I think I can safely say I'm somewhat of an expert in this field. Oh,
the miles my fuzzies have traveled! In April we moved from Texas to
Georgia, and a few weeks ago, I went back to Texas from GA to visit
family. It's a 24 hour drive if you drive it straight, but I drive 16
hours to my grandmother's house, spend the night, then drive the other 8
to my parents. This is how I did it:
I have a GMC Jimmy (like a Blazer), and the kid's cage fits in the back
(barely). I'm surprised I never got rear-ended by curious drivers
watching the ferrets whenever they started wrestling!
I always put on a light jacket and jeans so I can run the A/C at full
blast the whole way so they don't overheat.
I fill a gallon jug 2/3rds with water and freeze it. As it melts, the
ferrets lick the condensation, and it helps that cage keep cool. I've
found that their water bottle is NOT ideal for road trips, as all the
water gets shaken out in a matter of minutes. I tried big bowls of
water, but they just spilled it. I also tried putting those freezable
things you put in ice chests in the cage, but it scares me to death when
the ferrets try to tear it apart and get to the blue goo inside. The
frozen gallon fixes the water problem and the keeps it extra cool. I
still give them drinks from the water bottle when I stop to be sure they
are hydrated.
Here's the FUN part! When ever I stopped, (and I usually did about every
2 hours to stretch and check on them) I would spray them with a fine mist
from a squirt bottle! Mine LOVE this! Again, you get curious people
watching you like you've lost your mind, but it works.
I put bedding in both the top level and bottom level. If they became
hot, they could go to the bottom and be by the frozen jug, but most of
the time, they slept up top. I think it was the attention they got. ;)
Another thing when I stopped, I would scoop poopies, probably more for my
sake than theirs. After 1300 miles, yes, it did start to smell.
I used to take them out of the cage when I stopped, but I don't anymore
because you never know if you are in an area that allows them or not.
Plus, everytime I took them out, I would get a million people want to
come pet them. Oh, I LOVE showing off my furkids, believe me! But I
hate fighting off a crowd for 30 minutes when I have to get on the road.
Figure 20-30 minutes everytime you stop, stopping every 2 hours on a 24
hour road trip. See what I mean! They can't help that they're just so
adorable! LOL So my stopping time consists of spraying, watering,
scooping, raisins, and maybe a little bit of ferretone.
Now granted, I now have a vehicle that has the space for me to do what I
do. If you are in a car and must use smaller carriers, freeze a lot of
20 oz water bottles, and keep the unused ones in a cooler until they are
needed. Of course, I don't use bottles in the winter (duh!) because then
the main conern is warmth. I just throw in lots of comfy sleep sacks,
and they're just fine.
Hope this gives you some ideas!
-Jessica Montgomery
Crickett
Rascal
George
and Fred, the beagle who thinks he's a ferret
[Posted in FML issue 3888]
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