Encase you missed it our winning hashtag is #TravelingFerrets and the winning voter is AM Weber please email me your email address so I can discuss your surprise.
I've made up a window cling for the car so people that we encounter can follow along. Not sure how it will look on the window yet but the design is pretty cool I think.
Of course white is actually clear. We are on our way to #BlogPaws .
Have a Chittering Good Day,
Jo
Can you believe we leave for our trek to Vegas on Tuesday. Our friend over at Fidose Of Reality left today for their trip and you can follow them on twitter with the hash tag #FidoseAcrossAmerica for those not familiar with Carol Bryant or Dexter her cocker spaniel you need to check out her site. What many don't realize is that her and I live in the same state but at opposite ends. *Chitters* So seeing her hash tag made me realize that I might be missing an opportunity to let you all in on the adventures the furbabies and I will be having on our trip.
My only problem is I can't decide on what our hash tag should be and the list of options kept growing but I have narrowed it down to these last three which are:
#TravelingFerrets
#FerretsontheMove
#ScamperingAcrossStates
Because I can't decide which one of these I like the best I am opening it up for a vote and the hash tag that gets the most wins but that's not all I will chose from all the voters of the winning hash tag one person and they will receive a surprise from us either in the mail if you aren't attending Blog Paws or at the conference. To vote leave your choice along with your first name in the comment section.
The voting will go from today until Monday when the winning hash tag will be announced at the weekly #PetChat along with the winner of the surprise.
Have a Chittering Good Day,
Jo
The summer heat is just now starting to creep up on us here in Western PA. I have a feeling it is going to be very humid and hot this year.
Now is the time we should be preparing our pets for the coming heat.
Ferrets do not do well in temperatures over 68 degrees and like many animals do not have sweat glands to regulate their body temperature.
While dogs can pant ferret’s don’t and it is easy for them to suffer heat stroke.
Each year we hear of children and service animals (police dogs) that have been left in the car when the temperature seems reasonable outside it is slowly baking them from the inside out.
I try not to take my fur kids on outings when the temperature is going to soar well over 70 degrees and if I have to do so I have a number of things I do to keep them cool and comfortable.
1. I fill a gallon jug with water and freeze it.
2. I fill a gallon size sealable bag with enough water that it will lay flat and freeze that.
3. I have a crate fan and keep extra batteries.
4. Plan out where you have to go and the amount of time you will be at one place.
As I said I don’t take them on outings if at all possible but sometimes emergencies arise and you have to go out with your ferret.
The gallon jug of water does two things. The first is I place it in front of the crate fan so that the air is cooled and isn’t just the heated air being blown around. Yelch. Second as it melts it is a cold drink for the ferrets. Just like humans animals need to stay hydrated in the summer heat.
The frozen flat bag is placed inside the carrier with a covering over it. This gives the ferret a place to lay down and stay cool and comfortable. The cover keeps the ferret from getting too cold or having their belly stick to it.
The crate fan I have uses 2 D size batteries and can eat them up in a matter of minutes depending on how long and how high I have the fan on so it is best to have extra batteries.
By knowing how long I will be out allows me to schedule stops at places where I can let my ferrets out of their carrier and the car. One of the best places is the park and since most of the outings go past the park they get numerous chances out. I am also lucky that the local pet/farm store allows animals inside where it is air-conditioned.
The best rule of thumb is if you wouldn’t want to stay in the car with windows up leave your pet at home. For those that earn a living by helping humans then the humans need to plan for the heat.
Police dogs should have adequate water and if it is possible a gallon jug of frozen water in the back with them.
If you see a pet in distress in a car call 911 and report it.
Best Advice: If you don’t have to take your pet with you DON’T!
Have a Chittering Good Day,
Jo
For those of us bringing our pets it isn’t as simple as one might think. For those flying it requires a health certificate from the pet’s vet then there is arranging for the pet to fly. Most airlines have a weight and number of pets in the cabin limit.
Ferrets are not allowed in the cabin but can be loaded as cargo, which is absurd, but since we will be driving it doesn’t matter this year.
Roomie and her two rescues, Ariel and newly adopted Z will be coming with us to her very first Blog Paws. So instead of packing for just Manny, Marcuz, and Marylin I am having to add in the two doggies.
Packing is a chore no matter the reason but when you have ferrets, it can be even a bigger chore unless you have a good system in place.
For me that is a list of what needs to be packed and in what suitcase, computer bag, and travel bag.
It shouldn’t be surprising that the ferret’s suitcase has a much longer list than mine but then I only need my clothes, a few grooming supplies as I don’t wear makeup. Now the tech bag is a bit fuller with having my notebook puter, cords, camera, battery charger, phone, extra battery, and charger.
But the list hasn’t changed much for the ferrets with only a few extras added because of Marylin and my list is just to make sure I don’t forget to pack pants, both sets of shoes, or any of my tech that will be needed at Blog Paws.
Don’t forget we all need our business cards. The fur kids have their traveling page cards and I’ll have my blog cards.
Soon we will be blogging from Tysons Corner, VA
Have a Chittering Good Day,
Jo
In a few weeks the boys and I will be headed out west to Utah and the annual Blog Paws Conference. This will be my 3rd Blog Paws and the boy’s second one. We will be driving almost two thousand miles as ferrets aren’t allowed in the cabin of any airlines and I will not put my boys in cargo.
