Wanderlust with Whiskers: My Journey Traveling with Hamsters
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Believe it or not, traveling with hamsters was a super fun and unique experience. When I was 19, I got my first hamster. His name was Mooksie, and he was an amazing small pet. Super friendly, active, engaging, and adorable, Mooksie was the very definition of a “good pet.” Mooksie was also an extremely well-traveled hamster. I grew up in New York and went to college in North Carolina, so I had to do a fair amount of road trips.
This post has been written by Ethan Haber who is the CEO/Founder of Happy Habitats.
Traveling with other types of pets? We also have articles to help you plan a dog-friendly vacation and road trip with your cat.
Traveling with Hamsters
You might be thinking, a hamster isn’t like a person or a dog; you can’t buckle them into a car seat. You’d be correct to think that. While you cannot buckle your small pet themselves directly into the seat, you can safely buckle up their enclosure or a travel enclosure. Yes, when we would travel with my hamster, their whole house would come along with him. Mooksie has had the pleasure of visiting New York City, Ithaca, Winston-Salem, Raleigh, Durham, DC, Cleveland, and more.
When traveling with your small pet is important to take a portable enclosure/carrier with you. This way, when you stop at rest stops your hamster or gerbil doesn’t have to stay in the car. Leaving a living creature in a powered-down car on a hot day is abuse. Even if it’s just 80 degrees Fahrenheit outside, after 20 minutes your car can be as hot as 109 degrees. This is why it’s extremely important that you bring your pet with you.
My hamster has spent the night with me in a variety of places. Sometimes his full enclosure came with me and sometimes it was a portable enclosure. At times like this, his Happy Habitats Roam and Halo were an extremely valuable resource. Whether stopping for food at a rest stop or giving Mooksie a chance to stretch his legs in a Hotel, the Roam and Halo allowed me to simply and easily give my small pet some fresh air.
Happy Habitats Roam and Halo: A Travel Cage For Hamsters
The Happy Habitats Roam small pet exercise ball is the safest small pet exercise ball on the market. With the Halo attachment, it can also be used as a small travel cage for hamsters and gerbils. It’s screwed together, unlike the cheaper poorly made balls. There’s also no need to worry about the ball’s lid popping off, as it has a two-step locking mechanism. Plus, the ventilation design features 2mm holes to prevent paw trapping. With my Roam ball, I had peace of mind that Mooksie could safely explore whatever room we found ourselves in.
What’s more, his Happy Habitats Halo allowed Mooksie to explore not just a room, but the world with me. The Halo carrier fits securely around my Roam small pet exercise ball, allowing me and Mooksie to go anywhere. With both a carrying handle and kickout stands, the Halo is useable at home and on the go. With the Halo me and Mooksie have walked through gardens and gone on hikes. We’ve also picnicked and eaten together outside.
The Best Road Trip is with Your Adventure-Ready Hamster
While you can take a road trip with a friend or a dog, you can also take a road trip with a Hamster. Your hamster won’t fight with you over the music, and you won’t have to stop driving for the bathroom on their behalf. In other words, a hamster is the ideal road trip partner. If you do decide to go drive somewhere with your small pet, make sure you buckle up their cage and bring a carrier.
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Ethan is the CEO of Happy Habitat. An aspiring entrepreneur, and avid animal lover, Ethan identified the small pet space as the perfect place to make his mark. Join him on his journey of small pet enrichment, one hamster at a time.
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You made me smile with your comment about strapping a hamster into a car! But, it’s a valid and important point. No you can’t but you CAN strap in their box! These travel arrangements are amazing too. A ball fits comfortably into a carrier handle – how perfect is this. I wish cats and dogs were so easy to transport!
I love when people travel with their pets and Mooksie seemed to have had a wonderful fun adventurous life, amazing
This just goes to show how all animals can enjoy travel with their humans! I love that Mooksie has seen more places than me! I love the the fact that a hamster won’t argue over road tunes, as we all know, music on a car ride is key! Go, Mooksie! What an enjoyable story! Pinning to share!