It is a very good idea to have a travel cage on hand in case you need to go on a trip, for long drives, in case of emergency (i.e. natural disaster, family emergency requiring a trip of ferrets staying with a friend, etc), need for quarantine of a sick or new baby, etc.
Get a guinea pig sized cage on CL, you can get them fairly cheap. Hang a few hammocks and put in a small litter box. It is recommended to drill holes in the base and use zip ties to secure the top to the base, otherwise they can escape really easily. Some prefer top-access to the travel cage, but it is nice to have both options, especially depending on the space the cage will be in. The front access door of the cage in this example is zip tied because it wasn’t super secure and the owner never used it.
A lock crock is best for for regular water access, but it is wise to also use a water bottle as supplement in the car in case the water splashes out. They should also have a small bowl for food for any trip longer than 3 hours. Attaching the litter box to the side of the cage (this example uses binder clips that hook to zip-tie loops – see photos below) ensures the litter box cannot be flipped or otherwise “rearranged,” and will not slide around when in-use. It is also helpful to hang a few foraging toys, especially for longer drives or long trips out of town.
This cage fits perfectly in the backseat of a small car with a little room leftover. With more ferrets you may want a bigger cage, but for a small business this works great. It can also serve as an isolation cage for sick or recovering ferrets. The owner of this cage used this cage for her business of two for weeks at a time when on trips (with plenty of out time of course), and it is amazing for long car rides – they don’t even notice they are in the car.
To attach the litter box, use a drill to make holes in the base and then zip tie loops on the base of the cage that the binder clips can hook onto. Drill holes into the litter box for the litter box attachment. This example uses binder clips, which allowed the litter box to easily be taken in and out for cleaning. Reusable zip ties would also work well for this.
