Mooney Norma <[log in to unmask]> says:
>         And, to Richard Chandler, who wrote in with a possible tip for
> disciplining out-of-reach ferrets...couldn't those pellets hurt them,
> especially if they got shot in the eye or something? Maybe I don't
> understand what you meant, but I suspect other FMLers may be confused
> as well. How can those hollow rubber pellets be "harmless"? I can't
> imagine shooting anything at my little Molly.
 
  Well, it took a while before my sister's cats did enough damage that I
resorted to that.  It was also for their own protection, because they were
getting into boxes of foam rubber and styrofoam and trying to eat it.  The
pellets themselves are about the size of a plump raisin and very soft  (The
friend of mine who pointed this one out to me, a toy gun collector, nicknamed
the pellets "Turtle condoms".  I'd had the thing a few years, we used them
for that "assassin" game in college.).  Considering it's a children's toy,
I'm certain there's a safety standard that applies.  (It's meant for knocking
over little cardboard targets).  One thing that made it effective for the
cats was that it made a very loud popping noise, that they didn't like.  The
impact from them is very light, like a tap on the shoulder.
  On the other hand, I don't want to make it sound like I'm advocating
abusing small animals with toy guns.  I think discipline is something that
every parent needs to evaluate for themselves.  I was just making a
suggestion for something less likely to make a mess than a water squirter.
But I do consider it an extreme measure, not something to be used as casually
as one might a remote control.
 
>         Also, couldn't they get a hold of them and eat them thus
> causing an internal blockage, possibly? The same question applies to
> those plastic caps over their nails...what if they fell (or were
> bitten) off and eaten?
 
There would definitely be a danger if a ferret ate one of the pellets.  You
would have to round them up carefully afterwards.
 
As for the plastic nail caps, I only read about them in a news story as an
alternative to declawing cats (which is definitely cruel).  You would have to
ask a vet who had had some experience with these things on cats.
 
>         I think that if you need to discipline your ferret, shouting
> "No", catching them and sending them to their cage for awhile and,
> possibly, "bopping" them on the nose all work well. Personally, I don't
> believe in anything more severe than that.
 
  A question I have for people who use a travel case for putting a Ferret in
when they need to cool off: Does it make it harder to transport the Ferret?
Does the critter think it's being punished for no reason when all that's
really happening is a trip to visit someone?
 
 
As I've been looking around thinking of things that need to be ferret
proofed, I think I've come up with a good solution for the kitchen cabinet
problem.  Get a strip of that plastic U-shaped channel that slips over then
ends of boards, and put it across the tops of the doors to the space under
the sink.  In ascii:
________________________________________________________________
|  |________________________________________________________|  |
|                             |  |                             |
|         Door                |  |         Door                |
 
This should hold the doors closed fairly tightly, with no need to drill holes
or drive screws.
 
<sigh> the Appliances look like they're not going to be a problem, but the
cords for the computer and stereo, and the Fireplace look like they're going
to be tough to make safe.
 
Also, I've heard mention of the various coloration patterns of Ferrets, does
anyone have a definitive list?
 
 
[Posted in FML issue 0647]