Long distance moving

[shamrockmommy]

We are moving in May with our 2 hu-kids, 3 dogs and 4 piggies from South Dakota to California. We estimate it taking about a week to get there, as the kids don't handle long, long days in the car very well and the animals need time to stretch their legs.

Just wanted to run this by you guys to see if I had left anything out.

Each pair has a carrier that is well ventilated. Bowl with pellets, hay for munching, wet veggies every time we stop for gas.
THen when we stop for the night, I was planning on opening the carrier and using a small pet expen so they can run around and stretch their legs a bit. THen I'll make thier water bottles available for them.

What else am I missing? I plan on bedding them on carefresh and changing it out daily.

THanks!

[Catayn]

I think it should be fine. But, won't you put water bottles in the carrier?
I think you should, if you can. The wet veggies should help, but I'd still put a water bottle there.

[shamrockmommy]

When we moved from MD to SD, I did leave the water bottles in, but with the vibration from the car/road, they emptied out, soaked the bedding and the piggies. That is why I think the wet veggies would be the best bet- perhaps when we stop for gas I"ll put the wwater bottles in for them to have a drink. And when we stop for lunch too.

[Catayn]

Oh, I see.
I took a very long trip with my boys on vacation, but I had no problems with my water bottles. Maybe it's a dfferent kind...

[hydrohoki]

I just moved my pigs from WA to VA (flew them though). The biggest mistake I made was packing the kitchen scale with the moving stuff and not weighing them daily during the move. So I would make sure you are still weighing them frequently especially with all the stresses that they will be enduring.

[shamrockmommy]

Thanks, Hydro,
I will pack the scale as well. Great idea to keep close tabs on them.

[twilightwheek]

I moved from Colorado to New Jersey with 1 piggly, but we kept her in a laundrybasket in the cab of the truck with us.
I lined the basket with puppy pads (I would've done fleece too, but I didnt know about it then) she didnt want water, but I kept plenty of veggies in a cooler. She got lots of hay and lots of love.

They should be just fine together, a little traumatized, but in good company! Oh,

I kept her in her play pen at the hotels, she actually slept on the bed (in the playpen, on pee pads) inbetween us because it was SO cold. Good luck with your move, I know your piggys will be just fine!

[shamrockmommy]

Thanks, everyone.
I wonder if it wouldn't be better to use puppy pee pads- easier to change and dispose of along the way? Do piggies chew the pee pads at all?

[hydrohoki]

Mine would try to chew on the edges. I'd put some under some old fleece.

Do you have any old fleece you can cut to size and then just get rid of along the way? Honestly I have a bunch if you want any.

[BabyBellie]

I have been using puppy pads to try and get rid of a fly problem ( I usually use bedding) and it's a nightmare. The pigs think they are the greatest toy ever. I've had to tape all of the edges to the side of the cage and they still sometimes get them off. If you have fleece to put on top it may work but otherwise I would stick with carefresh.

[Candy]

It sounds like you've got all of the bases covered! It might help if you put fleece over the carefresh it might cut down on the mess and you can take it out and shake the poop off from time to time. I agree on the water bottle too. I've had bad luck with them leaking on car trips, even just going to the vets about 15 miles away.

Good luck with your trip, sounds like you are very brave! A road trip with kids is bad enough!

[Tessa Bea]

I would think fleece / towels would be a good way to go, simply shake at rest areas. The smell of the under towels could get bad though in a car, I guess.

[shamrockmommy]

You guys really have me thinking of options for bedding in their carriers.
I could do layers of paper towels under fleece (I do have some scraps that I could ditch).
Or carefresh- could just dump and fill as needed. I suspect the pigs are oging to be freaked out and sit in one spot and just pee and poop in that same spot the whole time. I could change as often as needed. I am really leaning this way. Perhaps newspaper liner so I can roll up the dirty more easily.

The plus is, we are pulling a smal trailer behind our suv, so the humans and animals have the car- the dogs and pigs are in the back, I can keep their supplies in the trailer.

[shamrockmommy]

I decided that the pigs need more room than their little carriers give. So I purchased one superpet medium guinea pig home for each pair. The cages are only 6lbs, so be ok moving from the car to the hotel room (the last carrier we used on the last move was home made and HEAVY!). They will have more room to move around, get away from each other and then I won't have to worry about setting up a separate expen area for them. They will be safe and secure that way.

I am sure they'll be happy to get back to their 2' by 6' condos tho!
Thanks again everyone for the ideas. i believe I'll do carefresh topped with hay.

C'moooon May! I'm ready to move!