New Adventures Await

For those that follow us on Facebook you already know what adventure I am talking about but for those that don’t know. As of June 30th the kids and I will be Home Free.

We will be living a non traditional life as nomads in a van until I am able to get us back into a non moving home if that should be the case. I should say that I am not one to do much of anything traditionally but this is even new for me.

The van or Ferret Chariot 2 is pretty much outfitted for travel and pets it seems as all of the normal places a pet might try to hide has been closed off. 

So I will be putting into long term use the knowledge I have gained over the years of traveling to Blog Paws and who knows maybe this will add a different dimension to the blog.

I do know that Marcuz and Marylin will be updating their travel blog on Facebook more often now.

If you would like to donate towards us either getting a solid home or just some gas money you can do it one of two ways. You can donate using the donation button here on the blog or you can donate through the Go Fund Campaign.

I have a week of work coming up and then we will be headed to Kentucky to see a friend or two before heading towards D.C. Want us to stop and see you leave a comment below. Sorry we can’t come to California.

Jo

30 Days to Blog Paws

Marylin: Wowzerz just one month until wez get to see all of our friends and make some new ones at Blog Paws in Nashville, TN.
Marcuz: Yep and while wez haven’t sold enough Music City Ferrets to really do the contests wez wanted wez have decided to post the Scavenger list for the those that have bought them.
Marylin: Does that mean wez can change the rules a little bit?
Marcuz: Yepz it is our contest. The first change is that unless wez sell more Music City Ferrets there will be no piccy contest. The second change is that all of those that have bought a Music City Ferret and are having them hand delivered can participate in the Scavenger hunt. So while wez wanted to have three shipped ferrets before starting this contest wez do have enough to start the contest. The original rules were:
1. You have to have a mobile hidey hole. Be creative as each ferret has his or her own space to hide stuff in.
2. Do take pictures of the found items but only post a portion of the found item to make others wonder what the item could be. NO DESCRIPTIONS! just the photo *chitters*
3.Your ferret MUST travel with you and may be in the photos
4. Have fun if it isn’t fun then why doz it?
The hooman who has collected all or most of the items will be eligible for the prize.
Each hidey hole will be inspected by Hooman and ourselves to determine the winner at Blog Paws.

Marylin: The Changes are to number 3 Your Ferret MUST travel with you if it has been shipped other wise you just need to follow rule #2 exactly.
So what is a Music City Ferret? This is a Music City Ferret
Each one is numbered and there will only be 30 made. Each ferret cost $20 with a shipping fee of $6 US or $25 International. For those that are hand delivered there will be no shipping cost.
To get your ferret just drop Hooman an email with Nashville Ferret in the subject line toz enlightenedferret@hotmail.com and she willz get back to youz on howz toz order one.
Orders will be taken until May 15 to make sure your ferret arrives in time for the fun. Date is subject to change.
Marcuz: Soz to those that already have a ferret the scavenger hunt will begin. Remember the first thing is a photo of your mobile Hidey hole. It can be no bigger than a large shopping bag but it does not have to be a shopping bag. This just gives youz an idea of the size.
Remember the idea is to think like a ferret.
Scavenger list:

Blog Paws is Coming

Marylin: This will bez my third Blog Paws and Marcuz’s fourth but it will be the first one without Manny. Hooman really thought about not going this year but wez talked her into still going.

We also talked her into making 30 of these adorable stuffed ferrets to sell to make the trip easier on all of us. Each ferret is numbered on it’s rear paw and has a 2015 charm collar and the word Nashville and paw prints ironed on their bums.

Each one is $20 and if you have hooman hand deliver your ferret there will be no shipping charge but those that do get one shipped (US$6 International $25 shipping charge) to them they are eligible to participate in two contests.

The first one will be a scavenger hunt. You will have to get into the mind set of being a ferret but wez think it could be fun.

The rules for the scavenger hunt are

1. You have to have a mobile hidey hole. Be creative as each ferret has his or her own space to hide stuff in.

2. Do take pictures of the found items but only post a portion of the found item to make others wonder what the item could be. NO DISCRIPTIONS! just the photo *chitters*

3.Your ferret MUST travel with you and may be in the photos

4. Have fun if it isn’t fun then why doz it?

The hooman who has collected all or most of the items will be eligible for the prize.

Each hidey hole will be inspected by Hooman and ourselves to determine the winner at Blog Paws.

