Book Review

I was looking for ferret themed stories and came across a series of books by one of my favorite authors, Richard Bach.

If the name sounds familiar, that is because he wrote Jonathan Livingston Seagull. I was delighted to find that he had written about ferrets. In doing my research, I found that eight ferrets own him himself.

Air Ferrets Aloft is the second book in the series and the reason I’ve chosen it for this review is that November is Aviation Month.

Air Ferrets Aloft is about two ferrets that fly two different types of planes and routes. Stormy is a cargo plane pilot who doesn’t let any kind of weather stop her. Captain Strobe flies a passenger jet and accepts what the sky has for him.

Both are dedicated to flying and when a flight grounding storm puts them in each other’s world it is up to the angel ferrets to get them together.

Even though this is supposed to be a children’s book it is a fun read and Richard’s experience with ferrets shows through brightly.

Richard Bach is also a pilot himself and this last August was in a plane crash that he is still recovering from.

Enlightened Ferret sends Well wishes to him and his family.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Be the Change for Animals : Flying Ferrets

ac·tiv·ist –noun

1. an especially active, vigorous advocate of a cause, esp. a political cause.

–adjective

2. of or pertaining to activism or activists: an activist organization for environmental concern.

3. advocating or opposing a cause or issue vigorously, esp. a political cause: Activist opponents of the President picketed the White House.

     Until this last week I didn’t see myself as an activist but someone that helped further a cause that was already started.

     That changed when I tried to find an airline that would allow my two ferrets to travel with me. What a surprise I got. I was told that they could fly but in the cargo hold of the plane and each sent me to the section of their websites that stated what animals could fly in the cabin with their owners.

     Almost every one of the airlines I contacted policy pages stated “In cabin pets allowed” are dogs, cats, birds, and guinea pigs and in some cases rabbits. There are pet carrier requirements that needed to be met but each and every time I asked about ferrets I was told they weren’t allowed in the cabin and was not given any reason why.

      I find it offensive that my two sweet boys are suppose to be locked in a dark box and tossed into the roaring abyss called the cargo hold because someone decided that these are evil little creatures. I might as well tossed James and Manny into the trunk of the car the way most airlines are thinking it would be the same result.

     Do the powers that be at these airlines think they are going to get loose and become terrifying creatures? Anyone that has read my blog knows that yes they have their quirks but ferrets can travel well if their owners set things up right.

     I am sure many would say that us ferret owners probably complained about the pet fee for the right to fly with our pets. I will say that some pet fees seem a bit excessive but pet owners are willing to pay for their pets in most cases.

     So my mission is now is to get at least two other airlines to change their policies either back to what it was or to allow ferrets in the cabin. I hope that you will help by writing letters to your choice of airlines from the short list below.

Delta Air Lines, Inc.
P.O. Box 20706
Atlanta, Georgia 30320-6001

Southwest Airlines
P.O. Box 36647 - 1CR
Dallas, Texas 75235-1647

Continental Airlines
P.O. Box 4607
Houston, Texas 77210-4607
United States

US Airways

Corporate headquarters:
111 W. Rio Salado Parkway
Tempe, AZ 85281

     After all the disappointments I had received I was happily surprised when I contacted Frontier Air and found out that they allow ferrets in the cabin and their pet fee was reasonable.

     The best part was they fly out of my closest airport and to the places I want to go in the coming months.

     I hope that these other airlines follow suit and begin allowing us misunderstood ferret owners to fly with our critters in the cabin.

     Opinions, comments, and statements are welcomed

Jo

Air travel: My pet is not cargo!

     I was looking for ways to get to Bark World Expo and Blog paws West  that would allow me to have my boys with me. I started looking at airlines that allowed ferrets on board.

     The only one I found was Delta and while the pet fee was a little high for my taste I figured I’d ask about if both boys could fly in one carrier.

     This is why I am upset. Even though both my boys together weigh a mere ten pounds they aren’t allowed in the cabin. What! I am paying a high pet fee for my fur kids to fly in the cargo hold? Delta was nice enough to give me a number for Pets First. Sounds like a good start right?

     I told them I was interested in information on transporting ferrets that didn’t seem to compute all they wanted to know from where the flight was coming from and going to. Then asked me how many crates I would need.

      CRATES! I told them thank you for your time and hung up. The only other information I got was they would be unescorted. So my two beautiful boys were to be treated like a package. I am sorry but my boys are not fur covered animatronics things they are living breathing creatures.

     So then I remembered that a new airline had been started just for pets. They got to fly in the main cabin with someone that was a trained pet attendant. Okay great I can take my ferrets on a plane and fly to my destination. Nope No Humans but the pilots and the attendant allowed. Now Pet Airways prices are great for the traveling pet.

     I would deal with my own issues and let them fly alone to our destination. My only problem now is that they don’t fly out of the two airports that are closest to me.

     Now I guess I have to work to either get Pet Airways  into one of the airports near me or find out just why ferrets can’t fly in the cabin.

     What do you think the reason might be for NOT allowing ferrets in the cabin?

 

A very frustrated and upset,

Jo