Miffy the bunny’s very first journey was among requirement. When his owner Sami Chen transferred to New York City from Taiwan in 2018, she couldn’t bear to leave her fluffy buddy behind.
Once she was settled, Miffy followed with a family pet travel business.
“He came here by himself and he was really brave,” states Sami, who works as a classical pianist and style designer.
Miffy’s 25-year-old owner hadn’t intended on getting a brand-new travel pal. “Bunnies are usually very tense in new environments. They get stressed out easily…it’s really hard for them to trust humans,” she states.
However after investing a prolonged time in a cage throughout the flight and in between houses, Miffy required to extend his legs.
“I started taking him out to the park to exercise,” states Sami.
She discovered Miffy was actually friendly to people – “I feel like he thinks he’s human or something!” – so she chose to take him even more afield, beginning with brief journeys near to home.
“When I travel with Miffy he gets really cuddly – I think it’s a bonding experience,” Sami includes. “And he trusts me [because] every time after we travel, he goes back to the same house.”
Now, the set are inseparable.
“He is kind of attached to me and I’m attached to him. So it’s nice that we travel everywhere together,” states Sami.
Does Miffy the bunny take pleasure in taking a trip?
As Sami states, bunnies aren’t constantly matched to the taking a trip life. However Miffy doesn’t appear fazed.
“A few weeks ago we went travelling and he was ‘binkying’ in the hotel room,” remembers Sami. “He was just so happy dancing all around and it was super cute.”
When they return from their experiences, Miffy shows his love by licking Sami and reveals he’s unwinded by tumbling onto his side – both indications he’s a happy bunny.
“It just means that he’s super relaxed, super trusting,” states Sami.
What are Miffy the bunny’s travel choices?
When it comes to Miffy’s travel likes and dislikes, he chooses belonging to the jet set.
“Miffy likes the aeroplane because it’s really smooth…He eats, he sleeps. But he doesn’t like the car [because] it’s bumpy.”
While some airline companies need bunnies to be stowed under the seat in a bunny travel provider, others enable psychological assistance animals to sit with their owners uncaged.
Miffy is likewise a Florida fan.
“Miffy likes the beach the most because it’s like a big litter box – he can dig non-stop,” states Sami. “I make him a little tent where he can eat and drink,” she includes.
Up until now, other than for his preliminary journey from Taiwan, Miffy has actually just circumnavigated the United States, however Sami hopes they can go to Europe together sooner or later.
Besides Florida, the set have actually gone to Boston, Vegas, San Francisco, Oklahoma, Philadelphia, North and South Carolina, West Virginia and more.
How do individuals respond to a taking a trip bunny?
“People think it’s really funny to see me walking a bunny,” states Sami. “And so they started to ask for his Instagram.”
He didn’t have one, so Sami chose to develop one. That’s where his climb to popularity started.
Miffy and his pal Mica – who was embraced by Sami in New York City in 2021 – now have practically 120,000 Instagram fans, and more than 570,000 fans and 7 million likes on TikTok.
“People love his videos, [they] make people happy…He’s really made a difference to a lot of people,” states Sami.
What guidance does Sami have for taking a trip with a bunny?
Bunnies are especially susceptible since their health can decrease quickly in an emergency situation.
For this factor, Sami states, the most essential thing is to have a look at where the closest veterinarian or 24-hour animal health center that sees bunnies is prior to taking a trip.
She likewise encourages on taking things slowly.
“At first, don’t go too far,” recommends Sami. She started by taking Miffy to the park to see how he fared. When he was more comfy, she took him on an hour-long journey, and just ventured even more as soon as she acquired his trust.
Not all bunnies will be matched to taking a trip, and a lot depends upon their character and everyday living scenario.
“I know that travel is a lot – especially for bunnies [that are] home all day and have never been out, they will be scared of the environment,” states Sami.
“So it really depends on different rabbit situations. But it’s good to let them go out, get a little bit of sunshine and explore.”
Lastly, she stresses the value of rest.
“When we travel by aeroplane or car, it’s a lot even for humans…So I would usually let the bunny rest for a day [before] taking them out.”
You can follow Miffy’s experiences on Instagram and TikTok (@bunny.New York City).
