Apparently I've missed a question or comment about bicycling with ferrets,
because I notice on the FML tonight Catherine Shaffer <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
 
>You should be able to get or make some paniers that should be safe for
>your fuzzbutts.  I think I've seen them made of nylon.  You could probably
>even put in a mesh panel.
 
Hmm.  I'm sure this could be done, but I'd urge caution.  I converted a
knapsack (not for bicycling use) to a ferret carrying thing by removing some
of the fabric and replacing it with a window of mosquito mesh.  All very
well, but my diligent ferrets can get out the zippers unless I wire them
shut.  Now, a cyclist whose ferrets are stowed away in the rear pannier
might need to pay attention to traffic, and the rider might not hear a
ferret escaping, so this worries me.  What if the ferret discovers the
escape method half-way through a trip one day?
 
Another problem with panniers is that most of them are just soft luggage -
very little frame support. If the rider should fall, there's a good chance
the ferret would be squished.
 
Yes, I bicycle with my ferrets.  I strap our hard plastic Kennel Cab II
ferret carrying case to the rear rack, being most careful to secure it
properly to the bike so that there's no chance it'll slip or fall off.  I
ride a recumbent bicycle, which means that my bike has a low centre of
gravity, and the bike handling isn't affected at all by the ferret house on
the back.  Ferrets ride in the box when we're in motion, and they seem to
love it.
 
If I had to take ferrets on my regular bike, I think I'd still strap the
ferret case to the rear rack, but I'd take a smaller carrying case, and
spend a lot more time strapping it on and making sure it would be stable.
 
I'm a confident traffic cyclist, and I usually ride on the city's busiest
streets.  With ferrets, though, I tend to stick to quiet streets, just in
case traffic noise would bother the little darlings.  I'm probably being a
bit paranoid here... after all, somebody on this list takes his ferret on
his motorcycle, and that little fuzzy seems to like it just fine.
 
Happy riding, everybody. :)
 
cmc
--
Christine Code                     We shall find peace.
Vancouver, CANADA                  We shall hear the angels,
[log in to unmask]                      We shall see the sky
http://www2.portal.ca/~cmc/        Sparkling with diamonds.   - Chekhov
[Posted in FML issue 1608]