My sympathies go out to all of you who have recently lost your best
friends.  I sure wish there was a way we could make them live many more
years...
 
I have a problem with one of my "children" that I need help with.  Riker,
my 13 month old terrorist, lives with his 7 friends in a triplex.  He gets
very impatient that I don't let him out exactly when he wants out and digs
all of the food out of the bowls.  This is very annoying to me (I spend a
lot for good food!) and for the other 7 who sometimes have to eat off of
the floor when he "rearranges" the pen.  Riker gets at least 4 hours of
exercise daily (chasing me and the other 10 ferrets) and has play toys in
the pen.  I have tried a hopper but no matter how I secure it, he gets it
off the pen.  I tried putting a hood over the dish but he still manages to
get all of the food out of the bowl.  I also have tried putting a very
large garnet (rock) into the food bowl.  Most of the time he can still dig
out the food and several times he has also removed the rock.  Does anyone
have any suggestions?  Yes, I am willing to admit that he is smarter than
I am.
 
Also, I am looking for covered litter pans similar to the covered cat
boxes but about 1/2 or 1/3 the height.  Has anyone seen these for sale?
 
Thanks.
 
        -Carla Almaraz
        Portland, Oregon
[Posted in FML issue 1197]