Frontier Pigs

Following my graduation from law school in May, I packed up the pigs... and we moved allll the way up to the western frontier... in Bismarck, North Dakota!!! My fiance Cole, AKA piggy dad, has been living up here working for the past year. I stayed in Iowa City to finish up law school and the pigs stayed with me. It's about time our family was reunited!

As for the move itself, I was worried about the guinea pigs on the long drive (around 10 hours)... but everyone did well in the car, and settled in very nicely once we got here! Here are a few things we did to ensure safe, happy piggies on the long road trip:

1. Hard-sided carriers: We used hard-sided cat carriers for the drive. We have smaller, soft carriers for regular vet trips, but the hard-sided carriers are safer for long drives. Plus, they give the pigs more room to move around. Guinness, Peanut and Wally each got his own carrier for the move. You can find the carriers here on Amazon.com. They had bad review for cats and other heavier animals because the plastic isn't super strong, but they are plenty strong for little piggies. 
2. Washable Beds: I found some washable carrier pads/beds for the pigs on Amazon.com as well. They were soft and fluffy, and the pigs seemed comfortable in them. We bought them a few weeks in advance and let the guineas try them out before the trip. 
3. Cooler: We carried a cooler in the car--for the pigs, and for us too. We packed some snacks like cucumbers and carrots for the guinea pigs and made sure they ate a little snack every few hours. 
4. Water: Although we didn't put water in their carriers (too messy...) I brought a few water bottles in the car and hand fed them water at stops. They would take a few sips. The cucumbers also provide plenty of water. 
5. Limited hay/other snacks: at stops, I also gave them fun snacks, like yogurt covered timothy hay, and a little bit of hay as well. This made a bit of a mess, but I shook out the beds at stops. 
6. SEATBELTS: We definitely strapped the pigs in with seatbelts for extra safety :) The size of the carriers was perfect and strapped in nicely. This made me feel a lot safer and ensured that their carriers didn't shift too much during the trip. 
7. We borrowed Cole's step dad's truck (4 door) for some extra room. Plenty of room in the cab, plus extra hauling space in the truck bed. Meanwhile, my tiny Mazda got towed behind the U-Haul. 
8. We never left the pigs unattended. When one person ran inside for food or bathroom, the other stayed close by to supervise and keep the AC running in the truck. It was a warm day and guinea pigs are very sensitive to temperature fluctuations. They are also prone to overheating/heat stroke. 

Peanut Riding Shotgun in the Truck 

All in all, a very successful move! Even though our Bismarck apartment is smaller than our place in Iowa City, fortunately there is a much better space for the pig cages. More on their new habitat coming soon.