[Posted in three parts which I combined.  BIG]
Summer time and vacation travel season is well on its way, so it's probably
a good time to talk about traveling with ferrets.  Ferrets are splendid
travelers with a little planning (yours) and training (again, yours).  Once
your ferret has sufficiently trained you for traveling you can look forward
to a lot of quality time with your fuzzy.
 
Leash and Harness:
Harness and leash training is an immense benefit to a traveling ferret.
Once you've learned that your ferret really doesn't like it but will
submit, as long as you'll let him sniff and snoop a little as you walk,
you'll do just fine.  Eventually, when you have successfully adjusted to
the practice of having a leashed ferret, your ferret will reward you by
sedated behavior in waiting rooms and such and will sit calmly in your lap
while wearing the harness.  But don't expect that behavior when you get
home and that harness comes off!
 
Leash training should begin inside, in a familiar area of the house.
Ferrets are very susceptible to stress.  Keep in mind how your ferret
perceives this new torture.  It's a constriction, which in the ferret mind
equals "trapped".  Trapped ferrets have been known to twist and wiggle
violently enough to break their necks in the attempt to free themselves.
Don't just put the harness on and start dragging him around with the leash!
You'll have one very unhappy ferret!
 
Take some time and fit the harness to your ferret.  This will not go over
very well either!  Adjust the neck collar to an approximate fit off of the
ferret first.  Then put the collar on and estimate how much it needs
adjusting and take it back off to make the adjustment.  Don't try to adjust
the fit while it's on the ferret.  The feel of the harness is enough stress
without being forced to be still while you fiddle with it.  A ferret
accustomed to a harness may allow you to adjust it while it's being worn.
 
Once you have it fitted comfortably, put your ferret down to play in a
ferret safe area.  Let him wear the harness for a few minutes, take it off,
and wait a few minutes before putting it on him again with lots of hugs,
kisses and soothing words.  Ferrets are generally very forgiving and
realize that their human maintenance staff is apparently too dense to
understand that all that squirming, trying to rub it off, and attempts to
back out of it means that he's not very pleased.  Your ferret will teach
you that the neck collar should be just barely loose enough to slide over
his head, and the chest harness should be snug enough that only one human
finger will fit between the harness and the ferret.  If it is too loose,
your ferret will let you know by showing you how easily he can slip out
and hide where you'll never get it on him again.  If it is too tight, your
ferret will indicate it by refusing to eat or drink, which is his way of
saying he's choking.  The harness is safer with a snug fit than a loose
fit.  A loose fit will allow front legs to get into the neck collar.  When
the ferret tries to wiggle out, the harness will slide down to his stomach
and become even more uncomfortable.
 
When your fuzzy no longer objects to wearing the harness you can attach
the leash, again, in a familiar room of your house.  A few gentle tugs,
encouraging words, and (let's not forget) scrumptious treats, will
eventually convince your ferret that you really do want to go a particular
direction.  Few fuzzies will concede gracefully.  This is where you will
learn if the harness fit is snug enough.  Once he has determined that he
cannot back out of it, you can venture outside to sniff and snoop.
 
Ferrets in Vehicles:
In your vehicle, you can loop the leash over the rear view mirror mount.
It'll take a few minutes (usually less than 10, sometimes 30) for your
ferret to settle down & give up on exploring.  Having the leash attached to
the mirror lets you haul him back into the seat without losing control of
the vehicle.  Don't leave the leash attached if they are free to roam the
vehicle.  They can get it caught & try to pull out of the harness over
their bottom and the neck loop will be too tight on their stomach!  Don't
attempt to car train more than one ferret at a time unless you have a
second person in the car.  Most vehicle accidents are caused by
distractions.  One ferret in training at a time is enough.  If you must
transport more than one, confine the rest to a pet carrier that is secured
with a seat belt.  You WILL hit your brakes hard enough to send fuzzies
flying while learning to drive with ferrets in the vehicle.  You might even
want to loop the leash around the center fastened seat belt so that your
fuzzy can't hit the dash in a sudden stop.  NEVER bend down to look for
a wandering ferret while driving.  Pull over to the side of the road and
stop.  Poop on the carpet is infinitely more pleasant to clean than blood
on the carpet!
 
