I know in cats "declawing" actually involves amputation of the first joint.
Is this the case in ferrets?  Ours are descented and altered (I know, I
should call a spayed a spayed) but I don't think that declawing them would
be such a good idea.  I noticed that someone had posted that theirs was
declawed: did you buy them like this or choose to do it after?  We really
haven't had a problem with clawing or destructive digging.  We clip their
nails about every two to three weeks: Linatone on the tummy does it....
 
To Chris:
No no, keep your ferrets..  I said that our ferrets stop doing things like
dirt digging when they realize it IS allowed, taboo digging only intrigues
them further, increases their determination, and NOTHING is more determined
than a determined ferret.
 
To Stan & Rena:
Sorry to hear of your loss: I can empathize too closely for comfort.  In
a similar moment (2 minutes) of innattention a sweet although deaf and
mostly blind ferret we were caring for received fatal scalds in a running
bathtub.  Awful feeling.  You really can't be too careful for the
inquisitive sweeties.  The loss has strengthened our resolve to provide a
home for "problem" or abandoned ferrets in our area.  They do need
special care.
 
And for Manuel,
I'm 28, Carolyn is 26, and our two carpet sharks are Pepper (2, sweet,
smart and finky) and Biff (1, huge, fat, not-too-bright, fastidiously
picky about litter boxes: "Hey! I can _smell_ yesterdays stuff in here...
I'm gonna go in the living room where it's _clean_, here, by the
ferret-phobic houseguest...")
 
Steve
[Posted in FML issue 1345]