This was originally sent on Sept 16th , but never made it due to
technical problems:
 
As recounted during the past three days, Gus, a 3 1/2 lb Marshal Farms
ferret 'bailed out' of an open window of a minivan last week at approx
5:00 A.M.  while traveling through some rural countryside recently being
converted to (non affordable) housing.  We had only a guess as to where
it happened, didn't discover him missing for four hours .  The area is
heavily populated with wildlife, with numerous predators.  Most of the
homes are very large and with the type of owners unlikely to spend much
time outside of their cars or home air conditioning.
 
Factors in Gus's favor were his extremely good physical condition,
perhaps his initial experiences in getting to know our snauzer-poodle
dog Poppie, and (let's face it... luck).  The weather was really about
perfect temperature wise, there was dew in the morning for water, and
two farm ponds were in the area through which he traversed.  There was
a clear sky and no rain.  Gus is also a dark sable color that I'm sure
served as good camouflage.
 
Some of the land was wooded, but it appears that Gus kept mostly to the
edges of meadow land, along hedgerows or in flower gardens.  That was
the most direct route between the two places where he was spotted.  The
really wooded areas would have been encountered had he continued on the
path from the road to where he was spotted initially.  Fortunately he had
the good sense (or scents), to reverse course away from the known danger,
retrace his steps back to the road, continue along it for half a mile,
and then at some point make the crossing in order to reach another group
of houses.
 
Gus was found on the sixth day, and other than being really hungry and
bone tired, he was still in good shape.  First move after getting home
was to briefly acknowledge Trixie ferret and then run down to his
basement room and climb up to the hammock in front of the open (screened
in) window overlooking our back yard.  There he fell asleep for the rest
of the day.  After that it was back up to the kitchen breakfast nook to
be nearer the food dish.  Except for food and bathroom breaks, he was
asleep up there for two days straight before venturing out.
 
Four days later he is nearly back to his old self, energy and weight
wise.  I think he may actually be enjoying his new found notoriety and
what he learned on the 'mission'.  He seems to pay a bit less attention
to Trixie these days, but checks in more often with me, Susie or Poppie
to get a hug and a scratch, and be sure that he know where we are.  It
was raining quite heavily this morning and I saw him sitting on a window
sill between the curtain and the window screen looking out at the
sunrise.  After a bit he retreated to find the food dish, and is now
asleep again on the hammock inside the dark hidey hole cubby that I
built for him in the breakfast nook.
 
What would I do differently?  Other than the obvious such as closing the
windows, it is a good idea to have a good picture of your ferret
available, and a plan of action should the unexpected happen.  It still
is surprising the number of people who don't know what a ferret looks
like, and are afraid of any such animal.  Temperatures permitting, I've
also made it a habit to take a ferret with me as often as possible.  It
gets the ferrets used to the sights, smells, and sounds in the area; and
it also gets the humans used to the sight and behavior of the ferrets ...
Always a joy to watch the expression on the face of a sales clerk, when
a ferret is spotted peeking out of a jacket, or the hand with the money
suddenly has a ferret also coming out of the sleeve.  But that is another
adventure.
[Posted in FML issue 4276]