A cage is defined as "an enclosure in which to keep living animals."
Cages come in a variety of sizes and types ranging from elaborate natural
enclosures to small wire coops, but they all have one thing in common:
they are designed to keep the animal penned INSIDE.  By this definition,
a small rabbit cage, a multi-tier cage on rollers, or a large room with
a blocked-off door ALL qualify as cages.  Which brings up an important
point.  It is NOT the size of the cage that subjects a ferret to a bleak
environment; it is the environment WITHIN the cage!  An enriched smaller
cage may be a better enclosure for a ferret than a bleak large room.
 
Nonetheless, there is a communal belief that because ferrets sleep so
much, a bleak cage environment is unimportant.  After all, all they are
doing is sleeping, so cage improvements are more in the scope of gilding
rather than enhancement.  The problem is that people have been somewhat
brainwashed into thinking ferrets sleep so long that extended periods of
time within a bleak cage are harmless.  That belief is a myth; it is an
observational tautology (a circular argument).  Yes, caged ferrets have
long sleeping times, but are those sleeping times a normal behavior, or,
does the caging environment cause them?  From my experience ferrets
allowed to free roam not only have more waking periods, but also they
sleep considerably less than caged ferrets.  The general observation that
caged ferrets sleep a long time is probably more of an observation of the
effects of caging than of a true behavior.  In other words, because most
ferret owners house their ferrets in cages, and ferrets within these
limited environments tend to sleep, then the assumption is erroneously
made that such extended sleeping behavior is normal.
 
The other myth is that because ferrets evolved from polecats that sleep
in small, confined dens, a small cage is a fair substitute for such a
den.  The premise sounds fair, but because polecats can leave the den at
anytime to enter an interesting environment and ferrets are forced to
remain in their cage for extended periods of time, the assertion is
faulty.  I suspect the contention that ferrets regard their cages as
personal space--that is, a den--is a fair one.  However, even if true,
ferrets and polecats tend to regard dens as temporary sleeping places,
NOT as a semi-permanent, inescapable environment.
 
A third myth is that older ferrets have such extended sleep periods
that they don't need much time outside their cage.  Again, this is an
observational tautology.  While older ferrets clearly are not as active
as younger ferrets, much of their inactivity is due more to housing than
by ageing.  I have many older ferrets that have extended activity and
periods.  Tui, about 5 1/2 years old, is active at least 8 to 10 hours a
day, and Carbone, about 1 1/2 years older, is as active as Tui, or more.
Tori, who is almost 8, blind, and housed in a hospital cage, is at least
active 6 to 8 hours per day.  Activity is more related to interesting
surroundings than to ageing.
 
There is a fourth myth, one unfortunately encouraged by my more
passionate writings.  This myth is that ferrets are better off if allowed
to free roam rather than being housed in enriched cage environments.  It
is true that I do not normally cage my ferrets (ill ferrets are housed
separately in a hospital cage, and rescues are temporarily kept in a 8 ft
by 8 ft enclosure), and it is also true I am a harsh opponent of bleak
cage environments, but neither should be interpreted as meaning I think
cages should be outlawed.  As I will discuss later, a cage can be a safe,
entertaining environment for any ferret.
 
Bob C
[Posted in FML issue 4182]