Your story about the ferrets and the decoration with flashing eyes
reminded me of a similar experience.  Several years ago I saw a toy cow that
walked, moved her head, and moooooed.  Realizing this would interest the
ferrets, I brought it home.  Needless to say, I don't know who was the most
entertained, the ferrets or their humans who watched their antics!
 
    When it was time to prepare supper, I turned the toy off and placed it
on a table thought to be inaccessible (as if such a placed exists) to them
:-)   While we we eating, we were baffled by this strangely familiar
mechanical sound.  The mystery was solved as soon as I entered the living
room.  There was Avis, dragging the new toy off to "his" corner where he
kept his "collection."
 
    Thinking the mechanical toy was one that required supervised play, I
switched the cow with a "safe" toy, placed it in another "inaccessible"
location, then returned to the kitchen.  Moments later, I heard the toy
thump to the floor.  As soon as I re-entered the room, I saw Avis hit the
switch with his forepaw!  Thinking that a coincidence, I took the toy,
switched it to off, and replaced it on the floor to see what Avis would do.
He immediately flipped the switch.  Intrigued, I handed him a non-mechanical
four-legged stuffed animal to see if he "just happened to do this" and found
he would only grab the nape with his mouth.  When I returned the cow, he
**immediately** located the switch with his forepaw.  He was a very special
ferret who is missed.
 
     Irene & KIds
[Posted in FML issue 1357]