Traveling With Your Bunny: A Magician's Secret to Stress Free Rabbit Travel.

Traveling with your pet rabbit on vacation? Wondering what’s the best way to transport your pet? Here’s how a professional magician keeps his bunny safe and happy on the road and at home.

As a professional magician in New York City I spend a good amount of time traveling with my bunny rabbit. On a typical weekend my rabbit and I will magically appear at three or four parties a day. I’ve figured out some tricks and tips that make sure my rabbit is comfortable, calm and ready for the big show. You can use these ideas the next time you hit the road with your pets.

On the Road with Your Bunny

A good quality rabbit carrier is a magician’s friend. It’s important that your bunny is protected from accidents and escape. When I’m performing magic shows for children I make it a point to keep my bunny by my side at all times. Never leave your bunny unattended, especially around curious kids. They may innocently try to feed or pet the rabbit and cause it harm.

Choose the right size carrier for your rabbit. A Giant Chinchilla is going to need more room than a tiny Polish rabbit, so choose accordingly. Only put one rabbit in a carrier at a time. Even if your bunnies play nicely in the house they are likely to fight when they’re stressed out from traveling and forced to share a small space.

I load all of my magic props and equipment in the trunk of my car but I always travel with my bunny inside the car with me. Keep the rabbit carrier on the floor of the car behind the passenger’s seat. This will keep the carrier from flying through the vehicle if you have to hit the brakes suddenly. Make sure you don’t inadvertently cover up the air holes, but do cover the carrier to protect your rabbit from the sun.

Never leave your rabbit locked up in the car by itself, especially in the day time. The sun can quickly heat up the car’s interior and cause your rabbit harm. If you need to go into a restaurant, take your pet with you. Now, most restaurants in New York won’t allow pets, so I use a bit of magic to sneak my bunny in. I carry a large shopping bag with me that can easily hold my carrier. I use a large paper shopping bag because it doesn’t block the ventilation of the cage.

Grooming. My bunny is the star of my magic show and so I want to keep her looking good. A good spray shampoo for rabbits lets you keep your pet’s coat shiny and smelling fresh. Just spray it on, let it dry and brush it out. Keep your bunny’s nails trimmed using a proper pet nail trimmer. If you’re not sure how to trim your bunny’s nails, take her to a pet groomer and learn. You must learn how to cut the rabbit’s nails without hurting her.

If I have a long day of magic shows ahead of me I like to keep a chew toy in the carrier to keep my bunny amused. RabbitStop.com has a wide range of great toys for rabbits.

Be sure to bring enough water for your rabbit during the day. Don’t put a loose bowl of water in the carrier unless you want a soggy rabbit. I use a Lixit Quick-Lock Crock that lets me quickly secure the drinking container to the door of the hutch and remove it when we’re ready to move.

If I have time between shows and the weather is nice I take my rabbit for a walk. The Peter's Rabbit Walking Jacket is easy to put on and remove and it fits my rabbit comfortably. Not only does it give me and my rabbit a chance to get some exercise, but I also get the chance to hand out quite a few business cards when people approach me in the park. Just keep your eyes wide open for dogs and never walk your bunny on a hot sidewalk.

I try not to feed the rabbit in the carrier and instead treat her to a fine vegetable and fruit dinner when we get home. Then I reward her by letting her run around in a pet playpen before bed time.

A good quality rabbit hutch is essential to your pet’s health and disposition on and off the road. Invest in the largest rabbit hutch that is practical for you. An active bunny is a happy one, so the more room your rabbit has to run around the more exercise they’ll get.

When your budget allows, consider purchasing two hutches. I like to let my bunny sit outside when the weather permits but I keep her indoors at night. This way she gets plenty of sunshine and fresh air during the day and she comes inside to play at night. If you want your rabbit to be a real pet it is important that you interact with it often.

If you’re going to keep your bunny outside year-round then purchase a habitat that gives the animal a place to hide and protects it from the extremes.  Add a Rabbit Den to your existing outdoor hutch. You’re rabbit will feel safer and more comfortable.  Another must have for an outdoor rabbit is a canvass hutch cover. These are easily removed when the weather is nice.

An outdoor hutch isn’t always practical but a portable rabbit playpen almost always is. They’re affordable and pack away easily. Let your rabbit run around as much as possible.

I love traveling around with my rabbit and sharing these wonderful creatures with my audiences. Here’s to many safe years of traveling with your fluffy companion.

NYC magician Brian McGovern owns two rabbits, Hijinx and Raffi. He’s one of the busiest magicians on Long Island and the New York City area.  Visit him at http://hijinx.tv