To the person who asked about ferrets in cars -
 
Do NOT let your ferret roam loose in the car! There are openings which are not
necessarily apparent to us, but which ferrets can burrow into, that could be
very dangerous. The gas pedal and brakes are not things for ferrets to play
near either, and window openings - even the smallest! - are downright
dangerous.
 
We nearly lost one of ours that way... the window was open "just a crack,"
and yet at 65 mph I suddenly found myself holding desperately to the leg of
a ferret 2/3 of the way out of a ridiculously small gap! I could have lost
him, or gotten in an accident - when your attention is on keeping track of
a ferret, it is not on the road.
 
Some other lessons from experience - don't leave your ferret, or any pet,
alone in the car when you go outside - they can overheat or freeze even on
a mild day; cars are subject to temperature extremes. Fortunately we were not
gone long the time we made that mistake - even after a short time, the ferret
was in obvious distress.
 
Needless to say, I didn't make those mistakes EVER again.
 
About highway rest areas - We had a cute experience when we walked ours at one;
a woman came up and exclaimed "I have a ferret too!" and brought out her little
darling, and they played together on their leashes. In retrospect, letting
ferrets near unfamiliar animals in rest stops (or anywhere) is not the best of
ideas - they can pick up rabies and distemper; you never know what part of the
country an epidemic is going around. Ours have shots, but even so...
 
And definitely be careful in ferret-free zones... California, Massachusetts,
NYC, and others. If you are travelling through one of these, take your rest
stops in the states bordering the nasty ones.
 
Good luck travelling with your little ones!
 
Geri, whose third ferret is currently in transit to her - I can't wait to meet
her this afternoon!
 
[Posted in FML issue 0825]