As a veterinarian who has treated TONS of rabbits (probably both figuratively as well as literally at this point), I’m going to agree with everyone chiming in that this may not entirely be United’s fault. (as much as it galls me to do so).
I’ve seen perfectly healthy rabbits arrest due to stress (well, at least animals that appeared healthy before, and had no obvious signs on necropsy).
Also, with these gargantuan breeds, fractured backs are a pretty common thing. Scenario: animal reacts to noise or movement in cargo hold by kicking out back legs, and breaks its spine (this actually happens with some frequency). It then sits in cargo hold with a spinal fracture, goes into shock without medical attention… Kaput.
I have to wonder if a necropsy was performed on this rabbit.
I wish domestic carriers were this way, but I’d love to chime in about the Polish airline LOT, who allow pets in the cabin as long as the carrier can be safely stowed (size-wise) when necessary.
My kitty was well-behaved, but I thought it was awesome that the crew let me take her out of her carrier when seatbelts weren’t required.
[1] Roo is very lean, and becomes excessively tough if overcooked. Basically, you want it as rare as you dare; either roast it, or slap it on a very hot surface for a very brief period.
If transporting your pet by air is the only option, find out whether they can travel in the cabin with you. Most airlines will allow you to take a cat or small dog in the cabin for an additional fee. But you must call the airline well in advance; there are limits to the number of animals allowed in the cabin.
Personally, I’ve done all my non-intercontinental moves by road. It simplified a lot of things, and freed me to be my own mover since I’m really fastidious and cheap.
At one point I moved across the street and up one flight of steps. I managed to move all the furniture, including a queen bed, by myself on foot in the middle of the night when there was virtually no traffic. That was the occasion for which I bought one of each of these which have seen use many times since moving myself and others. Of course I had less stuff and fewer years on me then.
Yeah, there’s the bacon, the rabbit, and the mascarpone and cornmeal dumplings. So much treyf. I should have just said “happy vernal equinox northern hemisphere” or something like that.
What would be a good autumnal equinox equivalent for the southern hemisphere? Do they have squirrels there? Maybe kangaroo or guinea pig, depending.
From what I’ve heard, the hold is a pretty nasty place in terms of pressure and temperature, even as designed. For example, this site, which attempts to refute myths about pet relocation, states:
In most large “wide-bodied” aircraft, the pressure is the exact same as it is in the cabin above.
which is fine as far as it goes, but note that it says “most,” and it doesn’t address non-wide body planes (which are most of them, isn’t it?).
I guess I’d fly my dogs somewhere, but only as a last resort.
It’s really weird, it’s almost like when we bred these giant (read super quick growth, heavily muscled… I.E. MEAT breeds) that people have now decided are pets, we didn’t really care about congenital breed related skeletal disorders affecting long term survival.
Weird huh?
But in all seriousness, there’s a certain reason that rabbits, with their well muscled hind ends are generally only so big in the wild.