Which is why we are driving and thanks to a lot of help from some awesome folks on twitter we will be traveling in style. The Ferret Chariot will be set up for traveling with ferrets not a small task in itself.
Because ferrets are curious little critters you can’t let them run free in a vehicle as they will find a way under the dash and find the one hole they can get through and will either end up in the engine compartment or worse on the road in the middle of traffic.
So the first thing you need is a crate or carrier for the ferret. The size depends on how much traveling you will be doing with your ferret. As I tend to take my boys as many places as I can and often that includes long distance trips I have a medium dog carrier that I use. It is big enough to hold a small litter pan, their hammock, and the door supports their food dish and water bottle. I also put a dollar store rug on the bottom of the carrier to give them something to curl up on if they don’t want in the hammock.
I seat belt the carrier so that the door of the carrier is pointing towards the vehicle door for easy access. In the case of the van the carrier will be pointing forward on the long bench seat.
Packing for the boys Mind you their suitcase can be bigger than mine depending on how long of a trip it will be. Short day trips only require a bottle of water, their harnesses and leashes, poop bags, and maybe a couple of treats.
For this cross country trip the requirements are a bit different.
| Leashes | Harnesses | Puppy Pads |
| poop bags | food | A gallon Jug of water from home |
| A few toys | playpen | Health Certificates |
| Rabies tags | Groom kit | First aid kit |
| Information kit | Treats | Hand Sanitizer |
| Trash bags | litter | disposable foil baking dish |
| food/water dishes | Photo Id’s | List of Ferret Vets along route |
| freezer cooler packs | The Mini Ferret Chariot | Ferret Backpack |
| a few outfits |
I am pretty sure I am forgetting something but as you can see it isn’t a short list. What’s in my suitcase?
| Clothes | Groom kit | Journalism bag |
| Business Cards | shoes | coffee cup |
As you can see it is a much shorter list. Traveling with ferrets isn’t for the faint of heart as you have to keep an eye on temperatures both inside and outside of the vehicle. Ferrets don’t do well with temps over 68-78 degrees.
When taking breaks be respectful of the rest stop and use the areas marked for pets and even though ferret poop isn’t that large I still set an example and pick it up and dispose of it properly. Be aware of who is around and any other pets.
Some dogs will chase anything that moves and neither of my boys knows to be scared of dogs or cats as they have both at home. Also watch for children that might come running up to pet the neat/weird animal. Some parents have never taught their children to be respectful of others and will touch without asking. I have a strict policy of picking up my boys off the ground and holding them to me and asking them certain questions before sending them off to have their parents come talk to me about them petting the boys.
This does two things it keeps my boys safe from being mauled and keeps the child from getting bit because they have something yummy smelling on their hands. It also gives the parents a chance to come talk to me about my strange critters. This is where the hand sanitizer comes in no matter how much a child says they have washed their hands some don’t do it.
To be continued…
Have a Chittering Good Day,
Jo
What a day I had yesterday. As most of you know we had a campaign to get a vehicle and thanks to some awesome donors, will be naming them soon, I went and picked it up.
There was some miscommunications so I had a long wait before I could get the last of the paper work done. Roomie and I went to the Erie Zoo to kill some time this statue grabbed my attention
Finally the last of the paper work was done, notarized, and paid for making the Ferret Chariot a reality.
The Ferret Chariot is a 98 Dodge Caravan.
And here is the blank canvas that will be sporting all the sponsors names and logos. Mind you these were taken at a rest stop on the way home.
Have a Chittering Good Day,
Jo
Opening the box from Marshall Pets I was surprised to find this tote flat. I like the fact it can be easily stored this way.
I zipped up the zippers and the result is the above picture. I couldn’t wait to see how Manny and Marcuz would react to it.
I let them out of their cage and they were all over this new and fun looking toy. Once they had checked out the large mesh pocket on the outside it was time to climb in and check out the inside.
I shouldn’t have been surprised when they both sat down and looked at me from the top opening as to say, “Let's go.”
The tote has a handle on the top making it easy to carry downstairs. I wanted to see how the boys reacted to being wheeled around so I extended the telescoping handle and pushed the tote ahead of me.
I could see the mesh top that the boys were having a ball looking out the sides and the top to see where they were going. The tote handled their bouncing around with ease and never felt unbalanced.
Strapping the tote down in the car was easily and didn’t compress like some of the other carriers I have had. It is also high enough that the boys could look out the window from the mesh and see where we were going.
I have replaced the blanket with a small fleece animal bed that Marcuz loves. I think that it gives his back some support without being to soft or hard.
I have named this carrier the mini Ferret Chariot and Manny and Marcuz love it so much that when they are finished playing and want to take a nap they will seek it out and climb in and go to sleep.
I love this tote and have recommended it to a few friends for their small critters. I am sure my boys will have their Ferret Chariot for many years to come.
Paw rating: a full 5 paw salute.
Disclosure: I was given the Wheelie tote to review and received no other compensation. All opinions are my own.
Have a Chittering Good Day,
Jo
