Pet Rats Traveling via Commercial Airline
by Kim Hallahan
(written in 2010)
People tell horror stories about pet travel on
commercial airlines. There must be many more successes than tragedies, but
most often we hear about the problems. This summer the Navy moved my
family from northwest
We asked every airline that flies between the cities
we needed, and none of them will permit rats to ride in the cabin of the
aircraft. Rather than ship the girls as baggage, we opted for the more
pet-friendly air cargo. We chose Delta, currently the only major airline
that, in some cities, transports pets to and from the aircraft in a
climate-controlled van. We booked the red-eye to avoid having a layover
during the hottest part of the day. The girls were in transit, door to
door, for about 18 hours.
Needing a travel container that would not let their
fragile noses or tails poke out and accidentally get squished, we bought a
once-used airline transport box from Brisky Pets (www.brisky.com). I phoned the company, and a
friendly representative spoke at length with me about our trip. Stephan told me how to disinfect the box
to make it ready for our pets, and he offered food and hydration suggestions
for travel.
We introduced the rats to this box a couple of weeks
before the trip and let them play in it a bit each day, so they’d be
comfortable with it. We took them around the house and back yard to
experience different conditions while inside the box. One caution: if you
do this, be sure to watch the rats closely or secure the lid while they are
inside. One day when the lid was set on loosely, one girl propped the lid
up with her nose and began chewing the plastic inside edge. Thank goodness
this was in a corner inaccessible when the lid was secured, and I caught her
before she’d chewed very far. The box is considered chew-proof in
its original condition, because the insides are smooth and rats can’t get
a grip to start chewing. You don’t want to let them create such a
grip on the edge of the box before setting out on their trip.
The makers of the travel container specify a maximum
rat weight per box on their website at www.taconic.com I imagine over the
hours, possibly days, that lab rats are shipped, ammonia can build up to
dangerous levels. Our rats were right at the weight limit when we shipped
them, so we planned the bedding, food, and water to maximize their comfort and
minimize ammonia odor in transit.
This box worked fabulously for them. They were
secure and as comfortable as I think they could be. We filled the bottom
third of the box with our favorite odor-absorbing litter, Healthy Pet brand
Dust-Free cat litter. On that we set an empty cereal box that the girls
could hide and snuggle in. We piled a two-day supply of rat blocks in the
corner, placed hydrating gel packs along side (see next paragraph), and taped
more rat blocks in a zip-top plastic bag to the outside of the box. The
top of the box is transluscent, so the rats could see
shadows, but not what was outside. The top and sides are made of an ultrafine mesh that allows good ventilation, but prevents
viruses from crossing. When lab rats are shipped in these boxes, they are
guaranteed not to contract any viruses. That was reassuring for our pets,
too. We secured the box as directed with two plastic zip ties and followed
airline instructions for labeling.
Water bottles can be unreliable under usual circumstances,
and who knows what turbulence might do to them? In lieu of a water
bottle, we ordered Aqua Jel hydration packs for small
animals at 614-325-2052. The company was kind enough to sell me a smaller
shipment of four 300-g packs at a discount. These packs are sterile and
resist contamination, they do not need refrigeration, and unopened packs are
good for 18 months. Peter, the owner, said 300 g would be fine for three
one-pound rats to travel 18 hours or more. Since he had sent four, we used
two packs for this trip. I agree that one pack would have been
plenty. The girls had torn apart the first pack and scattered gel around
the cage, but the second pack was mostly intact when they got to
We didn’t see most of their journey, but I feel
confident that our ratties traveled well. They
rode with us by car, shuttle van and taxi for two hours to get to the
I recommend all of the products and companies we used
for this shipping adventure. If you must fly your ratties
via commercial air, be sure to read Jane Sorensen’s article at www.rmca.org/Articles/flyingrat.htm,
do your best to prepare them for comfort and safety, then relax and let the
professionals do their job. You can have a great experience, too!
Rat Lady’s note: As of
Jan 2017 the website below sells high quality shipping containers that cost
about $32 not including shipping.
http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/sigma/z683183?lang=en®ion=US
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