Ever have trouble finding a pet sitter for your rats? And, even if you do find one, how can you be sure they’re knowledgeable enough? Well, why not take your rats on the road with you and completely avoid the need for a pet sitter? Afterall, pet rat travel is something our ratties enjoy!
Whether your destination is a resort, motel or business conference, here are tips for traveling with your rats:
Planning Ahead for Pet Rat Travel – Before You Leave
Healthcare:
Find veterinarians located in the area where you’ll be traveling. Here are some directories to help you find your destination’s local vets who are experienced with rats.
Have your rats’ medical records emailed to you. That way, if they do need to see a vet while you’re out of town, you’ll have them handy.
Conduct rehearsals using their carrier and shoulder bag:
Familiarize your rats with their travel carrier and shoulder bag (if they’re not already used to them).
How to familiarize your rats with their travel carrier:
This is the travel carrier I currently use. I particularly like this carrier since it’s collapsible. (This makes it easier to store and easier to bring into a hotel room—all folded up—without it looking like you’re bringing in an animal.) In the past I’ve also used cat carriers. They’re just a little bit trickier to sneak in.
To prep the travel carrier for your trip:
- Create a bathroom area in the back of the carrier, if your rats are litter box trained. (This can be either paper towels stacked in layers or a small cardboard litter box with litter in it. Litter can be super messy so I think it’s easiest to use the paper towels.)
- Put a hideaway inside your carrier – either a box in which you’ve cut out doors or an igloo.
- Lots of comfortable bedding (such as t-shirts without any holes and/or fleece blankets cut to size) so they can burrow in and feel protected.
Practice using their travel carrier:
- For their very first time, set up the carrier near their cage so it’s in a familiar environment.
- Next time, try placing them inside their travel carrier inside a nearby bathroom or other room of your house. This works well while you’re cleaning their main cage.
- Finally, put your rats inside the carrier and take them out to your car. Place the carrier on either the passenger seat or a back seat. Buckle in the carrier. Drive around the block for their very first ride. Gradually increase the length of their rides until you’re up to around 30 minutes.
Familiarize your rats with being inside their shoulder bag.
To prepare the shoulder bag:
Similar to the carrier, prepare a bathroom area using paper towels (if your rats are litter box trained)
For the remaining area of the shoulder bag, provide them with bedding (t-shirts/fleece blankets). You can also use a cardboard box or an igloo.
Practice with their shoulder bag:
- Start by carrying them inside the shoulder bag while you walk to different rooms in your home. 5-10 minutes for their first time is sufficient, then place them back in their cage. Practice this a few times.
- After they’re used to riding in your car while inside their travel carrier, drive them on an errand you need to run. The first time should be a quick errand such as picking up 1-2 items from the grocery store or a drug store. Take them out of their travel carrier and place them in their shoulder bag. Zip up the bag, position it over your shoulder and do a little shopping.
Packing List for Pet Rat Travel:
- Travel carrier: This carrier is what you’ll use in your car and then later when you have your rats in your hotel room. It folds up into a small “suitcase” size. To make it even easier, you could get 2 of these carriers. That way you’d have a folded up one ready to take up to your room and you can leave the other carrier in your car.
- A “shoulder bag” This bag is used when you’re making a pit stop and it’s too hot to leave your rats in the car. It’s also handy for when transporting your rats from inside your car to your hotel or motel room. You don’t want to leave your rats in this carrier for prolonged periods, however, and especially not while unattended. Many rats will chew their way out of this bag. If it’s just used for short periods, though, your rats won’t have time (or even the inclination) to chew through it.
Small cat carrier set up for travel - Food – Lab blocks or kibble, Green Mush. Use a cooler in your car to take along some organic fruits and vegetables or just buy them when you arrive. (You can also share your meals with your rats while traveling….so plan to eat healthfully!)
- Food dishes
- Water bowl – To use in the hotel room when they’re outside the carrier.
- Water bottles – Bring at least two in case one of them breaks or malfunctions.
- Water – Pack filtered bottled water for easy refills while in the car and while staying in the hotel.
