Author: Lori Earle
CHINS ON THE GO – OUR EXPERIENCES IN THE FAST LANE TOGETHER
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Considering the Possibility of Chin Travel
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While I don’t take the issue of traveling with chins lightly (it always makes me cringe to change their environment, even temporarily), it did become necessary for me to take a couple of them with me on two trips this year. These were both quite long trips – one to Utah and one to New Hampshire (I live in Alabama) and lasted from 1½ to 2 weeks each. Each of the two ailing chins were experiencing problems with eating and needed to be hand fed, as well as being kept clean daily. I’m lucky to have a wonderful vet tech who takes care of the animals when we’re away, but this type of specialized and time consuming care just isn’t realistic for her to do, along with the other animal care. I think it’s important to mention here that if these two chins had been critically ill, going on a trip would not have been even a remote possibility. If that were the case, it would have put them at terrible risk – jeopardizing their health by being away from our vet, plus creating extra stress by separating them from their home and beloved cagemates.
Both trips we took were very important to me - one to see friends and one to see family. Other than that, I don’t travel during the year, mainly due to taking care of the animals. To be truthful, these trips are crucial for my sanity! So, telling myself it wouldn’t do the animals much good if their mom went nuts from cabin fever, I decided to try syringe feeding on the road.
When we travel, I begin preparing by getting everything organized for the pet sitter to make sure it’s easy for her to walk in the door and tend to the animals. Then I begin to prepare supplies and cages for the chins that are traveling with us. I review our daily routine in my head to help figure out what exactly I need to take to care for them. I also decide which, if any, medicines to take with us, just in case someone gets sick. The main complication with meds is that they often need refrigeration, so I usually nix the idea. I figure I can plead my case to a vet if the need ever arises, which fortunately it hasn’t.
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Lodging (Do We get the Multiple Rodent Discount?)
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We travel in a van, which is a huge plus when you’re loading and unloading cages, and trying to keep a low profile at a motel. This also enables us to take fairly large cages, so the chins don’t feel cramped. We look for motels that have doors that you can drive up to, so that we won’t run into any hassles with management. I know that sounds a bit sneaky, but I can’t imagine them letting us stay if they knew we had rodents in tow. Tom Boudette would flip his lid! They have nothing to fear from us, though, as we always put a blanket under the cages and pick up any debris off of the floor. Usually the room is cleaner when we leave than when we arrive.
If you’re careful, you can usually let the chins out for some exercise in the bathroom. I never have let them run in the bedroom because there are always too many nooks and crannies for them to hide in. One word of caution (something I ran into last time) – beware of the Toilet Seat with No Lid! My chins had to forego their evening scamper one night because of that snafu. Ah, the joys of low budget lodgings, which is what most of these drive –up- to- the -door motels are.
You also need to realize that if you have chins with you, you’ll need to modify how you travel. You can’t leave them in the car/van to go on a hike, and sometimes you’ll have to eat in the car if it’s too cold to leave them without the heater going. You will need to always keep their welfare in mind as you go.
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Challenges (Syringe Feeding at 2:00 A.M., Anyone?)
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The main problem we ran into on our second trip was unpredictable weather – it was late November in the New England, and yes - we should have known better. We ran into snowy weather both ways, which entailed some very long days of driving. This meant that on a couple of nights, by the time we checked into our room, and brought in the cages, it was 1:30 a.m. I’m sure my syringe feeding technique was a bit goofy by then, but the guys did manage to get fed, and didn’t seem to mind at all. So you need to realize that there will be outside factors that will influence feeding times, and also that it will take a bit of discipline on your part to make sure that the chins are fed regularly. However, I’ve found that once we arrive at our destination, things in general become much easier, as I can get the chins settled in a calm area, get organized, and get them on a regular feeding schedule.
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Parting thoughts
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Though at times it does feel very much like a working vacation when you bring chins along, there also positive aspects to doing so. I enjoyed having my parents getting to meet the chins and see how adorable they are. Also it was just plain nice to have them with us, and I didn’t miss the rest of the crew at home as much as I usually do. Even so, I hope in the future that I won’t have to take any chins with me on the road, as I think it’s best for them to remain at home. But I do feel that if it’s necessary, chins are quite adaptable, and are very good little travelers.
If you are planning a trip with your chins and have any questions or wanted suggestions for supplies please email me.
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