I'm travelling across Canada and need to bring my Ferret(s) - What do I do?

Ferrets aren't accepted on board WestJet or Air Canada flights in cargo or under the cabin, but don't panic - there is one option left, you can still fly your ferret unaccompanied. You have two options, do you want your ferret to fly WestJet or AirCanada? (No I'm serious... for about double the cost you can still get your fuzzbuts where they need to go.)

First though, you need to do some preparation. Standard kennel requirements for pets traveling unaccompanied (including ferrets) is a hard plastic crate, with ventilation on all sides. It needs to have knut & bolt closures on the sides and a metal gate door. This kennel available from PetSmart meets these requirements, is affordable and is what I personally fly my ferret Rolo in.

I like to line the bottom with puppy pads, and then toss in a whole ton of blankets for burrowing & sleeping purposes. No toys or harnesses are allowed in the carrier as it is a hazard to your ferret while confined (and bored) in cargo. I highly recommend getting your ferret(s) used to spending time in the carrier before the flight - I just used it as a den on the floor and found that Rolo enjoying sleeping inside it anyway.
Additionally, you will want to get a very small locking no-drip water bottle. These can be tough to find, but the FlatBac water bottle from Super Pet is my first choice, with a small locking dish underneath it to catch any drips. The airline may tell you that no water is allowed however, so call and ask. (They let me do it, even though it was against policy so I can't guarantee it will be the same for everyone.)
Regardless, you still need a locking dish on the inside of the carrier, so that should there be a delay or problem at the airport, the staff handling you pet will be able to provide water without needing to open the kennel. (And risk escape.) I also like to print copies of all my ferrets vet records and health information and put this inside a ziplock bag, and tape it to the top of the kennel. Don't worry about any other special stickers, as the airline will want to use their own.
Speaking of escape, once you have filled the kennel with blankets, locking dish, and your ferret(s), make sure to zip tie the door and kennel in the special holes provided to prevent anyone from opening the kennel during transit.

Now that you are ready to load your ferret on an airplane, I'll go over your flight options.

Option #1: Westjet - WestJet Cargo uses extra space on WestJet airplanes to transport various things, including animals. Despite the name, WestJet Cargo is actually Swissport, a logistics company. They will require you to book your ferret's flight no more than 5 days in advance. You can try to request that they be on your flight, but on such short notice it is unlikely, and you will need to enlist the help of friends and family to help you coordinate the pickup and drop off of your ferret.
To book your ferret's space you can contact WestJet Cargo at 1-866-952-2746 (1-866-WJCARGO).

WestJet Cargo needs you to arrive to drop your ferret(s) off 2 hours before their flight, and at the other end, it will take anywhere from 45minutes to 2 hours once the plane has landed to receive them again. They will also allow you to put two ferrets in one carrier, which is much more economical because they are going to charge you for the price of a cat anyway. To get an idea of cost, Rolo's flights from Vancouver to Toronto so far have been about $110 each way, and this is the company that I booked with. Always ask for the guaranteed temperature in the cargo hold, I was told between 5-15 degrees Celsius.

Option #2: Air Canada - ELS Marketing has the same deal with Air Canada, they are a logistics company that uses space on Air Canada's aircraft. They do offer a two week booking window, so again, no guarantees that you will be able to put your ferret on your flight, but there is a much higher chance, and once of my readers has successfully been able to arrange this with Air Canada. To book your ferret's flight with ELS Marketing, you can call 1-888-472-8888, and this is a link to their website: ELS Marketing

ELS Marketing will ask you to arrive 2 hours before the flight, and it will take between 1-2 hours the other end to pick them up, though this really depends on the airport and their individual procedures and level of business. They will allow you to put two ferrets together in one carrier, and also allow you to send an additional package of pet items while waiving the minimum service fees. When I called to get a price quote, I was told about $110, so they are price matched with WestJet Cargo. This company also offers trans-border travel, but in that scenario you will need proof of a rabies vaccine administered 6 months before the flight, and 10 days before travel a note from your vet stating that, to their knowledge, your ferret is fit to travel.