- Any medications your rats are currently taking or might need if they get sick (such as an unmixed bottle of amoxicillin). If any of your rats are currently on meds and they need to be refrigerated, bring a cooler for the car. Beware of the mini fridges in the hotel room. Sometimes they are set too cold which can freeze and ruin medications. Test your hotel mini fridge out on your first night by placing a cup of water inside and see if it turns to ice. The results of this test will show you whether you need to adjust the temperature. While performing this test, place your rats’ medications in a hotel ice bucket with just enough ice to keep them cool overnight. (You don’t want the water from the melted ice to seep into your medication bottles!)
- Bedding for their travel carrier and shoulder bag. Fleece blankets and t-shirts are perfect to use as bedding.
- Paper towels to use as your rats’ bathroom areas as well as for cleaning.
- Chew toys
- Plain newsprint to shred and use for nesting.
- Small cardboard boxes (for nesting inside the carriers).
Pet rat travel: Safe driving with your rats
Place your rats inside the carrier on the passenger seat or on a back seat. Use the seat belt to secure the carrier. While driving, remove the water bottle from the side of the carrier. If left attached, the bottle will leak from being jostled about while on the road.
Take frequent breaks from driving. During each pit stop:
- Reattach their water bottle to carrier so your rats can drink if thirsty
- Remove any feces, replace soiled paper towels, cloth or anything else that’s gotten dirty inside the carrier.
- If it’s a hot, sunny day, bring your rats inside with you using your shoulder bag when you stop to use the restroom. Never, ever leave your rats in your car in the sun.
Even in cooler weather, always park in the shade and leave the windows cracked (unless it’s extremely cold outside). Place your rats inside the small cat carrier on the passenger seat or on a back seat. Use the seat belt to secure the carrier. If using the passenger seat, face the front door of the carrier toward you so you and your rats can see one other during the drive.
While driving, remove the water bottle from the cat carrier. If left attached, the bottle will leak while being jostled about on the road.
Place your rats inside the carrier on the passenger seat or on a back seat. Use the seat belt to secure the carrier.
Take frequent breaks from driving. During each pit stop:
- Reattach water bottle to carrier so your rats can drink if thirsty
- Remove any feces, replace soiled paper towels, cloth or anything else that’s gotten dirty inside the carrier.
- If it’s a hot, sunny day, bring your rats inside with you using your shoulder bag when you stop to use the restroom. Never, ever leave your rats in your car in the sun.
- Even in cooler weather, always park in the shade and leave the windows cracked (unless it’s extremely cold outside).
Pet rat travel: In the hotel
When bringing your rats inside the hotel, use a side or back entrance if possible. Avoid areas where hotel staff are stationed. Place your rats inside your shoulder bag. Empty the portable carrier in your car and fold it up so you can carry it upstairs without it looking like a pet carrier. Have a bag ready with all that will go inside the carrier once you get into your room: a small box for hiding, a roll of paper towels (to use for bathroom area), soft bedding such as cut up fleece blankets and t-shirts (without holes) and plain newsprint for shredding.
Avoiding the Housekeepers
One of the biggest problems of having your rats stay with you in a hotel is you can’t leave them in your room when the housekeepers come in to clean. Luckily, you can use your “shoulder bag” to take your rats out of your room with you each morning. Before leaving, hide all traces of anything related to your rats. Stash the carrier at the bottom of the closet. Cover the carrier with any cloth bedding you’ve brought (or with your clothes) so it just looks like a covered box. It’s unlikely a hotel housekeeper would have the time (or inclination) to check out what you have in the closet. The other option, of course, is you can keep the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the outside of your door.
Hotel Room Play Time
There are so many places your rats can enjoy in a hotel room. My rats have all given their highest ratings to the bed and the bathroom. However, hotel desks are fun, too!
Create a playground on the bed using:
- Fleece blankets to cover the bed (Fleece blankets come in handy multiple ways: as covers to disguise cat carriers, as protection for large surfaces such as a bed or bathroom floor, as well as for bedding inside the cat carriers.)
- Cat carrier
- Cardboard boxes
- Paper bags
- Shoulder bag – placed on its side, ready to be explored
- Small dish of water
- Lab blocks
- Shredded plain newsprint
If your rats are fairly young and in good health, the luggage rack makes a spectacular jungle gym. Just be prepared to catch your rat or place blankets piled up below the luggage rack to prevent injury in case of a fall.
