I'm a little late responding to this; someone asked a while back
about collars and name tags for ferrets. I used to use a kitten collar
for Bud which was 'universally adjustable'. That is, it had no holes,
you could just poke the, uh, thing (whatever that metal rod's called
that usually goes through the holes in a collar :) through the loosely
woven nylon fabric anywhere. I *would not* recommend this type of collar.
I found after a while that Bud's fur was getting caught within the weave
and being pulled out! It took several months for the white ring around
his neck (from all the missing guard hairs) to grow out. Afterwards I
obtained some leather ferret collars with bells from Ferretstuff. They
have a free catalog available (or did about a year ago) with various
ferret related items. They can be reached at:
 
     FerretStuff
     P.O. Box 65125
     Virginia Beach, VA 23464
     703-265-1944
 
(anyone who's dealt with them recently want to verify that this info is
correct?) I did find their service a little slow, but maybe I was just
unlucky. As for name tags, there's a company here in Canada called LuckyPet
where you can order pet tags with the pet's name, as well as your name,
address, and home phone number (an extra work number is optional). The
tags are durable plastic (the metal tag I tried first was battered into
unreadability in fairly short order) and have reflective paint on the back.
I've found the smallest size (7/8 inch) to be good for ferrets; neither of
mine are bothered by theirs. They are available in several colors and shapes,
come with a split ring or S-hook, and cost $6.95 each (Canadian dollars; 50
cents extra for a second phone number), plus postage & handling. I don't
know if they take orders from outside Canada, but it might be worth a try.
Their address is:
 
     LuckyPet
     #518 - 1027 Davie Street
     Vancouver, B.C., Canada
     V6E 4L2
 
They also have a toll-free number for credit card orders: 1-800-543-8247
(though again I don't know if it's available from outside Canada).
 
John, Buddy, and Cassidy
 
[Posted in FML issue 0640]