We recently made our first airline flight with ferrets.  Two of them were
taken to the Frederick show on United Airlines.  We fly standby, so the
ferrets were not pre-ticketed.  We also did not declare that ferrets were
accompanying us, but when we listed for the flight of our choice (meaning
the one we hoped would have space for us) we ask what was required to bring
a pet carrier.  The only item needed was a current health certificate, which
we obtained from our regular ferret vet.  This is a US Dept.  of Agriculture
ctf., requiring a lot of very detailed information, mostly provided by the
vet office.  But one line was for our destination, including street address
and phone number.  I had not brought the show information, so had only the
hotel name.  The vet staff had to call the 800 number to get the exact
address!
 
On departure day, I had to stand in line to pay for the ferrets.  I was
thankful I had put the carrier inside a single thickness fabric bag.  Like a
gym bag, with a floral print.  It just looked like I had a light weight bag,
and everyone ignored me.  Unlike the owner of a kitten in an open pet
carrier, who had oooh-ers, and aaah-ers, as she inched along.  I showed my
pass, checked all my bags except the ferrets, and said only that I wanted to
pay the fee for my pet carrier.  Nothing about what was in it.  Nobody
asked.  They only said I needed to RUN to make the flight.
 
At security, I put my purse and camera case on the conveyer belt and the bag
with the carrier up on the shelf where you put metal objects, stating that
it was a pet carrier.  Once through the arch, I waited for the signal to
take the carrier to be inspected.  At the end of the conveyer belt, someone
appeared to do the personal check.  I had to take the plastic carrier out of
the cloth bag, and I'd packed last minute additions into it.  Never again!
All my items had to be laid out on the table.  One woman said she wasn't
sticking her hand in a ferret cage!  The other one said she had to!  I
solved the problem by whisking the door open and bringing both ferrets out,
all the while wailing that my plane was leaving without me.  The water
bottle was not attached yet, as I knew inspection would be made, but ferret
food fell out (fortunately inside the cage) when it was tipped up for a look
inside.  The litter pan was 2/3 the height of the carrier, and only had
about 2 inches of litter, so none of that spilled.  One of the women asked
if they knew ferrets were coming on the plane, and I said yes, along with
three more wails about missing it!  They let me go.
 
At the gate, my husband had already taken care of getting our seat
assignments, and back in the cloth bag, no pet carrier was visable In the
plane, I had an awkward moment when the bag handles prevented the carrier
from slipping under my seat.  A stewardess started to ask me to stow it
overhead when the purple plastic caught her eye.  "Is that a pet"?  "Yes",
and I gave it another shove.  No question about what type of pet it was.  I
really think airline personnel prefer the "don't ask, don't tell" method.
After we were airborne, I attached the water bottle.
 
The return flight, 2 days later, was out of Dullas.  Again, we had to ticket
the ferrets, referring to them as "a pet".  Again, the carrier was inspected
at security, requiring removal of the ferrets.  A man rushed up, asked what
they were, then answered his own question, and rushed on.  The health
certificate was never shown.  It was a $26.00 insurance policy!
 
On the outgoing flight, I believe we had the only pet carrier.  United
limits pets to 2 in coach and 1 in first class.  The return flight had a
parrot, belonging to a paying passenger in coach.  First class was full, and
that put the animals in coach at 3, one over the limit.  But as we paid for
a pet carrier, and no question was asked about how many animals, or what
kind, were in said carrier, everyone was happy.  Had we been asked, at any
point I would have produced the health ctf., and pleaded innocent.  It's far
easier to get forgiven, than it is to get permission.
 
The flight home was not without it's moments, however.  A failed computer
delayed the flight 4 hours!  It's a 5 hour flight.  We were in that plane
forever!  The litter pan became noticible!  Shortly before we finally left I
became frantic about it's condition.  We had tucked a pair of sweat pants
over the top of the carrier, as the bag wouldn't fully close, so I tied each
leg shut, dropped the ferrets into this and Percy held the top closed, while
I frantically scooped with a paper towel.  We also had to re-fill the very
small water bottle several times.  Airplanes cause great thirst!
 
I heartily recommend a cloth bag over your carrier.  Airports are not
places to do ferret show 'n tells.  And unlike the man with the parrot,
people didn't stand around in the isle staring at our carrier.
 
Georgia, Percy, Welly, and especially Kouri, who came home with a trophy.
[Posted in FML issue 2162]