Once you start traveling with your rats, you won’t want to stop. After getting the hang of what to pack, it’s easy and convenient to take bring your rats with youany time you’re traveling by car.
updated 7/6/23
Hi!, I have already made a comment but I have another question. Me and my friend are planning on get two rats each. When she comes over to stay the night or hang out she plans on bringing her rats with her to meet mine. We will definitely make sure they’re safe in the car. But will this be stressful? Are there anyways on making this less stressful for the rat or should I just not do this at all! (The rats will be in my/her cage the night and will be travelling in a car for about 4-5 minutes) thanks!
Hi Kirsty,
I think it’s fantastic that you and your friend want to bring your rats to each other’s homes to hang out and spend the night. Nice work researching how to do this ahead of time!
Car rides are great for rats. Getting them used to traveling in the car helps make it easy whenever you need to take them to the vet.
One of the most helpful things you can do for your rats when transporting them in your car is to simply talk with them while you’re driving. Hearing your voice helps them feel reassured. Also, as you can read in the above post, don’t leave their water bottles attached to their carriers while you’re driving. The “jiggling” movement inside a moving car or even just while you’re moving their carriers from the car to inside the house causes water bottles to leak.
I also think it’s highly beneficial for them to visit new places. Rats are so curious and inquisitive. Seeing a new place helps to keep their active minds stimulated. They love to explore!
With any new activity, you just want to take it slow in the beginning. For example, in a new location, don’t give them access to an entire room right away. Instead start by having them on your shoulders while you walk around. Then, try having them out on the couch with you. After that you can gradually increase the areas they can access, making sure to rat proof any room they’re allowed to roam around in.
Regarding your rats being around your friend’s rats, there are 2 important things to remember:
1) It’s super important to make sure none of the rats are showing signs of respiratory disease. Respiratory diseases are highly contagious and need to be treated right away.
2) Depending on how close you’re going to allow your rats to be with one another, make sure to introduce them slowly and carefully. You can have them outside their cages having playtime with one another as long as you use the introductory techniques outlined in my post How to Ace Pet Rat Introductions.
You may have already thought of this idea: Having a cage already set up at each other’s homes for when you’re visiting is really helpful. That way you won’t have to bring a cage and get it all set up each time you visit.
Let me know if you have any further questions or need any clarification on what I’ve written. I hope my responses are helpful!
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
Hi, I have an albino rat named peppermint and I take her to my boyfriend with me twice a week for about a day or two, his house is 10 mins from mine, am I stressing her out? She has an entire setup of her own there too. -jade
Hi Jade,
The best way to see if Peppermint is being stressed out is by closely observing her. How does she act after you take her to a new location? Does she hide? Does she eat well in both places? Does she want to come out and spend time with you after moving to a different location?
Rats are very adaptable if you’re there to support them when making changes. For around 5 years, I used to take my rats with me wherever I was pet sitting. My rats were regularly exposed to new environments. They did have the constancy of being in the same cage each time I moved them. (It was, however, a different cage from the one they lived in at home.) In each home where I pet sat, they enjoyed exploring new tabletops, beds, and bathrooms. (If you’re ever taking your rat out in a bathroom, make sure to block off any holes under the cabinets.)
To help Peppermint be more comfortable when living in two homes, you could bring something with her scent on it when changing locations. For example, if you have a T-shirt or piece of fleece in her cage at your house, you can move these items back and forth it with her to each cage. You could even bring a box, a hammock or two and/or a favorite toy or wheel back and forth between the two places.
Does Peppermint have a friend? That would also make things easier for her: She’d have the constancy of living with a companion. Rats are much happier if you have at least two at a time.
You sound like an excellent pet rat caretaker! Thanks for asking your important question.
If you have any further questions or need any clarification, don’t hesitate to let me know.
Best Wishes to You & Your Rat,
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
First off- I want to say thank you so much for having such an excellent resource for new and experienced rat owners. This has been an invaluable guide.
I am considering getting a Class C RV- as well as a few pet rats as well. I would be living in it full time as a Healthcare worker (so mostly stationary, but occasionally traveling for two weeks or more between states). Do you think rats could live comfortably in an RV full time, provided an adequate cage size and highly supervolised roam time? I can’t imagine the pains of rat proofing an RV but I’d be determined! Either way,
I’d hope it’d be better than the pet stores (I’m planning to rescue).
