Tim,
I'm a fairly new member to FML myself, so I guess we can welcome each
other.  My wife and I have 12 ferrets and holding (I think).  We're
somewhere under the snow in southern NH under the glacier that used to be
Merrimack <G>.  We started a small ferret shelter last September.  So fer
have placed somewhere around 50.
        My list of shelters shows two in IN; one in Indianapolis (Ferret
Contact - 317-283-7982) and one in Martinsvile (Adopt-A-Ferret Center -
317-342-5969).  We've found various reactions when introducing a new
ferret to the mob.  Mostly they try to establish a pecking-order for a
few days.  Sometimes that lasts for a few weeks.  We always are there to
intervien in cast things get out of hand, but remember, THEY DO PLAY
ROUGH.  They love it though.  Best test as to wheter its fighting or
playing is to remove the one that seems to be getting the worst of it,
then set it down a few feet away.  Usually that one will leap through the
air and land on the other with all four feet spread.  If it takes off the
other direction, the play was getting too rough and its time to seperate
them for a while and try later.  It sometimes takes a while until they
get everything straightened out, but then they'll be inseperable.  Gender
shouldn't make any difference - males tend to be larger than the females
- sometimes 2:1.  We found in general that our males are more docile, but
one of the females is the sweetest of all of them.
 
>>LInatone and Ferretone <<
They are similar.  Ferretone tends to have more vitamin A.  We use
Linatone diluted 2:1 with Olive Oil (Two parts Olive Oil and one part
Linatone).  Around a pump a day but usually not more than 5 days a week.
Too much Vitamin A is toxic from what I've been able to find out, but no
one is really sure how much is too much in ferrets.
 
>>>squeaky toy<<<
They can tear most rubber and vinal ones apart and swollow the rubber -
very bad if it blocks the intestine.  We have a lambs wool puppet-like
toy (dogs toy) with a squeaker inside.  Our largest male (6 months old)
has adopted it and carries it everywhere with him.  It about half his
size (bigger than some of the females).  *SO far*, its been
industructable.
 
>>>litter-box<<<
We use clumpable litter.  If yours tends to root around in the litter, I
wouldn't recommend it though. If you do go to that or regular clay
litter, be sure to get the unsented kind.  Our cages all have solid
floors.  The gratings can damage the tender pads.  A sheet of aluminum,
heavily painted/varnished wood is great, covered with a cheap woven rug
(typically $1.99 at discount stores) makes for a soft surface.  Wood
chips tend to hold in urine and breeds bacteria, even if they're not in
contact with it the air could get a little "dirty" after a while.  We
just keep a litterbox in the corner of the cage (actually we have a 4
level condo with two litter boxes, but whatever).  I made all of the
cages for the shelter.  Used 1x2 inch 14 guage(I think it was) galvanized
wire.  Bought the crimps and crimping tool and latches at Agway.  About
the only thing I could recommend about her using the linoleum is to take
up the linoleum <G>.  We constantly are "picking-up" after some of ours
and we have litterboxes all around the house.  Sometimes a treat of
linetone/ferretone (diluted) while they are using the litterbox helps
train them.  They catch on quickly and will soon pretend, just to get the
treat.
 
Our's all time favorite toy is the plastic flexable dryertubes.  Never
met a ferret that didn't love them.  We also have a sandbox for them to
dig in  during the summer.  Its on a screened-in porch.
Dick B.
 
[Posted in FML issue 0757]