The real question is can you leave a ferret in a safe restricted
environment (a "cage") for long periods yet still give them sufficient
activity and stimulation.

First factor: the cage. A cat carrier is pretty clearly too small and
too boring for anything other than sleeping in. At the other extreme
is a whole house. A house probably provides sufficient opportunity and
stimulation (though when my furkids want to go outside, they're just
like human kids -- "mom, it's so boring in here! There's nothing to do!
I wanna go outside where there's dirt and grass and stuff!!"). A ferret
room might be fine, or might not. Cages are typically smaller than
rooms, which is part of the issue, though a bathroom may not be really
any bigger than a good multi-level cage. But when you are bored with
your cage, even a rather boring bathroom is interesting just because
it's a different place.

Which brings us to the second factor: stimulation. A ferret's favorite
toy is usually its human, and we humans are good at making things
interesting for ferrets. But when the human is not available ...
anything that's new or needs exploration is stimulating. Ferrets
enjoy novelty. And they like rearranging stuff.

I have a half-dozen cages for three ferrets. Normally, I use four,
which are connected by tubing. I can connect a new cage or remove a
cage, and I also have a dig box I can connect. I find that if I change
the tubing around, move their hammies and toys, or add a cage, they
will spend hours setting things to rights. Even if the doors are open,
they will spend their "out" time exploring the new cage setup.

So if you know you can't spend time with your fuzzies, do a bit of
remodeling and let them explore. Add toys. Change who is where, if
you have "shifts".

Another thing you can do if "out" time is quite limited is to let them
into someplace they are normally not allowed. I find that half an hour
in the garden is worth a couple of hours roaming in the living room,
judging by their exhaustion level and willingness to be put to bed.

I'm sure when you were a kid there were times you had to stay home,
or went on a long car trip strapped into a car seat. But physical
restriction was not so bad if you had puzzles and games and things
to do. The furkids will survive quite well with occasional cage
restrictions -- just make it interesting for them.

-Claire

[Posted in FML 5751]