Curious to hear your thoughts…
Hi Sarrena,
Thank you so much for your positive feedback on my website!
I love the idea of traveling in an RV with pet rats. It sounds like so much fun!
Here are a few concerns I believe would be important to address:
The main concern I would have is regarding air flow and temperature regulation. You’ll want to make sure your rats are in a well-ventilated area. Air should easily flow through their cage. The reason for this is that stagnant air creates too much opportunity for respiratory diseases.
You’ll also want to make sure the temperature isn’t too hot or too cold. There are ways for you to monitor and control the temperature inside the RV. Here’s a possible tool you can use.
You could also have a neighbor help out if the temperature gets to hot or too cold. On the other hand, you can possibly take care of this yourself remotely, using a tool such as the one mentioned above. Another idea that could be helpful is to have a space heater with a thermostat that would come on if the temperature got too cold.
For free range time, you can limit their play area to a bed or a table.
It sounds like you’re already well aware you’ll want to make sure your rats have a large cage.
Finding a rat veterinarian ahead of time for each area you’ll be staying is super important. When you first get to a new location, I’d recommend scheduling a wellness exam for your rats—with a veterinarian who’s knowledgeable about and experienced with pet rats. That way you’ll have easy access to scheduling with that vet if/when an urgent health situation arises. It really makes a difference when scheduling appointments if your rats are already established patients.
I hope my response is helpful. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any additional questions.
Thanks for asking such a great question!
Best Wishes to You & Your Future Rats,
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
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Hello, could we keep rats for 1 whole day in the carrier container?
Hi Anna,
I have kept rats for a whole day in the carrier container. I would just recommend that you take them out a couple of times and play with them and allow them to run around a little. (On a bed, table or desk.) As long as it’s a temporary situation, it’s not a problem to keep them in a travel carrier.
Best Wishes to You & Your Rats,
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
Hi, I live with my parents and they are divorced. I’m still in school and my dad is thinking about getting us two female rats. I don’t want to bring my rats from house to house so is it okay if I leave my rat at one house all the time? I usually spend 5 days at each house until I come back and my dad said that he will make the time to play with our two rats daily until I come back. I really would like to know if this is okay.
Hi Luna,
First of all, it sounds like you have a wonderful dad! As long as he can take care of and play with your rats while you’re not in his home, it should work out great. I’m really impressed that he’s willing to do this for you and your rats.
You could take them back and forth between the 2 houses if you’d like to—and if it’s okay with your mother. But, if they stay in one house and get daily attention/playtime and are kept clean and fed, they should be fine.
Let me know if you have any other questions and/or if you need any clarification on what I’ve written here.
Best Wishes to You & Your Rats,
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
This website is fab, I rescued 2 rats back in September as unfortunately they were bred irrisponsibly by someone on a well known pet reselling site.
Anyway, I rescued them and they have a fab life, huge set up etc. And i love them to bits. However the oppertunity for me and my partner has occured and its an oppertunity I cannot turn down. We are planning on taking them with us, we are going in a really large campervan and they will have their full set up that they would have at home as we are adapting the van to make it fit. We also plan to do lots of little trips with them to desensitise them to travelling. As mentioned above they will have eachother and I have been researching like mad to make sure im doing the right thing in taking them with us because I want to make sure im not compromising their welfare by taking them with us.
Do you have any tips at all for keeping them cool in warmer weather? And anything else i might need to ensure they are going to be as stress free as possible?
Ive just noticed whilst writing this the thread above is a bit old so i hope this website is still active! Thank you in advance :)
Hi Jazz,
It sounds like you’re already on the right track! I’m impressed by all that you’re doing to prepare. That’s incredible your rats will get to be in their “full set up that they would have at home” and that you are “adapting the van to make it fit”. Wow! I’m really impressed.
To keep them cool in warmer weather, I recommend reading Prevent Pet Rat Heatstroke: Summertime Tips for Your Rats’ Care.
I think my above article (On the Road with Rats) pretty much covers everything you need to do to make sure your rats will be as stress free as possible. Most rats are excellent little travelers. They often thrive on exploring and being in new environments….as long as they know they are safe. The main way for them to know they are safe is for them to understand you’re right there with them and that you’re taking care of them. It sounds like you have this covered.
