dcrowell

Years ago I drove my car cross country and picked up four hitchhikers. They were deadheads traveling from one show to the next and their car died.

They had a ferret. It was an amazing animal. Very social, it would sleep in someones lap, play with me while I was driving whatever.

My car had no AC and we were driving across the desert. The animal did fine. Keep him out of the sun and happy, he should be fine. As mentioned earlier, watch out for state and local laws.

NoGaBiker

Take 2 in case one croaks.

Shimagnolo

A backup ferret?

indyfabz

Presta or schrader?

djb

mea culpa
I shouldnt have laughed but I did.

Caretaker

Seriously?

openmindedgent

Okay wow, so much to process. I have come to my senses and decided that Mufasah is not meant for the long haul. He loves going out to play and has no problems with his harness or meeting other people so this was my reasoning behind taking him out to travel. I would much rather leave him safe at home than lose a really wonderful companion due to my impulsive behavior. He can do small trips and if there is a car involved might be able to visit far off lands.

"WIll it jump out of it's basket, entangling itself in your wheels? WIll it get run over by a car?"
-I was going to run with a cage actually, but you made a very good point about other wild animals. I had planned to do camping and couchsurfing and I don't want to endanger myself in the mountains because some bear smells a little creature he has never tried before. I also don't think I will be able to just put a litter pan in the corner of my tent and expect him to use it. He would much rather claw his way out and use a tree. I don't think he would be a danger to other animals because he is a lazy pushover raised on kibble and wouldn't know what to do with a rabbit when he caught it. Thank you for the helpful questions.

"Consider this. If the ferret dies, will it ruin your tour?"
-absolutely. I have been through a lot of tragedy in my life and I put a lot of my love in the little guy, he helps me stay balanced because I am grounded to earth by his responsibility. I would be heartbroken to lose him by my own hands. Good perspective.

"If that 80F figure is anywhere near accurate I'd say forget the idea of taking a ferret on a tour of the south in summer. "
-YEA! I totally agree with you here. I mentioned the a/c because I know that is the only way he could survive the trip. While living with a "less than reasonable" roommate last year, who loved living in a room temperature of 82 degrees on average, I learned the ferrets sensitivity to heat. I would get home and gasp from the oven like feel of walking into the house, run up and lower the thermostat, then find the ferrets sprawled out in their cage looking miserable. I will say that they really love a good ice pack on warm days so if there is a way to regulate his body heat I know he would enjoy the sights and sounds of traveling but like I said before, this idea is out the window. While traveling through Florida, 80 degrees was a god-send and 100 was the norm...

I guess I just hate the idea of touring alone again.

openmindedgent

This changes my mind a bit. My ferret is probably the coolest and chillest ever and he is really good at sleeping so I am sure his body could regulate the heat through siesta techniques although as it gets warmer here I will test that theory. Everything I read about ferrets claims that they just need shade and water in the heat, not that they will die immediately or anything.

hmmmm

openmindedgent

Yea I figure that is my next stop... I already have an account, now if I can only remember my password ...

dcrowell

You could have an extra water bottle with ice water in it for him to cuddle with when it got too hot. Just a thought.

My 100lb dog could never tour with me.

openmindedgent

Yea wow, it would be cool if the 100lb dude could just pedal his own bike

I figured the ferret a good traveler due to his size, compact-ability, a chill attitude, and an urge to sleep always.

I am on the verge of being homeless so I am gearing up to live on the road and find work as I travel, I want to ride for causes and do good things as I travel, I just was hoping it would be logistical to have Mufasah with me as I go through life as a nomad... Slightly unrealistic, yes, but what exactly is real?

Thulsadoom

This guy travels around with TWO of them...

openmindedgent

badass

Shimagnolo

Ahh...a High Availability Ferret Cluster.

jish1969

Shimagnolo is right, ferrets are illegal in more than a few states due to the fact that they are an adaptable species and can become quite invasive when established. Not saying your pet is going to escape and procreate madly but its probably not a good idea at all to take him along IMO...

openmindedgent

Survival of Released or Escaped Domestic Ferrets

Pet ferret literature routinely describes the ferret as having been domesticated for so long that domestic ferrets are now dependent on people to survive, that they have no hunting skills left, and that they can not survive in the wild. A common claim is that an escaped ferret will die within three days.

Probably, most escaped or abandoned ferrets either are re-caught or will die from dehydration if there is not a water supply available, or starvation if they can't find food right away. "...the ferret, being by nature an obligate carnivore, has an extremely short digestive tract, and requires meals as often as every four to six hours." In ferrets, the food transit time is just a few hours. While searching for food and water in unfamiliar settings, ferrets also run the risk of becoming prey of other predators. Any animal that has been confined all of its life and then is abruptly thrust into unfamiliar outdoors surroundings would have little chance of surviving.

However, ferrets can and do survive in the wild in various places around the world and under a variety of conditions (World Distribution). The individuals that have a good chance of surviving are those that soon detect the odor of animals they had previously fed upon. These are the ferrets that are experienced in hunting rabbits and rodents, that had prior experience killing animals, such as field, house mice, and "feeder" mice in households , or that are soon able to scavenge or find cat food or other familiar-smelling pet food left outside. "Feeder mice" and feeder rats are rodents that are commercially sold as frozen or live animal food or that pet owners breed and raise themselves as live or freshly killed food for their pet snakes or other carnivores. Some labs and pet ferret owners feed live mice to their ferrets as a nutritious supplement or alternative to commercial ferret food.

