I saw a note here that jogged my otherwise snow clogged brain into
remembering other posts about ferrets playing with toilet paper and wrapping
paper tubes.
 
Some of these cardboard tubes are just big enough that a ferret can get its
ever curious head into if it tries hard enough.  The major problem, and I do
want to emphasize the words "MAJOR" and "PROBLEM" are that their heads don't
come out so easily.  If you are not there and they do get their heads into
such a tube, they will panic to the point of lacerating their tongues and
actually go into shock.  We discovered this the hard way, coming home to
find one of our fuzzies lying motionless in a wastebasket with a carboard
tube stuck on its head, the inside of the tube soaked with blood and foam.
(The ferret did recover.)
 
We now treat these small tubes as a ferret hazzard and rip them lenghtwise
before throwing them away.
 
Briefly on another note.  Has any one else developed the suspicion that the
"accidents" and missed literboxes are a ferret's way of "punishing us"?
I've noticed that when any of our crew is upset with something that we've
done/not-done that they tend to have "accidents" right were it catches our
attention most readily.  Shut the bedroom door in their face to keep them
out, and I'll find a pile there when I come out.  Not open the door to the
screen porch in the morning, there'll be a series of piles there.  FFZ
living room doors?  Constant clean up going on there.  Litter box needs
cleaning?  They'll glare and raise that tail right in front of me - not even
in the corner.
 
Dick B.
[Posted in FML issue 1445]