Once wez have sold three shipped ferrets wez will post the scavenger list.

The second contest is still in the works but it will deal with photos with your ferret.

To get your ferret just drop Hooman an email with Nashville Ferret in the subject line toz enlightenedferret@hotmail.com and she willz get back to youz on howz toz order one.

Orders will be taken until May 15 to make sure your ferret arrives in time for the fun.

Haz a Chittering Good Dayz,

Marylin.

Jolly Awesome Pet Tags

 

Wez is still trying to get all of our sections figured out and since Iz is kind of shy Iz asked Hooman if Iz could just do reviews. This is mez first one.

Wez got a chance to try out some new tags for our harnesses from Jolly Awesome Pet Tags . What is cool about these tags is that they can have our pictures on them along with the important information on the back. Not all tags allow you to do dual sides.  

Jolly Awesome Pet Tags have a great sale going on so you can get three tags for a price lower than their normal $16.95. Yep Iz said three tags. You can put the same image on the tags or do like pet Hooman did and make one for each of your fuzzy friends.

The tags are made from a strong durable plastic substrate that makes them almost impossible to break and are nearly scratch proof something many fuzzy owners would love.

The site is easy to navigate and offers a walk through video on how to design your tags that Hooman would not watch. She can be a bit stubborn. So it took her a while to figure out how to design our tags.

Wez were surprised at how fast Jolly Awesome Pet Tags shipped the tags to us. The one thing wez were not too surprised at was that the tags are a bit big for our harnesses but Hooman says they will work well on our traveling carrier if Iz stop trying to put them in mez hidey hole.

Jolly Awesome Pet Tags are made here in the United States so our pet Hoomans will not have to worry about foreign toxic dyes being used on the tags that could be ingested.

For mez Iz give Jolly Awesome Pet Tags a four paw rating since I have taken them to my hidey hole.

Disclaimer: Wez were given one set of tags for free along with gift cards. The opinions stated are ours and do not necessarily concur with the product, website, or any other venue attached to Jolly Awesome Pet Tags.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Marcuz

Blog Paws Adventure Ferret Style

Normally I would write posts while at Blog Paws and/or on my way there. This year things went a little haywire to say the least. So I will start from the beginning and go from there.

The start of the adventure actually starts the night before we are suppose to leave on our road trip across the states. A call comes from the car rental company to say they don’t have any cars for us. I was livid as they had called that morning to confirm our reservation and then to call moments before closing was rude and irresponsible. They wanted us to wait two days to give us a car. Which would have been the start of Blog Paws so that was so not going to happen.

After blowing up on twitter and face book and a call to the corporate office we had a car but would have to go an extra ten miles out of our way to get it at this point I probably would have gone fifty miles just to have a car.

Roomie decided that we should go up a little earlier as we weren’t hundred percent sure where the rental office was but we found it easily and Chris the manager went over well out of his way to make what started out as a really bad experience into something wonderful. First we got upgraded to a nicer car at the same price as what I had reserved the car for and he kept the rental within my budget. Granted it was an extra fifty dollars because of the insurance but I could afford that. He also saw us as soon as they were open instead of making us wait until our appointment time. The car was a Malibu with a lot of bells and whistles.

So I drive back to the house to get the car packed up and ready to go. The chosen hash tag was #TravelingFerrets Finally we are on the road headed to Blog Paws in Las Vegas only to be diverted before we even get out of the state of Pennsylvania due to a major accident on Interstate 80 after getting lost a couple of times on the back roads we finally got back on I-80 in Ohio and an hour behind schedule.

Ohio has a different idea about pet rest areas they are small fenced areas with large smooth stones while not optimal for ferrets it does allow dogs a few minutes off leash and there is water available. Marylin was enjoying getting out of the car for a little bit before heading in to Indiana   where I should have realized that this trip was going to be a lot different than I had planned on.

 

I stopped at one of the travel plazas that are on I-80’s toll road to get something to eat. I chose McDonalds mainly because it was the only thing available besides convince store hot dogs Belch. Ordered a Big Mac and a small fry. The guy who ordered before me took three steps to the left of me and the cashier basically through my receipt at me and got my food quickly. It wasn’t until I got back into the car I realized what the problem was.   Just numbers to me but I know to many that was a bad omen.

