We've had great success with nylon kitten collars.  We get the 8-inch
size and poke an extra hole through the woven threads, then trim off
the extra 1.5 inches or so from the end.  You'll want to be sure to leave
enough to go through the ring after the buckle.  We found that the loose
end just wouldn't stay in its ring, so Pixxel had a tendency to chew on it
and fray the nylon; we solved that problem by melting about a quarter inch
of the flat surface of the collar in addition to the cut end.  Not only
does that keep it from fraying, it makes it a bit harder so it gets caught
in the ring better.
 
We've never had any problems with either of our ferrets getting hurt by
catching their collars in anything, but we make sure to leave them loose
enough that the furry snakes can slip out if they happen to get caught.
In fact, the easiest way we've found to get the collars on is to fasten
them, then shove them over the ferrets' heads while occupying them with
Ferretone.
 
A small cat bell and small-size plastic tag have worked well for both Pixxel
and Rusty, as young as 9 weeks.  I strongly suggest getting the S-shaped hook
for the tag rather than the split ring, since the rings have a tendency to
loosen and twice Pixxel got hers caught in a sweater or blanket -- which both
frightened her and unraveled the item she was frantically rolling in before
she pulled out of the collar.  You'll probably want to poke the S-hook directly
through the nylon and put the bell and tag on the same hook, though, since
attaching them to the ring on the collar makes them hang down far enough to
drag on the ground.
 
Neither of the slinkies seems to mind wearing a collar, although the first time
we put Pixxel's on her she spent 15 minutes trying to convince us she was dying
and then the next hour playing with the jingly toy that followed her wherever
she went.  Rusty seemed largely to ignore his, but he's always been a much
calmer ferret than Pixxel.
 
In short, I strongly recommend tags and bells for all ferrets.  Ours have never
gotten out, but even just around the house it gives enormous peace of mind to
be able to tell where they are!
 
- Pam  ([log in to unmask])
Pixxel and Rusty the furry snakes
Bob the somewhat-less-furry hubby
 
[Posted in FML issue 0633]