I’ve always loved traveling with my rats. You, your partner and your rats are about to embark on a wonderful journey together!
Feel free to update me on how it all goes.
Best Wishes to You & Your Rats,
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
I cannot believe this exists. I was looking up how feasible traveling with rats was, as I have to start occasionally traveling for work. This is FANTASTIC information!
Hi Lana,
Thanks so much for your positive feedback! It means the world to me to be able to help other rats and their people.
Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions,
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
Hi! In a few months I’ll be moving from Arizona to Georgia and have been trying to research the best way to travel there with my two boy rats, Cosmo and Blaze. They’re both a year old and are brothers and always get along. I don’t want to have them travel as cargo on planes, as I know they’ll be scared and uncomfortable and I’ve heard terrible stories about pet cargo travel. I’ve been very anxious because they’re my babies and I want them to be as safe and comfortable as possible. Do you recommend I drive there with them, and sneak them into hotels? I’ve never traveled out of state with them before. Do you have any other tips for me? Thank you very much!
Also, thank you for your website!! It’s very helpful ^_^
I definitely recommend you drive and sneak them into hotels. I totally agree with you that flying them in cargo would be extremely dangerous. I think the tips in my article above would really be helpful for you.
I’m actually in the middle of updating the above post. I still think small sized cat carriers are perfect for while they’re riding in your car. I like that they’re made of hard plastic and that they’re enclosed enough to really protect your rats while you’re driving. To use in the hotel room, however, I now recommend using the Prevue Pet Collapsible Bird Travel Cage. As the name implies, this cage is really made for large birds. Because of this you’ll want to take out the wooden perch and the metal food bowls. They’re very easy to remove. Also, if your rats are small (i.e. if they’re babies) the bar spacing would be too wide. It’s the perfect size for adults, though.
What I love about this cage is that it folds up into the size and shape of a brief case! It even has a handle you can clip to it to make it easy to carry as a “briefcase”. When it’s collapsed, it easily fits into the size of a standard pillow case. You could make a cover for it by cutting out a slot from the side of the pillow case with just enough room for the handle to stick out. That way no one would be able to tell you’re bringing a cage into your hotel room. I took some photos of mine and, as I mentioned, I will be updating this article to include this cage and photos of it soon.
You’ll have a great time traveling with your rats by car. I’m so glad you sound up for choosing this method of transport. Also, thanks so much for your positive comments on my website! I’m so glad you’re finding it to be helpful.
Best Wishes to You, Cosmo & Blaze,
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
hi! im thinking about getting rats soon, but ive moved recently. theres not many placed to get rats where i live now, but in my home town there are. i’m going to visit sometime to see family and i was wondering if i could pick up some rats on my way back home. it’s about a 5-6 hour drive and they’ll be brand new rats though, so already stressed from being separated from their previous pack. they’ll have at least one friend, but still. im not sure if its a smart idea to do this or if i should try to find a stop closer to my house along the way to get some ratties. thanks!!
Hi!
It’s fine to adopt rats that you’ll need to drive a few hours to bring them home. Rats do very well in cars. I especially like that you want to bring home at least 2 rats. It will be more comforting for them to have one another.
When driving them home, make sure they’re in a suitable carrier. As mentioned in this post, cat carriers work great. You’ll want to stop every couple of hours to check on them. When stopping you can clean out any poop and replace any soiled bedding as well as offer them water. They may not want to drink water when you offer it to them, but you don’t want to have a water bottle attached to the carrier while driving. Water bottles tend to leak due to the vibrations of your car while you’re driving.
I’m excited for you getting your new rats! It’s actually not uncommon to need to drive a ways in order to pick them up. I’ve done that many times myself.
Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any other questions any time.
Best Wishes to You & Your New Rats,
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
Thanks for all of these tips! It really helps.
I’m still considering getting a rat, but I still live with my parents. It wouldn’t be such a big deal if they weren’t divorced. So I spend lots of time at both houses, and I don’t want to leave my rat for 2 main reasons.
1) I know my parents don’t want to take care of my rat all the time
2) I don’t want the rat to miss me too much
So I was wondering if it’s okay to have a cage at both houses and bring the rat with me? It a one hour drive. I have space in both houses, but I don’t know if the rat would lake so much change all the time?
Hi There, Lexie!
