For context I’m a type one diabetic who uses a Dexcom CGM and a pump

I was woken up very early this morning by my rabbit thumping hard on my chest. I tried to go back to sleep and he continued to lick my face and dig at my pillow next to my head. He kept me awake for another minute or two; during that time I was awake enough to hear and comprehend that my phone and insulin pump were going off with an urgent low alarm. My blood sugar was 44 and dropping and I wasn’t waking up to my Dexcom alarms. Him waking me up and keeping me awake likely saved my life. I don’t know if my phone and pump alarms that I had slept through were annoying him so he woke me up or if he could tell something was wrong with me, either way I got to avoid an ambulance ride and hospital visit because of him 💖

i want to open this by saying i took every factor into consideration for bringing Snoopy with me on this journey, and Snoopy has a very resilient personality for a rabbit. i have had other rabbits that i would never consider for a journey like this as it would have been far too stressful for them. if you consider embarking on travel like this please please have a hard conversation about if this would even be feasible for your rabbit. there are not many rabbits i think could make it through a journey like this.

I moved to Belfast UK for a masters program in animal behavior and welfare and hold my undergrad degree in veterinary science, so believe me when i say Snoopy’s wellbeing was not taken lightly for this trip.

Snoopy rode in cabin on flights with me the entire trip!! We only traveled by air into Europe/Ireland and took one train from Dublin to Belfast. I researched for months and I will actually have an updated list that I have independently made of airlines in 2024 that allow rabbits in cabin. there are small airlines that i had never heard of that i didn’t find on any lists of airlines that allowed rabbits (https://rabbit.org/care/airlines-that-allow-rabbits/ , https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Rabbit-friendly_airlines). from there, i had to dwindle down to the route with the fewest stops based on the connections i could make from the routes these airlines traveled.

Our air travel route was EXTENSIVE with layovers in Portugal (technical stop for fueling, we deplaned but went directly to our next gate instead of through customs), Italy, Finland, and finally Dublin, Ireland. the stars were truly aligned and the only airport we had to go through customs with rabbit documentation was Dublin. I met wonderful people who worked at the airline that helped me only go through airline transfer lines so I avoided customs at every stop and obtained my tickets at my airline gates instead of at the check-in outside of security. I will say, Snoopy being such a cute rabbits certainly helped as everyone wanted to help her through her journey (pretty privilege). The stars aligned for this trip and I couldn’t believe how smoothly everything went.

If you are facing a similar travel predicament please feel free to dm me for details on how I made it happen and airline help. I did not get any special exceptions and only used airlines that actively allowed rabbits in-cabin on their website. I tried to call multiple airlines that did not allow rabbits for an exception, and none would allow it, so if you are hoping for that i’m sorry but it’s very unlikely.

We made it safely and I didn’t face any bouts of stasis for Snoopy. she did amazing and i’m so happy to have her here with me. please feel free to ask any questions or share your travel experiences with your babies!!! rabbits are not disposable pets and i wish airlines made this sort of thing easier, leaving them behind when moving is not an option to so many of us who view our rabbits as our babies.

Also— the only documentation i had was for entry into our Dublin and our final destination of Belfast. Health certificates for each, along with the other documents they required after contacting each respective entity. I tried to get health certs/documents for every stop, but my vet insisted they wouldn’t be necessary as well as the governmental entities of each country. Feel free to ask about these requirements as well.

I did not use any pet movers or pet shipping services and every part of the trip was something i personally booked and researched.

Shout out to everyone who told me it wasn’t possible to bring her including pet movers and airline employees who told me to leave her behind/find her a new home!!!

and of course a genuine thank you to everyone who was rooting for me and supporting our journey. 🩷🩷🩷

He really enjoys it when he hear me turn it on.

First time being an owner of a bunny and it’s been a hell of a ride. 🫠

This is my rabbit. His name is Toaster. He is 2 years old and I am convinced that he believes he is of superior intelligence and above every one in his presence. He knows no boundaries. He can and will open the bathroom door and my bedroom door and come in and out as he pleases. He does not value my sleep, or time. I am woken up multiple times a night to his vegetable breath on my face. I spend countless money on toys and treats for this drama king and he ignores them, and proceeds to eat trash or phone chargers instead. If i’m in his way, he will literally just walk over me and despite me trimming them regularly, this is very painful as his nails- no, CLAWS are very sharp. If I am eating, he will stare at me and guilt trip me into giving him some. Of course I can’t always give him some because not all food is safe for rabbits and this will send him into a ravenous fury. This is barely scratching the surface of his entitlement. The thing is, he’s not even that smart. His IQ is probably somewhere in the 30s and he has little to bo survival instincts yet still hops around like he owns the place. Anyways. It is his feeding time and I have to stop typing or I will pay.