There is so much to cover, so if there are any unanswered questions about transporting your ferret (or other pets) leave a comment and I will get back to you!

An Email From WestJet Regarding Ferrets

WestJet’s Position Statement:

Company reply (10/13/2011 6:23:33 PM)

Dear Rachel, 

Thank you for contacting us for clarification on our pet acceptance guidelines regarding ferrets. We appreciate your passion for your pet and hope that this letter helps you to understand why we have chosen to exclude ferrets from in-the-cabin travel.
We have many different guest promises that we have developed and implemented to ensure our guests have a safe and enjoyable flight. For in-cabin pet travel, we choose to include the most common household pets. Onboard guest experience is important to us and we have a thorough process that we use to verify all major decisions that could affect the experience our guests may have while on one of our flights.
Unfortunately, for safety and maintenance reasons, we do not permit animals that are capable of squeezing their bodies into small areas into the cabin and  /or animals that have a natural instinct to bite or dig. While we never plan on having an animal out of its kennel in the cabin, it can happen and we want to do everything we can to ensure that this does not occur in the future.

We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you aboard again.

Kind Regards,
Marguerite

WestJet Guest Relations 

First of all, I’d like to point out that while this reply is less than satisfactory, at least WestJet replied to me, unlike AirCanada, who simply gave me a receipt of my email and never got back to me.

So there are a number of WestJet’s concerns that I’d like to address with this post, therefore list time:

WestJet only allows the “most common” pets.

Ferrets are very commonly kept as pets in North America. Ferrets, which are mustelids and have been domesticated for over 2500 years, are the third most common uncaged pet in America, with an estimated ferret population of over ten million in the US alone. Source.

WestJet doesn't permit animals capable of squeezing their bodies into small areas, animals that naturally dig, or bite.

Hang on! Cats are very capable of squeezing their bodies into tight spaces, more specifically, due to their lack of a true collarbone, they can fit their bodies through any space large enough to fit their heads. Even fat cats can fit into impressively small spaces.

And oh hey look they allow Chinchillas! Another animal that is very good and squeezing into tight spaces!

Well at least they don't allow any animals that naturally like to dig right? Oh wait...

Well they don't allow notorious chewers do they? Oh.

So basically, they won't allow ferrets on board because they don't allow animals that bite, dig, or can squeeze into small spaces.... but that's an outright lie because pretty much every animal they allow on board performs at least one of these behaviours.

So, do ferrets naturally dig, bite, or fit into small spaces?

Ferrets do not bite or chew any more than a cat or dog. A ferret's teeth are very similar to a cat's set of teeth, though of course their mouths are a bit smaller. First image is a cat, second two images are ferrets. They will chew and swallow things if they think it might be food, however, I don't really think that is cause for an airline to be concerned.

As mentioned earlier, cats do not have a true collarbone, and this is what allows them to fit through any opening the size of their head. The same is true of ferrets, if there was a large enough opening they could get out.

Do ferrets dig? Some of them definitely do. My own ferret has very little interest in digging so far, but since ferrets are descendent from animals that tunnel after rodents and rabbits, they often will enjoy digging in sand boxes or in the yard if you let them.

So, like cats and dogs, ferrets will chew a bit, they will dig a bit and they are pretty flexy. Well, so long as the carrier has no small holes in it, the ferret will be unable to escape, to that's one problem solved as all soft carriers, no matter what animal is in them, must be checked over for damage prior to boarding.

Ferrets chew no more than a cat or dog, and with very similar teeth, I would imagine it would be tough job to attempt to chew through a high density carrier. And yes, ferrets dig - but there is no way they are getting through high density cloth or hard plastic!

The only way I could see a ferret escaping it's carrier is if it worked the zipper open, but this is easy to stop, as you can simply use a zip-tie to prevent the zippers from moving.

I am planning to send another email to WestJet to find out what they have to say about this, so hopefully they will respond!