I brought ferrets into CA last summer. I had a folding cage in the back of a station wagon. I also brought an huge, empty suitcase. When I got to the state line, I put the ferrets inside the suitcase with bedding, food, water, toys. I had a screen for air that could not be seen from the side of the car that the inspector would be looking from. I folded the cage and hid it under the suitcase. I had no other bags or packages for the inspector to wonder if there was fruit in. The only problem is that I had ripped my arm from wrist to should when I fell against a fence and had no other shirt to wear so I had to scrunch down in the car so the inspector would not see all the blood. I had also had a blow out 10 miles back and was running on the inter lining of the tire (no gas stations or repair places until I could get into Needles another 20 miles). I made sure I was in a position so the inspector would not see the tire. I also had to keep talking so any sounds the ferrets might make were not heard. And wouldn't you know it!!!!! The inspector leaned into my window and started flirting with me. OMG! I didn't want to make him mad, but I felt a strong urge to get out of there. I drove 11 hours to pick up the ferrets, no sleep that evening, and another 11 hours home (plus an extra hour getting new tires in Needles). It was over 110 degrees all the way and much hotter on the road. I had good tires but the high heat can ruin them...and did. So beware of flirty inspectors when you cross into CA. You can use alternative ways and by pass the inspection sites. They take longer and you have to know where they are. According to ferret food sales, there is more ferret food sold in CA than any other state. [Posted in FML 7489]