Going On A Trip!

[karasufyre]

So February 20-23 I am going to see my sister and I'm bringing my brat along.

It's only a 3-4 hour drive [4 probaby due to the extra stops I'll have to make for him]. It's just gonna be me and her at her house, and I'm planning on ferret proofing the room I'm staying in. But I predict we will end up doing a whole lotta nothing so he's gonna get lots of extra attention!

So now my questions [that I can remember so far...]

How many times should I stop for him on the drive for water, food, potty breaks? There is a couple rest areas, and plenty of "view areas" along the way.

Should I put a litter box in the carrier I have for him? Im pretty sure it's large enough, I'll have to try it later...hmmm... Either way I'm gonna tape a puppy pad in the bottom just in case.

Now where she lives is pretty much on top of a mountain and it's very cold up there. I don't really plan on taking him outside, and it should be warm enough in the car and house. But just for peace of mind what can I do to make sure he stays warm enough? or warm him up if he gets too cold? what's the lowest temperature a ferret can be in?

And finally, any tips, stories, dos, don'ts, things I could bring, things I should bring. Oh and that last one is important: almost everything [such as a real store, or a vet] is an hour away from where she lives, so I'd rather be overprepared in case of emergency!

That's it for now til I remember some more questions!
Thank you in advanced!

[Deleted]

Harness and leash all of my animals when they are in the car, that way if something does happen and they take off....I have something to grab at (for my dogs I acutally use a 20ft leash and put the seat belt through the handle loop because if they take off running I can't catch themI'm too oompa loompa-ish). If your worried about cold and extra snuggly blanket or two should do the trick, if we're outside I stuff the fuzz in my jacket, but I've only taken them on short rides around town.

[Deleted]

LOL, I live on top of a mountain! It does get chilly, but my guys (who transplanted with me from rural, farmland NC) are fine (and they were their first night). Just bring extra bedding (my guys love pillowcase "blankets" they drag around to any hammock/sack/bed they want to sleep in) for him to snuggle in and he'll be good

[Sherry]

For the carrier, if you can, hook a water bottle to the door, at least. He'll be fine for a four hour trip with no food out, as long as he's healthy. Either a litter box, or puppy pad/paper in the bottom. And can you hook a hammock in there? It will help him ride easier, and he won't have to be on the same level as the potty.
Definitely put his halter on before putting him in the carrier. That way, you aren't trying to get it on him in a new place where he'll be excited to get exploring. Do you have a solid babygate you can barrier the doorway with to your room? That way, you can keep an eye on him, and he can still have a lot of fun
Here's a link to emergency preparedness, but the list for what to have on hand should give you a lot of ideas on what you may need.:
theepicenter.com/tow08036.html
For keeping him warm, just lots of blankets. Ferret tend to tolerate cold far better than heat.

[Deleted]

I'd bring some stuff he's familiar with, favorite toys, blankets, hammocks, etc. So he has something familiar in a strange environment.

[taratee]

id say in 4 hours hes probably going to use the bathroom the farthest we travel with ours so far is 2.5 hours and they always go in the travel cage, if your cage is big enough id put a b ox in, my guys usually just sleep through the entire thing if your guy gets up and is up and trying to get out maybe stop but i always feel like time is on my side when theyre asleep ya know?

[Deleted]

Whenever I take my girls anywhere (trip to the store, etc) they always end up having to go potty in the car

they have the worst timing.

[karasufyre]

Thanks everyone for all your help!

I'm for sure going to keep him in his harness. I've been making him wear it [much to his annoyance] to get him used to it, and for practice to get it on haha.
He's got plenty of bedding so I'll make sure to bring some extra.
I'm not sure if I can rig a hammock up in it, but I'll try and figure out something. It's not mine, or I know I'd be able to do it.

Soul has been on a couple small trips with me while I ran errands and was awesome the whole time in the car, and in all the new places. So I'm hoping he'll be the same on a longer trip.