Travelling with Guinea Pigs in the Car

You need to take your guinea pig to the vet. You need to visit your family two states away and have to take your pets with you. No matter what the situation, you will need to take your pet guinea pigs on a road trip.

Whatever you do, do NOT place your guinea pigs in the trunk of a car! Sadly, this has happened. These areas lack air circulation and are not temperature controlled. It only takes a few minutes in the trunk (or boot) of a car to kill a guinea pig.

Keeping Cavies Confined

Guinea pigs should never be allowed loose in the car. They can quickly scoot under your feet or leap out of the car when the door is opened. Car rides involve a lot of jerking about, so a small space gives the guinea pig something to brace against in order to keep his balance.

If the car trip is only a few minutes long, then a large cardboard box will do in a pinch. You have to line the box with a towel and some bedding to soak up any urine expelled by your nervous pet. Any ride over a few minutes long needs a sturdier transport box that can’t be chewed through. Small plastic carriers for cats or toy dogs will work. Just make sure your pet can’t slip through any ventilation vents in the carrier.

Preparing for Long Trips

One night when I had five female guinea pigs, the fire alarm went off in my apartment building. The building across the very narrow street was on fire and eventually was demolished. I had to get the guinea pigs out fast. The firemen warned us that we may not be able to get back into our building until our building was safe from wind-driven sparks.

I put all five guinea pigs in one cage with two water bottles and lots of hay. This was a cage small enough for me to pick up and carry. They all huddled together in their cage on the back seat of my car for an hour until I was given permission to re-enter my apartment building.

This was our preparation for a two-hour car ride I would have to make with the guinea pigs later that summer. I gave the guinea pigs lettuce instead of water bottles because the bottles dripped incessantly. I buckled the cage into the seat belt like it was a passenger to give it more stability. I draped a towel over the top and sides of the cage. The guinea pigs acted as if they were in a burrow and stayed under the towel during the trip. I never left them alone in the car to avoid heat stroke.

Other Traveling Tips

My guinea pigs traveled in the car much better than our dogs or cats ever did. Your cavies may stay quiet for the whole trip. When a guinea pig is startled, she freezes in place. If your guinea pigs do this during the trip, don’t worry. This is normal.

Avoid sharp turns and sudden stops whenever possible so the guinea pigs have a reasonably steady ride.

I could not lower the back seat of my car to make a level, airy travel space. If you can lower your car seat down, do so. Remove any toxic substance like automotive fluids or old car batteries before placing the cage in the area.

To keep the guinea pig’s transport cage from sliding, brace the cage sides with non-toxic objects such as a bag of laundry or packages of the guinea pig’s bedding. More adventurous guinea pigs will stick their noses through the bars of the cage and nibble on anything they can reach.

If you are going out of state or out of the country, you may need papers proving that your animals are healthy. Talk to your veterinarian or contact the veterinary association of the place you are travelling to about the necessary paperwork.