To Melissa in Michigan,
 
I know of two good ways to keep ferrets cool.  One is to use the "Kalgoorlie
Meat Cooler" technique which I described in an earlier FML. However, as
someone correctly pointed out, it does not work in areas of high humidity
because it depends on cooling through evaporation. Being originally from
Michigan myself, I can tell you it won't work there.  Miserable muggy
summers!  But if you are living in a fairly dry area, email me and I'll tell
you how to set it up--it's easy and costless.
 
But for you Melissa, another option is to fill a plastic bottle 3/4 full of
water (I use salt water because I heard it stays frozen longer --physicist's
comment??).  Freeze it every night, and put it in the ferret's sleeping box
during the day (wait till 11 or so if you are not working, to ensure it
stays cool until evening).  My ferrets love this, though Rikki tends to hog
the best spot and force poor Emma to sprawl halfway out the door.  It makes
the whole sleeping box feel cool for 4-5 hours or so during the hottest part
of the day.  I suppose you could also use one or more of those blue
commercial cooler blocks with perhaps better effect.  If you are gone all
day, maybe you need to freeze a bigger bottle.  Of course, keep the cage out
of the sunlight.  Ta!  ---Sue in Istanbul
[Posted in FML issue 1233]