Frank,
Welcome to the wonderful world of ferrets!
It is probably a good idea to keep your ferret caged while you are away for
at least a month so you can make sure that your home is completely, 100%
ferret-proof!  Some trouble spots are hard for humans to see until they see
their fuzzie disappearing into them!  After you are sure that it is
completely safe, it is up to you whether or not to keep her caged while you
are gone.  My ferret has free roam all the time, but many people feel safer
if their baby is in the cage if they can't be supervised.  You'll probably
get a lot of different opinions on that one!
 
As far as litter training goes, most people suggest not letting the ferret
out until she goes potty in the cage litter box.  However, it is not likely
that your baby will always make it back to the cage, so I would suggest
getting a few more boxes to place strategically in corners about the house!
 
        And what it all comes down to, my friends,
        is that nobody's really got it figured out just yet,
        cause I got one hand in my pocket
        and the other one's....playing with the ferret!(hey, it rhymes)
 
        Fuzzie love to all!--Barbara
[Posted in FML issue 1336]