Consider your vehicle from your ferret's point of view.  Since he can't
play, and can't explore, what's important?  Food, water, a secure place to
sleep, and (depending on the individual ferret) a place to poop.  Remember
the stress factor.  Until your fuzzy is confident that the important things
are available, he will be nervous and persistent in exploring to establish
the security of this new environment.  The cup holders of a floor hump
console are ideal for holding plastic bowls with food and water.  If they
can be reached from the seat, it's even better.  The leashed ferret can
eat & drink whenever he wants without getting in the floor where he's hard
to see.  Put a lid on the food if it is left in the car in the sun so the
smell of warm grease won't knock you out when you get back in.  A blanket,
afghan, or sleep sack will give him something to curl up in to nap, which
most ferrets quickly figure out is the only thing to do in a moving car.
(More later on ferrets and non-moving cars!)
 
Put a lidded, plastic box, 16 x13 x12 or so, with a ferret size hole cut in
one end about an inch from the bottom in the floorboard for a litter box.
Put three paper towels in the bottom of it for absorption, and carry a roll
of paper towels under the front seat.  Ziploc bags in the glove box will
provide simple disposal for dirty litter paper.  A travel pack of baby
wipes is one of the most effective upholstery cleaners you ll ever find.
At first, you may have to sprinkle a little litter and fresh poop in the
box for your ferret to understand that this is a litter box and not a sleep
box.  (You can also put a sleep blanket in a box like this and secure it
with the center seat belt the opening toward you, or take the door out of a
small pet taxi when first car training your ferret and yourself.)  You ll
quickly learn that their usual litter creates a real mess in your car.
Make several short trips with everything set up before you start off on a
long trip so that your fuzzy can learn that food, water, a sleep blanket,
and a litter box are available as needed.
 
Ferret Proofing Vehicles:
Ferret proofing a vehicle to let the fuzzy roam can be done but it takes
some doing.  A free roaming ferret can get to the litter box without having
to do the potty wiggle to get your attention which is invariably when the
traffic is at its worst.  In most vehicles, small pillows can be stuffed
under the dash to keep them out of the wiring.  Be sure you look underneath
your seats.  If there is foam accessible you will have to block their
access to it by stuffing something under the seats to keep them out.  Some
cars with fold up/down back seats will allow ferrets to get under the
stationary seat bottom, or behind the seat back where there may be holes
into the car s trunk compartment.  Check yours before turning your fuzzy
loose.  Look for rubber caps that cover nuts under the seats.  Get them
before your ferret does.  Seat, speaker, radio, & cell phone wires should
be encased in plastic wire harness tubing available in most auto parts
stores.  Be careful of what you leave lying around in your car.  A car
trained ferret is good human training for keeping your car clean.  The
unused ketchup packets from the Sonic are irresistible to bored ferrets,
and they absolutely MUST know what is in EVERY plastic bag.  You will learn
to keep the lid on your soft drink.  For roaming ferrets, you can place a
pet taxi with a hammock hanging in it in the back seat area.  The door with
food and water cups attached can be secured open.  Water bottles should be
turned tube up for traveling as they will drip with every bump and
eventually overflow a cup placed beneath them.
 
You ll have to learn to drive with one foot under the brake and clutch
pedals so that you ll know when something fuzzy tries to get there, so you
can scoot him out of the way.  NEVER reach down to get your fuzzy from the
floor while driving.  Pull over and stop!  It s a compromise YOU must make
if your ferret is loose in the car.  The ferret will NOT learn to stay out
of the driver s floorboard!
 
Ferrets are a lot like babies in a car.  While it s moving, they ll sleep.
When it stops, they wake up.  NEVER leave a fuzzy unattended in a parked
vehicle without the motor & air conditioning on (unless there s snow on
the ground & you can crack the windows)!  And NEVER, NEVER, NEVER have
two doors open at one time unless you have all fuzzies firmly in hand!
 
Traveling Ferret Medical Concerns:
You can take you ferret for a snoop & poop walk in almost any grassy area.
Check the temperature of the pavement before letting them walk in parking
lots.  Don t let them drink or wade in puddles.  Standing water may contain
bacteria or parasites such as Giardia that can infect your ferret.  Don t
let them sniff other animal poop for the same reason.  In warm weather,
keep a cooler with frozen bottles and tube socks to put the bottles in, or
ice in small Ziploc bags with cloth to cover them in the event of a vehicle
breakdown or air conditioner failure.  Keep a small spray bottle that can
be filled with water to mist fuzzies with, also.  Don t leave home without
it.  You never know when you might run over something that would cause a
flat tire.  Consider contingencies.  How long are you likely to be stranded
on the side of the road waiting for a wrecker?  You should keep a supply of
ice that will last for several hours.  A ferret that is panting is already
suffering heat distress.  Get him wet slowly to simulate sweat, not all at
once!
 
