There's one big problem with what happened there: WHY was an unscreened
window open?  Ferrets are known to go through open windows (some, even
with screens!).  Protecting our ferrets is not only about keeping them
in, but also about keeping other things out.  Chimneys should also be a
concern, as things have been known to invade through that route.
 
Not long ago, a friend mistakenly brought his dog in my house; I quickly
told him that he MUST get it out.  It was no threat to the ferrets, as
they were in their cage - it was that my cats WERE a threat to it
(especially Lectris)!  She WILL attack a dog if I let her, and especially
in *her* own home!  She had that "look", and she wasn't backing up.
There was about to be a very nasty scene if he didn't get his dog out,
IMMEDIATELY!  I later explained to him why I was so insistent on getting
that dog out fast.  He was telling me that the dog wouldn't bother the
cat, which I believe, but I explained that the cat WOULD bother the dog.
 
Gary
[Posted in FML issue 4299]