 

After a beautiful sunset in Iowa   and me driving all night found me with a large cup of coffee and a face that said I really needed it.  We crossed the boarder into Nebraska   at one of the rest stops there was this very strange sculpture   still have no idea of what it was as the fur kids didn’t want to go near it. Finally we made it to Colorado before the first of the storm clouds started to roll in that brought thunder and lightening with them. The rain came down in sheets so thick you couldn’t see very far ahead but I pushed forward as I really wanted to make Denver before nightfall. The storm passed over and you can see where the edge was unfortuantly I hit Denver well after nightfall and drove up the Rockies in basically pitch blackness not something I like doing as you can’t see very far ahead of you.

I stopped at a lookout called No Name to take a picture of the sunrise   My photos from Utah are fuzzy and jumpy so you can’t see the snow dusting that was there. Finally I made it to Nevada and about two hours later we were at the hotel and the start of Blog Paws   and this was just the start of the adventure.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

And the Winner is...

 

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

Roadtrips and Hashtag Contest

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

 

Technorati Tags: hashtags,travel,Blog Paws,Ferrets,voting,winner,surprise,PetChat

Technorati Tags: twitter,roadtrip

Packing For Blog Paws 2014

Starting to get down to the wire and still feels like I have so much to do yet. One of which is getting us all packed up and ready to go. While I can get much of what I want to take packed before I am ready to leave on Tuesday before Blog Paws I still have to do it in a way that makes sense for both the fur kids and me. For that reason a packing checklist is an absolute must and this is what it looks like at the moment.

Ferret Packing List:

Gray Tub

• Paper towels (1 roll)    
  
• Business cards (Enlightened Travels) 
  
• Trash bags
  
• Toys ( busy blanket, wonka toys, squeaky monkey)
  
• Litter   
  
• Food
  
• Bottled home water 
  
• poop bags
  
• Hand sanitizer (extra)
  
• Red Ground cloth (for play area)
  
• Outfits
  
• Sticky Rollers
  
• Small whisk broom and dustpan

Groom Bag

• Ferretone
  
• Cotton swabs
  
• Gluc Meter
  
• Toothbrushes and paste
  
• Nail clippers
  
• Furminator
  
• Tweezers
  
• Small first aid kit
  
• alcohol swabs

Gray Carrier: In the car

• Hammy
  
• litter pan (small corner)
  
• Hanging water bottle
  
• Clip on Food Cup
  
• Photo Ids with Rabies Tag #s and Vet Phone #

Blue Tote

• Health Certificates
  
• Rabies Tags

Car

• Fold Up Play Area
  
• 1 gray tub
  
• 1 black roller bag
  
• 1jounalist bag
  
• 1 blue tote
  
• 1 pet carrier

Note to self

DON'T FORGET LEASHES AND HARNESSES

I am sure that last one got a chuckle or two. Believe me it is easy to do and also one of the reasons I try to pack extras as I have driven off without making sure the leashes and harnesses where where they were suppose to be. I am also I'll be adding to the list as I always seem to do as the day to leave grows closer.  What is really bad is I had to buy a new suitcase as the one I had been using was too small.

My Packing list looks like this.

Suitcase

• 3 day shirts
  
• 2 evening shirts
  
• Jeans (3/4)
  
• Black pants for Red Carpet
  
• Gray pants for Opening night
  
• Socks (6 pairs)
  
• Black shoes ( Opening Night/ Red Carpet)
  
• Tennis shoes
  
• Photo Album (Fashions)
  
• Critter Zone
  
• Carol's Ferrets
  
• Instant coffee (never have enough in the room)

Groom Bag

• Toothbrush
  
• Paste
  
• Stink juice
  
• Hairbrush
  
• Hair ties
  
• Nail Clippers
  
• Small Sew Kit
  
• Razor
  
• Female Items
  
• Ferret Bracelets
  
• Stink Pretty

Journal Bag

• computer
  
• camera
  
• Cords for computer, camera, phone
  
• Battery Charger for Camera
  
• Business cards (blog and Business)
  
• Pens
  
• Notebook
  
• Flash Card for Camera
  
• Jump drives

So while it looks like I am packed I am only half way there. So excited!!!

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

26 . . .Really? We're Under a Month to Go

 

Can you tell me what makes up the 26?

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Wordless Wednesday: Whenz Da Next Blog Pawz?

