In October 2025, Martha Ruphrect, CVT, one of our talented Avian & Exotic Medicine veterinary technicians, joined us for a Facebook Live session to talk about safely transporting non-traditional pets. Whether you’re heading out on a road trip or just making a visit to the vet, Martha shared plenty of valuable tips to keep your pet secure and comfortable. You can catch the full session on Facebook Live for detailed insights or check out a summary of the discussion below!
Avian and exotic pets each have unique travel needs, but there are some general comfort and safety tips that apply to many of them. This guide will cover practical advice to help ensure a smooth and secure journey for your non-traditional pets.
1. Keep Your Pet Secure
Ensuring your pet is safely restrained during travel is crucial – not just for their physical safety, but for yours as well! The last thing you want is for your macaw to perch on your shoulder and obstruct your view while driving! For most exotic pets (with a few exceptions), the best practice is to transport them in a secure, hard-sided carrier. Options include:
- Cat carriers for small mammals
- Rubbermaid containers with a secure lid for larger reptiles
- Aluminum bar bird cages or sea glass cages for birds
Whenever possible, avoid transporting your pet in their regular home habitat. Limiting toys and furnishings helps prevent loose items from becoming dangerous projectiles and makes it easier for veterinary staff to handle your pet safely. For most pets, using a smaller, travel-friendly carrier or cage is both safer and more practical.
To keep your pet safe while traveling, secure their cage or carrier to prevent it from shifting during sharp turns or sudden stops. Use a seatbelt looped through the handle of the carrier to minimize movement or place it in a pet’s bucket car seat that can clip into the car for added stability. Or if possible, have another person hold the cage or carrier while you drive to ensure it remains steady throughout the trip.
2. Reduce Stress
Traveling and visiting the vet can be highly stressful for exotic pets. At Animal Emergency & Referral Center of Minnesota, we often place exotic animals in an incubator or warmed cage upon arrival to help them recover from the stress of travel. This calming environment provides a safe, quiet space to ease their anxiety.
Small mammals and birds are particularly sensitive to being outside their normal environment. This can be even more challenging in busy areas like an animal ER or ICU department, where there may be increased noise from medical staff, barking dogs, meowing cats, and other activity.
To help reduce stress:
- Cover their carrier or cage with a towel or blanket. This blocks out visual stimuli, decreases outside noise, and creates a sense of security.
- Keep the environment darker by using breathable coverings. This mimics a more enclosed, calming space.
- Minimize exposure to new sounds, sights, and people as much as possible.
These simple steps can help your pet feel safer and more comfortable, making their trip less overwhelming.
3. Temperature Control
Maintaining a comfortable temperature for your exotic pet during travel is essential, especially for birds and reptiles, which are highly sensitive to temperature fluctuations. Try to keep their environment as close as possible to their normal home temperature, adjusting for the weather to avoid overheating or chilling them.
For longer trips, always be extra cautious about your pet’s temperature. Never leave them unattended in a hot or cold vehicle, as extreme temperatures can be dangerous. Your goal should be to maintain a consistent, comfortable temperature throughout the journey.
- Cold Weather Tips
- Cover your bird’s cage or pet’s carrier with a blanket or towel to protect them from drafts or wind, especially if they’re in barred cages instead of a solid enclosure.
- Warm up your car before placing your pet inside to create a more comfortable environment.
- Warm Weather Tips
- Avoid blasting your car’s air conditioning, as this can create uncomfortable drafts.
- Cool the car down slightly before bringing your pet into it, ensuring it isn’t overly hot for them.
Reptile-Specific Precautions
For reptiles, you may consider using external heating sources during colder months, such as hand warmers or heating pads. However, be cautious to:
- Avoid products that could release toxins.
- Prevent direct contact between the heat source and your pet to reduce the risk of burns. Additionally, don’t place directly underneath your pet’s carrier. Use barriers like towels or place the heat source outside the carrier to maintain a safe distance.
4. Bond Mates
Sometimes, pets can become overly curious or even reactive when a bond mate returns home from the vet.
Birds and small mammals have an incredibly keen sense of smell – much more sensitive than humans or even dogs and cats. Their exquisite sense of smell can create confusion when a pet returns from the vet smelling different than when they left. For example, a rabbit or chinchilla may be at the clinic for just a short amount of time, but when they return home, their bond mate might not recognize them right away due to the unfamiliar scent. The pet might become aggressive or attack, thinking, “Who are you? You’re a threat!”
To help with this adjustment, pet parents should keep the animals separated, or at least provide a barrier between them, for 4-6 hours post-return. During this time, monitor them closely for signs of aggression or stress. If you have an item (like a blanket or towel) with the familiar scent of the pet, placing it with the pet returning from the vet can help restore their “home” scent more quickly.
It’s also a good idea to talk to your vet about the situation. In some cases, the vet may suggest bringing the bond mate along to the vet for a short visit to help ease the transition, especially if the pet requiring medical attention is not being hospitalized. However, if the pet requiring medical attention is being monitored for illness or other concerns, keeping them separately may be safer. Always check with your vet to see what the best approach is for your pet’s specific situation.
5. Medications
For pets like rabbits, traveling to the vet can be very stressful, especially if they’ve had multiple invasive procedures. One option pet parents may want to consider is asking their vet about medications to manage anxiety in small mammals and birds. If your pet gets especially stressed during visits or travel, speak with your vet about anti-anxiety medication.
We wish you and your pet safe travels – whether you are going on a trip or just a quick drive to the vet!
Learn more about our Avian & Exotic Medicine Service here.
More Reading:
- Traveling with Pets for the Holidays
- Transporting Pets to the Animal Emergency Hospital
- Summer Heat & Outdoor Time for Exotic Pets
- How Can I Tell When My Exotic Pet is Sick?
- 10 Must-Have’s for Your Rabbit’s First Aid Kit
- Anesthesia in Exotic Animals
