Ophelia said:

>I have one of those Marshall Mansions and three ferrets, very well
>established together.
>
>They usually get out twice a day for an hour or an hour and half romp.

>But sometimes I just don't feel like supervising them. (Ya'll know
>what that means...)
>
>Is it too terribly cruel to let them entertain themselves as best they
>can for a day in their cage if I just don't feel up to it?...

I've decided to stop just sending messages out privately - only to
the original poster. I've decided I no longer give a fig if it starts
a flame war or engenders an e-mail box full of angry e-mail.

That said.

I say, go for it Ophelia. Your ferrets will be fine after a day spent
in their cages. They won't die. They won't resent it. The worst that
will happen is they may be bored, but then mine find themselves bored
sometimes even out of their cages. What they will do is sleep.

I have migraines. And free-roaming ferrets. Sometimes the headaches are
bad enough so all I want to do ids sleep. That's when my otherwise wild
and free kids get put in their cages. Nice, big roomy cages stuffed
with fleecies and hammocks and cubes and tubes. Their papers are kept
clean (I line the bottom of the cages with a thick layer of newspaper),
their water is bottled & fresh and they have multiple bowls of both
food and water.

They live. I live. I don't have to worry about them being unsupervised
while I'm sick. In fact, if I am sick, I feel its safer for them to be
in cage rather than wandering about doing God knows what.

In other words, don't feel guilty Ophelia. Just do it if you have too.
And if they make you feel guilty afterwards, they just remember that's
what pets and kids do best - make us feel guilty. :-)

anne

[Posted in FML 5747]