David and Freddy-
 
RE:  Keeping him a "safe" distance from your feet.  LOTSA LUCK!
 
  You have developed what is commonly known as the "I-own-a-ferret-shuffle".
Practically everyone who owns a ferret learns to walk with both feet never
lifted more than 1/16th of an inch off the floor.  After all, it's up to us
humans to accomadate the ferrets, NOT the other way around.  Just ask any
ferret  ;^).
 
RE:  Chewing on rags.
 
  We have one fella who started chewing on a piece of a wool blanket we gave
him to sleep in/on, and he's been doing it ever since.  As he's grown older,
he's stopped doing it quite so often, but every now and then, he just has to
send shivers up my spine by chewing on a rag...
 
RE:  Two ferrets being better than one.
 
  The only thing that Amy and I can say is:  "Double your pleasure, double
your hair loss..."  'Cause what one don't think up, the other will.  And
they can work together to distract you, sort of "You go this way, I'll go
that..." type of thing.  But go ahead and get another one anyway, or two, or
three...heck we have five and only stopped because they are too much for the
very small house we live in.  As our space increases (hopefully), our ferret
population probably will also.
 
Jodi and Lepold-
 
RE:  Foods.
 
  The only thing that we're aware of is milk products.  While a ferret will
literally levitate to get at a glass of milk, it really isn't good for them
in quantities over one or two mls. per day (I usually drain a glass as well
as I can, and then let the fuzzy finish licking the bottom clean).  Also,
chocolate is definitely a big NOT.  Treats should be kept to being just
that, treats/rewards.  We have a ferret that will cadge potato chips,
tortilla chips, carrots, banana pieces until he bursts, if he could.  One
guy will only eat chicken-flavored pounces and that's it.  Others like
raisins or apple-slices.  Our chip scrounge also likes saltine crackers...go
figure.
  Nutrical or ferretone are generally accepted as "good" treats.  Most all
of our guys go for the malt-flavored hairball medicines in a big way, and
that makes a good double combo.  Used once in awhile as a treat, it also
keeps the ferrets from developing a hacking hairball cough.  But that should
be only used once, or maybe twice, a week.  A little more if they are
shedding  ;^) .
 
 
Pete & Amy              |  Ferret Liberation Army
 [log in to unmask]  |  Merlynn, Morgan, Arthur, Ashke, Coconut
                        |  "Death to all Ferret Free Zones!"
 
 
[Posted in FML issue 0582]