Whoops, a few questions I forgot to ask:
 
How sensitive are ferret feet to hot pavement?  I didn't let Pepper walk on
it much, only when there was grass, but he kept wanting to go on the
pavement and didn't seem bothered.
 
Can they get sunburned through fur?  And should I put sun-block on his
little pink nose and ears?  That sounds silly, but his nose and ears did
look pinker than usualy by the end of the day, and the rims of his eyes.
Could it have just been heat flush?
 
I assumed that panting was a sign of overdoing the heat and quickly found
water and shade.  Does panting help ferrets like it does dogs?
 
I think the most miserable time for Pepper was the ride _to_ the park.  My
black Camero had been sitting in direct sun all morning, and it doesn't have
air conditioning.  And the aerodynamic body style doesn't allow for good air
circulation.  I put his carrier on the floor of the passenger seat and was
very thankful we only had a couple of miles to drive.  Any longer might have
been dangerous.  PLEASE don't ever leave a ferret locked in the car in the
summer, with or w/o open windows.  It just gets TOO hot in there.
ESPECIALLY a black car.  I found a great place to park under the freeway in
the shade, so the car wasn't hot at all when Pepper and I were both overwarm
and exhausted and ready to go home.  Always bring a water bottle with, even
if the 1 year old child companion drinks more of it than the ferret!
 
And if you bring your ferret somewhere, plan the outing _for_ the ferret, so
it won't ruin your day if he has to go home due to discomfort, fear,
overtiredness, etc.  Especially the first outing when you might not be sure
how the fuzzy will handle all the excitement.
 
An example is my dog: She really, really, really wants to go everywhere with
me, but when we get there, she's usually a nervous wreck and miserable the
whole time.  Therefore, she only comes with when I know she'll have fun,
otherwise I know she's happier at home.
 
--Sheri
[Posted in FML issue 1987]