Christine,
I suggested this on here once before (sorry if you've already tried
this/read this!).  I've been using plastic carpet protector (picked it up
from Staples--it's to protect carpets from desk chairs with rollers).  My
fuzzie, Loki, still occasionally tries scratching (at the plastic) but I
think it's slowly sinking in that scratching plastic is getting him
no-where.
 
I have a funny little anecdote about Loki...I think he thinks he's really a
cat. My new housemate has a declawed cat. They get along great, Marley (the
cat) quickly picked up the ferret games and loves playing with him. So much
so, she often waits by his cage all day for him to be let out to play.
Meanwhile Loki, I think, is having an identity crisis.  For awhile I guess
he figured he was human, and now since he's met a cat whose more his size,
maybe he thinks he's really a cat.  He's stopped eatting the food in the
bowl that I leave in his cage.  Instead, he eats the food from Marley's bowl
(BTW- it's the EXACT same food!!) AND I caught him using HER litter box the
other day!  I've left 1-3 litter boxes out for him to use (which of course
he never would) and now he occasionally uses hers!  He must be having an
identity crisis!
 
Some time back someone posted about a great ferret-food they'd found via a
catalog (I forget which one).  They listed off about three other catalog
companies.  I called them all but none advertised the ferret food.  Whoever
posted it said it was "RAISIN-FLAVORED".  Whoever posted that, if you could
post specifics about what the brand name was and where you got it, I'd
really appreciate it!  (Hoping maybe that will solve the cat-food-stealing
problem mentioned above!) Thanks!
 
Jennifer & Loki (meow...dook..dook)
[Posted in FML issue 1339]