You ask a great question. Having a cage at both houses would work out perfectly. Your rat will love being with you. Since you will always have your rat living with you, they’ll appreciate the consistency of being with you rather than your leaving them at just one house all the time. Rats can adjust to change and will get used to living in two different houses. Make sure to get two rats since they really enjoy each other’s company, too.
Let me know anytime you have any other questions. You sound like you’re doing a fantastic job of planning out how it will work if you do decide to get rats.
Best Wishes,
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
So I’ll be moving soon and I was just wondering how long rats can stay in the car. The trip will be about 9ish hours. So I was wondering how many times I would need to stop.
Hi Dylan,
That’s great you’ll be driving your rats to your new home. I’ve driven with my rats many times for 12-14 hour long trips in the car. I just check on them every time I stop to go to the bathroom or get something to eat. As soon as I stop the car I clean out any feces or urine in their carrier and attach their water bottle so they can drink while the car isn’t moving. I leave the water bottle attached while I go into the store and/or bathroom. When I return after getting food or using the restroom, I unattach the water bottle so it doesn’t drip and soak their cage while I’m driving. I don’t usually make any extra stops just for my rats unless I’m worried they may be having a problem.
I hope this answers your question. If you need any additional information, don’t hesitate to ask.
Hope you and your rats have a great time on the road!
Best Wishes,
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
Hi I’m going to be travelling by car from Rhode Island to Arizona with the rats. Were moving into our new home. We will stay at hotels some times, but I’m just wondering if you think this is a do-able journey. It may be 3-5 days depending on how fast we can get there. I’ll be getting all these supplies and your blog has helped a lot but do you have any other additional tips?
Hi Ray,
Yes, I definitely think traveling by car from Rhode Island to Arizona is a do-able journey. Other than what I’ve written in the post above, I’d just say to walk-through in your mind what your particular drive with your rats will be like. Make sure to prepare as much as possible based on what you can anticipate about your trip. You also need to be flexible when anything unplanned arises.
It’s all a matter of staying in the moment and making sure to attend to your rats’ needs—keep the travel carriers comfy, cozy and clean. Stop regularly to offer them water and to clean out any soiled areas inside their carrier. Bring plenty of their regular food so you won’t run out. Always be mindful of the temperature so your rats don’t get too hot.
I actually think you’ll find it’s lots of fun to travel with your rats. Good luck and enjoy the traveling!
Best Wishes to You & Your Rats,
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
Hi! Thank you for all your tips on driving with rats.
I’m going away in my caravan for 2 weeks at the beginning of summer (probably July or early August). I’m in the UK so it’s not going to reach scorching temperatures, so I’m not too worried about that.
I was just wondering what you thought, though.
Our caravan has an enclosed awning with “walls”, so their cage would be out there whenever I am around. I’d keep all the doors open which keeps it super cool but not too cold or breezy, and I could always bring them in to the caravan if it gets too much.
I was thinking I would take the boys (I have two) out with me in the day, keeping them on my shoulders with harnesses and wearing a belt that has a pouch for them to rest in. I know that it’s dangerous to leave them in the caravan when we aren’t there because it will get hot.
However, I’m worried about days that we might go to the beach because we would be there for several hours and I don’t think rats would like the beach (!).
I was also thinking about putting their cage in the car at night to keep them safe from predators, but was just a little worried about the car heating up as the sun rises, even though I get up fairly early at around 7am.
Do you think it’s crazy of me to even think about doing this!? It probably is. I just don’t want to leave them for two weeks with my neighbour coming in to feed them a couple times a day. They need people :(
Hi Ellie!
I completely understand how difficult it is to make this sort of a decision. You’re not crazy to think about traveling with your rats and you’re doing a great job of thinking through potential pitfalls. The decision can best be made by considering what you’re willing and able to do along with what you think is best for your rats.
I used to travel with my rats by car monthly to visit family about 600 miles away. After about a year of doing this, I found that taking care of my rats while I was away felt like one thing too many. I started getting stressed over waking up earlier than everyone else so I could medicate, feed and clean up after my rats before spending time with my family. It became so I felt like I couldn’t enjoy my time away because of the weight of the responsibility of taking care of my rats. It also felt like I was struggling to balance spending enough time with my rats while also spending time with my family. From this experience, I learned I like traveling with my rats the most when I’m alone or with just one other person.