Let’s Not Fry the Ferret…

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

Leading Up to Blog Paws: Last Minute Details

Tomorrow we will be up bright and early to start our long drive to Tyson’s Corner, VA and the start of Blog Paws.

We are sad that our buddies Nikki and Ashley, from I love Rescue Animals won’t be there but were pleasantly surprised to find out that Edna from Nutro, Snotface Critter, George the Duck’s Typist will all be there.

This is the first year that we had two sponsors one we have met and the ferrets love giving her kisses and hugs. This is the second year she has supported Enlightened Ferret again thank you Lisa Taron.

After many emails back and forth and I am sure some other outside help we secured sponsorship from Marshall Pet.

Notice: If you don’t like them that is fine but don’t put hateful comments as they will be deleted from this post and any other regarding the Blog Paws Event.

This year the little fur kids will have their own playground to romp in not that, the dog park wasn’t fun for my kids it was my own peace of mind that was worn.

Enlightened Ferret will have some surprises for a few people as well. What they are differ from person to person but we are sure they will be well enjoyed.

With roomie joining us at this year’s Blog Paws, I hope to be in more pictures with my fur kids than they are. *Chitters* but they are the draw.

If you have questions about ferrets please be sure to stop by the Washington Metro Area Ferret Outreach’s table or Marshall’s if you can’t find them or they are too busy I will give you an answer if I can or will help you find it.

Ask nicely and I will chitter for you.

See you at Blog Paws.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Blog Paws T- Minus 12 Days

Where has the time gone? Soon the fur kids and I will be joining other like-minded bloggers and pet related people in Tyson Corners, VA to expand our network and reconnect with friends.

This year is even more special for Enlightened Ferret because in addition to our long time supporter Lisa Taron the Pet Blog Lady.

Manny has known Lisa the longest and can’t wait to give her more ferrety kisses and introduce her to his sister Marylin.

Marshall, no not the clothing store, is also sponsoring us. Manny and Marylin are both Marshall ferrets and will be enjoying their sponsored small animal play area along with their brother Marcuz off and on throughout Blog Paws.

I am excited that there will be a brand there that geared to the ferret parent (ferrent).

Who knows maybe the 3M’s will give a weasel war dance demonstration for those that would like to learn those crazy moves. No guarantee though as ferrets have their own ideas of things.

We are grateful to our sponsors both old and new and can’t wait to see them both in just a few days.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

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

Wordless Wednesday: Traveling Ferrets

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Heat Kills

 

It is summer in the United States and the temperatures are soaring to high numbers. I have talked about this before but it bears repeating. Ferrets do not do well in temps over 68 degrees.

That means traveling is curtailed until the temps are lower or find ways to make it uneventful. But it also means making the home comfortable as well.

I live in Pennsylvania and the house I live in does not have air condition. While I do use fans to cool off the boy’s area it isn’t always enough. I get asked about the two thermometers in their room. One is by their cage and the other is on the wall near the window.

This way I know what the temperature is near the outside wall and by their cage. This allows me to implement my summer plan as needed.

The first thing I do starting in May unless it has been warmer in April is to start making frozen water bottles. I usually have 5 to 8 bottles made by June. These are covered in clean socks that have lost their mate. These are made from 2 liter soda bottles, gallon water/milk jugs, and 12-16 oz bottles that have held soda/tea/water.

Keeping an eye on the thermometers I know when to place these premade ice blocks in strategic places such as in front of the fan and in an area where the boys can climb over them while playing. When the temp in front of their cage reaches 65 degrees I place a worn towel in the cage with one of the gallon jugs. This gives the boys a place to sleep/cool off and the towel absorbs the condensation.

While we are traveling it is a bit harder to make sure the boys don’t get overheated. It got warm in Utah while we were at Blog Paws and stayed warm all the way home. But I had made a purchase of crate fan and extra batteries.

Also the Ferret Chariot has air conditioning. The boy’s crate was placed on the back seat in the center so that the crate received a good amount of the cool air from the air conditioner and the crate fan was on high for most of the trip.

In both cases the boys get frequent rub downs with soaked washcloths to help them maintain their temperature.

There is a wonderful product on the market now but it is only made for dogs called the Chill Spot. We are hopeful that they will be able to downsize their product for cats and ferrets as all pets need a place to chill out.

Remember Heat Kills within moments. Never take your pet for a ride and then leave them locked in the car while doing errands. Even with the windows cracked your car is an oven baking your pet from the inside out. What a cruel death. Show your love by leaving them home where they can stay cool and alive.

