need to pay anywhere from $50 to $100 per container, depending on the size and weight of the package.

  1. Alaska Air

Alaska Air will transport your rodent as long as it’s harmless and doesn’t require any attention during the flight. Since your gerbil can meet these conditions, it’s safe to say it will be allowed on Alaska Air.

To book a flight with your gerbil, you must call the service center to notify them of your intention before the fact. Alaska Air reserves the right to deny your gerbil on the plane if you didn’t notify them before departure.

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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