We’re all different, though. I think it’s helpful to ask yourself the following questions:
Even though the temperatures are usually not hot during the time of year in which you’ll be traveling, there could always be a random heat (or cold) wave. If this were to happen, would you be able to change your plans so you can keep your rats within a healthy temperature range?
You mentioned you’d have them out with you during the day and that they’d be wearing harnesses while riding on your shoulders. Keep in mind that rats can slip out of harnesses. Birds of prey are probably unlikely to swoop down and pluck a rat off of your shoulder, but it still could conceivably happen. Also, if you let your rats run around on the ground or even on a picnic table while harnessed, a raptor or cat could attack. I’d rather see you keep your rats in a small carrier or travel bag than exposed to the danger of being outdoors for any great length of time.
I’ve camped with my rats on several occasions. They slept in a small cage inside my tent. The last time I went camping with them, there was an animal sniffing around outside the tent during the night. I didn’t put two and two together until the next morning when I realized the animal probably smelled my rats!
Regarding being at the beach, my main concern would be whether or not there’s shade available. Also, if you plan on going in the water, will there be someone available to monitor your rats and make sure they’re safe while you’re away from them?
If you decide you do want to take your rats with you on your trip, you’re definitely on the right track with thinking ahead about possible scenarios and how you can best prepare. Be ready to adjust your plans depending upon the weather and circumstances. It really is fun to travel with rats as long as you don’t mind being flexible. It also helps when everyone with you is supportive of your taking the time out to care for them.
If you decide you wouldn’t be able to relax and really feel like you’re on vacation if you take your rats, you have several options. The following questions will help you feel better and more at peace if you decide to leave your rats at home:
Even if you do end up leaving your rats with a pet sitter, you could arrange to do facetime with your rats every couple of days. You can also ask your rat sitter to text you a daily photo.
I hope you find at least some of these ideas helpful. You sound like a wonderful rat parent and I really appreciate your asking your question.
Best Wishes to You & Your Rats,
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
Okay this was a very interesting read. I really never would have thought; 1. Rats could be so affection and interesting and 2. Traveling with them, so much easier than dogs or cats.
Do you ever travel with them on a plane and if so do they get to travel under your seat like a small cat would be able to? I can’t imagine such small creatures to have to go under the plane.
Thanks for your comment, Suzanne!
I have not attempted to fly on a plane with any of my pet rats. From what I’ve seen, most airlines only allow cats and small dogs in the cabin of a plane. Many also allow various types of pets to travel as “cargo” in the area of the plane also reserved for luggage. I haven’t run across any airlines who allow pet rats to travel in the cabin and I would not personally choose to have a pet travel as “cargo”.
There was recently a somewhat scandalous story about a flight attendant who was accused of bringing her pet rat on board a plane. She denied the claim, however, and has consequently sued the airline. I enjoyed this article in particular since it closed with Michael Jackson’s music video “Ben”.
I ran across a post one person wrote about how to smuggle a hamster on board a plane. While I admire his “can do” attitude, I don’t think I’d want to risk being discovered as having a pet that isn’t allowed on board.
For those who feel comfortable having your dogs and/or cats travel as cargo, there’s now a GPS tracking device available when flying Delta Airlines cargo. I am definitely not endorsing that any pets fly as “cargo”, but for those who are interested, the device offers the following features:
For anyone interested in more air travel information, especially for cats and dogs, this pet travel blog seems to have it covered. They also have an excellent, world-wide, pet travel forum.
Since May of 2005 the US Department of Transportation has required most U.S. airlines that operate scheduled passenger flights file monthly reports on pets that died or were lost or injured during transport. Here are the report of deaths, injuries and losses of pets traveling by plane from May 2005 – August 2015.
Although I realize there are times when flying is the only way to get to certain destinations, I choose to only travel with my rats by car.
Thanks again for your excellent question, Suzanne.
Best Wishes,
Jasmine | About Pet Rats
Thanks so much for your reply. I have a large dog and have similar feelings. If I have to fly somewhere, she unfortunately must remain home. I will not allow her to travel as “cargo” she’s not cargo she family. Pets have died in the cargo areas. I loved the article you mentioned here. That was very interesting.
Thanks again for answering my questions.
Suzanne