Carry your ferret s rabies certificate, and a paper containing instructions
for emergency care and contact numbers in the event of an accident or
sudden illness in which you are unable to tell someone how to care for your
ferret.  If your ferret takes medication, carry a supply with you, even if
you plan to be home at medication time.  It can be stored in the cooler
with the ice you should have.  If you make frequent trips with your ferret,
organize a travel bag of ferret medicines and emergency supplies that can
be stored in your refrigerator and quickly added to a small cooler with
frozen bottles from the freezer to grab as you go out the door.  The travel
bag should contain a several day supply of any prescription medications,
Kaopectate, children s cherry flavored liquid Benedryl, a travel-size
bottle of Pedialyte (or equivalent), a small container of honey, a jar or
two of chicken baby food, a several day supply of their regular dry food,
and a 5ml dropper.
 
Although most ferret owners will understand carrying prescriptions and
food, the need for Kaopectate, honey and Benedryl may not be as obvious.
Talk to your vet in advance about administering medicines.  One runny poop
on a trip is most likely nothing to worry about.  The second and third
runny poop is.  Kaopectate will not cure the problem, but will help ease
the symptoms of whatever is causing it.  If diarrhea persists, you should
seek out a vet.  Honey and the chicken baby food are for emergency
insulinoma treatment.  Your ferret doesn t have insulinoma?  What if he
begins to exhibit the symptoms when you re 4 hours from the nearest city?
Again, talk to your vet in advance about emergency treatment.  Benedryl
should always accompany a ferret on a trip to the vet for vaccinations.
Reactions usually occur within 30 minutes to an hour and hopefully you are
waiting at the vet s for that length of time, but the operative word here
is usually .  The quicker you can administer first aid (Benedryl) the more
likely you are to lessen the intensity of the reaction.  And again, talk
to your vet in advance.  The Pedialyte is comforting to have on hand while
you re standing on the side of the road in the middle of summer waiting for
the wrecker to arrive.
 
And, last, but not least on the subject of medical safety: other ferrets
and their owners.  Your traveling ferrets are at risk of contracting ECE
( The Greenies ) and ADV (Aleutians Disease Virus) from other ferrets and
their owners.  These viruses can survive on owner s hands and clothing,
especially the ECE virus.  Viruses mutate.  So even if your ferret has had
ECE before, he can contract a different strain of it from another ferret.
ADV is a very insidious virus and the ferret owner may not even be aware
that his ferret is ADV positive.  Always thoroughly wash your hands after
handling a stranger s ferret and don t hold them against your clothing.
Only Synphenol-3 or similar disinfectant will kill the ADV virus.  Diluted
bleach is moderately effective.  Anti-bacterial soaps kill bacteria not
viruses!
 
Ferret Travel Legalities:
One, two, or three fuzzies per person travel very easily.  I have a
collection of large bags that have one or both sides made of net (depending
on where I m taking them or sometimes even just to match what I m wearing).
With the more discreet bags (the ones with a solid side) we can even sneak
them inside a restaurant.  Make sure the zipper is secured!  A large safety
pin will prevent them from unzipping the bag while you re involved in your
pizza.  Traveling in a bag also should have a few trial runs before you try
dinner at Red Lobster.  Again, provide a sleep blanket in the bag to curl
up in & be sure they ve gone potty before going in.  Most pet stores don t
mind you bringing ferrets in.  You can do the bag training there the
easiest.  Just take the leash off the harness, and put the bag with fuzzy
in the cart & do your shopping, or just walk around for 15 or 20 minutes,
however long it takes for your fuzzy to settle down for a nap.  Places that
sell food (even Walmart) often have strenuous objections (not to mention
health codes) to pets, even in bags.  It doesn t matter that they have
birds roosting overhead & pooping on the merchandise below your ferret
who pooped in the litter box before coming in still is not going to be
approved!
 
Bear in mind that your ferret can be killed to be tested for rabies EVEN
THOUGH YOU HAVE PROOF OF VACCINATION!  Be very cautious in allowing your
ferret to be handled by strangers.  They only have to CLAIM that they have
been scratched or bitten.  An obvious wound is not necessary!
 
Find out in advance if ferrets are illegal in any areas you plan to travel.
If you must travel through that area, Dallas, Texas, for instance, is a
major intersection of interstate highways where ferrets are illegal, be
especially careful of your ferrets being seen or plan a route to bypass
the area.
 
Debi Christy
Ferrets First Foster Home
[Posted in FML issue 3032]