Q: "...You posted on the box you made for your group to dig in that helped
   satisfy their craving for digging and kept their nails trimmed.  Well,
   I had a brain fart and didn t get it copied.  Would you send me the
   instructions...?"
 
A: A brain fart, eh?  That stinks.
 
The growth rate of claws has evolved so ferrets can replace claw abraded
away through digging, grooming and other activities.  The physical
environment domesticated ferrets live in today lacks the activities and
tasks which naturally abrade and POLISH claws.  (Technically, while a nail
and a claw are the same material, a nail is flat while a claw is folded and
usually hooked.  So, humans and most primates have nails while ferrets and
most carnivores have claws.  Horses and ungulates have hooves, which are
the same as nails and claws, but modified to support weight.  Regardless if
you are discussing a nail, claw or hoof, the basic structure is the same;
only the shapes have been changed to better suit the life of the animal.
So, to be correct, humans have nails and ferrets have claws.
 
Ferrets have three main problems with claws.  First, as the claw grows and
the long tip hits the ground during walking, it can force the toe and foot
bones out of proper alignment.  This is because in the ferret, the toe
forms part of the weight bearing structure of the foot.  While this may not
cause short term damage, if allowed to become a chronic problem, it *COULD*
cause discomfort and *MIGHT* be a factor in arthritic processes and joint,
tendon and ligament problems.  The second factor is the lack of polish
(degree of abrasion or smoothness) on the claw, which results in cracks
and splits which can cause snags on fabrics.  The third factor is the claw
"dries out," increasing the degree of splitting and cracking, usually seen
in ferrets not getting the proper or enough fatty acids.  Ferrets can be
trapped because of serious snags and can even pull off the claw in their
attempts to free themselves.  While technically polish is not a factor of
claw length but of abrasion, the longer the unpolished claw, the more
chances you have to create cracks and splits.  That is why unpolished claws
snag less when they are cut short; they are still rough and unpolished, but
they have less of a chance to get snagged.
 
Two solutions; you could become a ferret manicurist and cut, buff (polish)
and seal ferret claws on a regular basis.  The normal tools useful on
human nails could be used on ferret claws, and ferretone, human hot oil
treatments or even neatsfoot oil used to "moisturize" the claw material.  A
clear nail hardener would seal the claw well.  Or, you could allow nature
to do most of the work by allowing the ferret to abrade the claw in a
natural fashion such as by walking on rough surfaces or through digging.  I
prefer the later because I don't have time for the first (with 16 ferrets,
who would?) and because the natural abrasion method also helps control the
ferret's instinctual need for digging.  There are two ways this can be
done; passively and actively.
 
The passive method involves placing rough surfaces in areas where heavy
ferret foot traffic takes place.  As the ferret walks, the claws naturally
dig into the surface and are abraded and polished while walking.  You could
use 80 or 100 grit sandpaper as a cage floor covering, especially on ramps
and play areas.  I buy adhesive backed sandpaper and just stick it down.  I
also stick down strips inside smooth PVC play tubes.  You could also get a
selection of concrete cinder blocks and tubes and build a play area for the
ferrets to explore.  Both works well to keep the claw tip from becoming too
sharp as well as for somewhat polishing the claw.  It also serves to
toughen the foot pads.  However, by itself, it will not keep the claw short
enough nor provide a good overall claw polish.
 
The active method is to provide an area where the ferret can actively dig.
One method is to securely leash them and let them dig holes outside.
Ferrets LOVE this, but there is the risk of leash entanglement or escape.
Some of this problem can be eliminated simply with supervision.  Another
method is to bring the "hole" indoors to the ferret.  This is easier than
it sounds and there are several ways I do it.  One way is to fill a
cardboard box with a very damp mixture of sand, gravel and dirt and allow
it to dry in the sun for a week or so.  Put the box in a child's wading
pool (or on newspapers or a tarp) and the ferrets will immediately
investigate and someone will start digging.  Or instead of a cardboard box,
you can use a section of large diameter sewer pipe (I found a discarded
piece in a dumpster at a construction site).  Another way is to use a half
barrel or huge terra cotta planter, like those used for small trees.  I
have one 2 ft high.  I simply stack cinder blocks beside it so the ferrets
can enter the Kingdom of Dirt.  If you allow the dirt-sand-gravel mixture
to become moderately hard (like REAL outdoors soil), then you will find
those ferrets which actively dig will have short and polished claws,
naturally manicured by Mother Earth.
 
Besides mess, two problems can occur; ferrets LOVE to sleep in their
excavated holes AND they sometimes use the dirt as a latrine.  In the
former case, since I allow my ferrets to free range, I just leave them
there, but people who don't can just dig them out or wait until they come
out.  In the later case, I just toss out the nasty dirt and replace it
with "unsoiled" stuff.
 
One last comment.  A lot of people provide a sand or rice play pit for
their ferrets.  This will not work nearly as well (although some claw
polishing can occur) because the claw is not actually digging material
from a hard matrix.  It is the act of digging through hard material which
shortens and polishes the claw.  Oh yes, dirt absorbs ferret oil from fur;
that means less odor.
 
Bob C and 16 Mo' Dirty Diggers
[Posted in FML issue 3007]