Dear Ferret Folks-

I've gotten a couple of e-mails to my inbox about things that are *bad*
for ferrets, but might not be seem immediately threatening.

Throw rugs. Apparently the little buggers burrow, and if they do it
on a regular basis one loses track, gets used to looking at bunched
up fabric. There could easily be a weasel under there, and the weasel
could get stepped on when the rucked up rug does. To that, I would add
laundry thrown on the floor. Ferrets burrow in it. It's not always
obvious that there is a ferret *under* the laundry.

Chairs with wheels. Yup. I've had a few close shaves with those. My
computer chair now has four wooden legs.

I had another sad post about reclining chairs. This time, the ferret
was caught by a singly toe, which the ferret kept. A very sore toe,
but a keeper. The chair is now outside on the front porch. Forever.
Much to hubby's disgust.

Non-metal dryer vent hoses. I don't know the story there, but I'll bet
it is sad. I'll add that to the general washer and dryer warning. A
lady on the FML nearly lost her ferret to a dryer. I know someone who
lost her cat to a dryer. I now have a dryer OCD! It's a front loader,
and I check it about four times if the ferrets are out.

I'm going back in my memory and I almost had a hedgehog lose a foot to
a blankie made from an old bath towel. The strings got wrapped around
her foot, cutting off circulation. I no longer use old bath towels as
bedding, period. Fleece does not unravel.

Raisins look so innocent, and ferrets love them. In large numbers, they
can kill ferrets. They are killers of dogs and cats, too. Dried fruit
in general is bad for ferrets. It might act as a bit of sharp shrapnel
inside the intestine, and need surgical removal. Dried fruit has killed
ferrets in the past. If your kibble has dried fruit as an ingredient,
change brands.

CAT DOORS! Ferrets can and do figure out how to exit them, but not
always how to re-enter.

Rubber squeakies should not be left in the cage. Ferrets shred the
squeakies and eat the rubber. The shreds can form an intestinal
blockage, which like dried fruit bits require surgery to expedite.

I have heard bad things about the wire behind electric stoves. Can
anyone expand on that?

Alexandra in MA

[Posted in FML 6585]