I feel so, so bad for you.  To have one get out is the worst feeling.
I will tell you my two incidents.  Once, when I was on the phone with
my now roommate Margie, I was wondering why my sons friend said "SH*T!"
and pushed me out of the way.  Very, very uncharacteristic for Brandon.
(My son and Brandon were like 14 or 15 at the time.  They are now
22........)  Andy, my son, then looked out the window and said "SH*T!!!"
and then went OUT THE WINDOW.  I kid you not, OUT THE WINDOW.  As we
were on the second story, that was quite a feat.  (I then discovered how
he had been sneaking out on me, but that is a different story.......
LOL.........I am glad his teenager years are over......)  He let himself
hang, and I saw the footholds he used.  I then looked out towards this
field that was over a fence from our complex.  Then I saw Snowball, my
beloved Snowy, dooking around IN THE FIELD!...... Andy and Brandon caught
the little beast after digging through underbrush and ambushing him.
Snowy thought it was all a big game.  Being and albino, all I could think
of was "WHAT IF SNOW HADN'T HAVE JUST MELTED?"  We never would have seen
him.  I couldn't think how he escaped.  I found out that my late husband
Luis....AKA "Ricky Ricardo" had left the front door open a crack for
"fresh air."  Needless to say, that ended the "free roam" days of my
weasels, and we went to several supervised-by-Mommy-not-Daddy playtimes.
 
Second time was in one of those playtimes.  I was cleaning, had bagged up
the trash, and had taken it to the dumpster.  I was careful, and I KNEW I
had no escapees...... Well, bedtime came and NO ELSIE.  I couldn't find
her anywhere.  I went outside crying, calling her, begging St. Francis
to send her home to me since I was such a bad, irresponsible ferret
Mommy.  I heard a rustling in the storage door by the sliding glass door
that was ajar for some reason.  Out popped Elsie's head.  I cried and
cried and kissed her and thanked St. Francis.
 
No matter how careful we are, doors sometimes don't catch, ferrets move
at the speed of light and we don't see them, they rip open screens, etc.,
etc.  All we can do is try our best, do the best we can, and pray that
their little, intelligent weasel brains don't outsmart us.
 
Don't beat yourself up, my friend.  You guys sound like careful,
responsible ferret owners.  It happens to the best of us.
 
I have said a prayer to St. Francis, St. Anthony, and anyone else who
might be listening to bring Bubbles home to you, and for all the other
"escapees."  The little beasts are just too smart for their own good.
 
Catherine
Behind The Zion Curtain
 
"You have all the equipment, you just need to read the manual" -
Elle Woods
[Posted in FML issue 4803]