In 1995 in Oneida County, New York, an escaped pet ferret was gone approximately two weeks. After the owners got it back, it was found to have been exposed to rabies.

In southeast Alaska, domestic ferrets in good condition were trapped in the wild far from human habitation during winters in the years following legalization of ferrets as pets in that state.

"Released from captivity, the ferret (if it survives) quickly reverts, and in a generation or two, is absorbed into the wild population." - Wellstead (1981)

Many wild populations of domestic ferrets in the world resulted from the escape of ferrets. Escaped fur animals at times have contributed to local populations of ferrets in the wild, and have even threatened locally rare wildlife.

Some ferret literature states that an intact female will almost certainly die if not bred, but other sources indicate rates of mortality of 20-50%. Bissonnette, T. H. (1950), wrote, "The old superstition, that if a female ferret is not mated and allowed to become pregnant she will die as a result, is not true. Females may be kept over two years at least without mating and live a healthy life properly fed and kept free from dirt and infection.”

---I don't research this enough but if most domestic ferrets are like my Mufasah, I fear for them being able to survive in the wild once their cozy hammock and blankets are gone... Maybe if I taught him to hunt rabbits he could really cause some damage for native critters.

Cyclesafe

I don't claim to be an expert on ferrets, but I thnk you need more than one of them to procreate. Just sayin'...

Maybe it can hybidize with a weasel? Or a cat? Dunno. Like I said, I'm no expert.

Shimagnolo

In doing some reading I found that ferrets have apparently been domesticated for ~2500 years.
Also an interesting bit of trivia I learned about the movie "The Big Lebowski":
When the nihilists bring the ferret into the bathroom and he says "Nice marmot",
it is a joke about ferrets being illegal in CA.

mike

This has to be one of the funniest threads I have seen in a long time.

Getting back to the original OP post... I can only imagine that you are new to extended bicycle touring. Otherwise, you would know the answer to your question.

So much can happen on a long tour. Heck, most people start out with HUMAN companions and get separated from them before the trip is over.

Have a look at someone who is weeks into a tour. Every piece of his equipment looks beat up. Your ferret will take the same abuse.

What are you going to do with the poor creature, put him in a tiny cage or in your pocket while you are in the saddle for three or four hours at a crack? God almighty. if PETA or the Humane Society finds out what you are doing, they will roast you on a stick and become meat eaters just for the occasion.

I would suggest that if you really do love your ferret, leave it in the care of a beautiful loving girlfriend - preferably a nursing student or maybe a kindergarten teacher. You know, someone who will love your ferret and maybe you too when you get back.

Finally, I have to ask... what does the ferret say about all this?

DropBarFan

Waited overnite one time to buy concert tickets, the next morning I saw a local guy walking around with his family & the cuddly ferret scurrying 'round his neck. Dunno how they react to high heat but that time it was fairly warm. Lately I've seen some bikers with dogs in trailers or rear carriers. I guess if the critter is comfortable with the situation it would work.

openmindedgent

I have actually got a few thousand miles of touring under my belt, spread between a year and a half of living on the road. I am very good at surviving on little to no cash flow for long periods of time and I get by pretty well. There is a whole world of dumpster diving, freecycling, and networking to share resources that most people never tap into. I have lived without a car for almost 4 years now and in '08 I set off to travel on a beat up Cannondale with the derailleur set to one speed and electric tape and foam grips. I have gotten more skilled at bicycle maintenance and I have worked at a few bike shops on my way down to Florida and on my way home in late '09 I made the 900 miles in 3 wonderful weeks of riding. I stayed at some wonderful places and met some incredible people, some of whom were traveling with different types of pets. I am very excited about this idea and I don't think you realize how capable I am of doing this safely when I put my mind to it. I am not going to be stuffing him in my pocket and dipping out of town with no regard for anybody's safety. I have been in too many extremely scary and dangerous situations when I didn't plan out my tour correctly and I swore to always carry emergency cash and plenty of common sense with me on my next trip. I also have a very strong, light, and well equipped bicycle compared to my previous rigs. My ferret is not the usual hyperactive type, he was raised by me with a lot of love and attention, lots of stimulation and new people. He has ridden around in a basket on my bike strapped in by a harness I designed and he loved every minute of it, even curling up to fall asleep after a few trips around my area. I will do everything in my power to prepare for this trip correctly, or I won't be going at all. Even if it takes me years, I will find a way to take my best friend along to see the beauty of the open road with me.

(stepping off of soap box)

manapua_man

I wouldn't bring something that is banned in several states. In my state, you could get nailed with a $500,000 fine and 3 years in jail if you try bringing a snake etc.

DaCiscoKid

This was the correct decision. Portable AC units can and will break, and you acknowledge that the furret won't survive without it. If the unit did break, would you have the resources to repair it?

I'm sure you won't like this but quite honestly, it really sounds to me that you are just being selfish. No one really likes to be alone, but the furret will be *much* better off staying with someone else rather than being on the road.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

momule

Just when you think you've seen it all.......along comes someone that wants to tour on a bike with a ferret and is considering adding an air conditioner to his load. I'd suggest adding a girl friend to tour with so you won't be alone, but you may have already bid yourself out of that option with the AC'd ferret thoughts.

Shimagnolo

Has the OP considered a hamster?