 THEY can travel to the Alps for winter, spend springtime in Paris or summer on the Amalfi coast. But EU bureaucrats have ruled that ferret owners will not be allowed to take their pets to the Algarve. Merseyside Lib Dem MEP Chris Davies had tried to overturn a ban on ferrets travelling to Portugal. Today Mr Davies said: "This is a massive blow to ferret owners in Portugal and in the north west. There is no scientific justification for the ban." Ferrets, like dogs and cats, are covered by the new European pet passport scheme allowing than to travel with their owners, except in Portugal where it is still illegal to keep ferrets as domestic animals. Thorr Yngvisson, who started the UK's Ferret Welfare Society in Wirral, said Merseyside's hundreds of ferret fanciers would be devastated by the news.
 Mr Yngvisson, 45, from Heswall, said: "It's absolutely ridiculous. Cats and dogs are no problem, so why is there a problem with a ferret? "They are the most intelligent, sweet-natured animals you can imagine. They're cleaner than most other pets," he said. "The male ones can hum a bit, but castration sorts that out. "And they very rarely bite - only when they are mistreated." ECHO Essentials * Since last month, pets can travel from EU and non-EU listed countries or back into the UK without quarantine, as long as they meet the rules * Ferrets should be microchipped, vaccinated against rabies and issued with a passport * If you are travelling with pets try to travel over-night, so your pet can sleep when it is cooler * Make sure your pets always have access to water | 
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