Disclaimer:  I received no compensation for mentioning Chill Spot in my post. It is my opinion that this is a cool invention and hope to see them succeed in the pet market.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Traveling With Ferrets Part 3

If you are a long term reader you know that the boys and I are getting ready for a road trip to Utah to attend the Blog Paws conference.

For those just now finding this blog check a few of the earlier posts.

What many people don’t realize is that you need to have a health
certificate for any pet traveling across state lines or around the world. These are obtained from you vet.

Many of us pet owners have a tendency to spell out going to the vet because Fido or Puss have learned that isn’t a fun place to go. I tell the boys where we are going and why. I am sure many will say that they are just animals and don’t understand. I disagree. I have found that by telling my two boys what is going on reduces the amount of stress they have.

So on Wednesday Manny and Marcuz had their vet visit with their vet Dr. DoverSpike. We had to make the appointment in May as Dr. DoverSpike is very popular and is well versed in ferret care.

Both the boys had a physical that Marcuz wasn’t overly happy with and decided he wanted to let doc know it. Marcuz took a nip at him but Dr. DoverSpike was ready for Marcuz and all that happened was a small pinch.

Manny and Marcuz also got vaccinated for rabies and distemper. Unlike dogs and cats who can get a three year rabies shot. Ferrets should be vaccinated every year.

Ferrets can also contract distemper from canines. Depending on how many ferrets a veterinarian clinic treats they might have ferret distemper vaccine but because the Franklin Animal Clinic only sees a few ferrets they don’t keep  the ferret distemper vaccine on hand because it goes bad more often than it is given. Thankfully ferrets can be vaccinated with canine distemper vaccine.

Both boys got vaccinated by the tech. Unfortunately it was given in the hind end. When Manny got certified as a therapy ferret he was given his vaccinations in the scruff of his neck. I am not sure if there is a reason for what location is used or if it was just easier for the tech to given the shots in the butt.

Some ferrets react badly to vaccinations so it is always a good idea to stick around the clinic for 30 minutes encase they do have a reaction. This is also true for ferrets that have never had a reaction before. The old adage “Better safe than sorry.” applies here.

I also discussed heartworm preventative with Dr. DoverSpike which surprised him that I even knew that ferrets could get heartworms and I found out that in our area there is almost no heartworm issue and the two dogs a year he treats often have relocated from down south to the area. But he did look up what is recommended as a heartworm preventive for ferrets. I was surprised to learn that one of them is a topical application of revolution.

Dr. DoverSpike gave my boys the best compliment which was that they were the most well behaved, calm ferrets he has ever seen.

So now the boys are truly ready for the road trip to Utah. Blog Paws here we come! Salt Lake City you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Have a chittering good day,

Jo

Traveling with Ferrets Continued

 

I have found that not all Pet Friendly hotels will except ferrets. I think mainly because they have no clue as to exactly what ferrets are.

When traveling with the boys I make a point of researching the hotels that I would be staying at. Then I email, tweet, or call the hotel to ask if they accept ferrets.

The few I have stayed at have required a deposit this can range from per ferret to 50 dollars. Thankfully the hotels where Blog Paws is held don’t require a deposit.

Once at the hotel the boys are kept in their carrier until I have ferret proofed the bathroom.

This entails putting the lid down, taking the toilet paper off the holder and put up on the sink. Trash can put up on the back of the toilet. Any cords that are hanging down get put so they are away from curious paws. Shower doors are shut and finally I make sure that there is no easy way up onto the sink.

I then set up a litter pan and put some food and water out for the boys before letting them out of their carrier. I let them play in the bathroom while I ferret proof the rest of the room.

This includes checking how the closet doors shut and how much space is under them.

Trash cans are picked up and placed high. Dresser is looked under and behind for any “surprises” left behind from other guests.

TV cord is checked to make sure it fits tightly in the plug and if I can I pull it up so that it isn’t a temptation. If not then it gets sprayed with bitter apple.

 

Under the bed gets checked to make sure there isn’t any fuzzy looking items or Lego men left behind by house keeping.

 

Learning from last Blog Paws I will be placing Puppy pads in corners for my boys to use.

 

To be continue

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Traveling with Ferrets

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 3^rd 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

Ferret Chariot

 

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