>We came home from our annual company Christmas party a few years ago to
>discover we had been broken into.  We noticed a broken window & feared
>Pinky or the cats may have gotten out.
 
This happened to us a few years ago as well.  At the time we only had three
ferrets (wow how times have changed - we added 10).  Thieves broke a window
in the bedroom of our ground floor apartment and snaked in there, stole
everything they could get their little grimy hands on and then left through
the sliding glass, leaving it wide open in the process, along with the back
gate.
 
Our cats were terrified - it took Isis months to be able to come out from
under the bed when a stranger came over, so I hate to even ponder what they
may have done to my cats.  However, the scary part was my ferrets - the
clasp on the cage had broke and we were holding it closed with a padlock on
the top and bottom of the door until we could fix the lock.  The cage was an
all metal dog crate (modified for furries - still have that cage, still
works great) and very tough.  The first thing I did when we discovered the
break in was check the ferrets ... both padlocks were twisted and chipped,
as though someone was trying to get my little darlings out with, say, a big
handled screw driver like the one they broke in with.  All three ferrets
were dancing wildly aroun the cage, food dish spilled, water bottle knocked
off, trying to tell Mum about their exciting day.
 
I don't neccessarily have anything against free roaming ferrets but for us
it isn't an option.  For one thing, all I can ever remember is that even if
the thieves hadn't tried to steal my ferrets, what did they do to my
kitties?  and they left the back door open - I would never have seen my free
roaming fuzzies again.  Nowadays we have two ferocious dogs that protect our
property and we can't let the ferrets roam for a different reason (if they
climb the couch where Ben is sleeping she'll eat them, plain and simple.
It's the dog's couch).  All the same, I feel better knowing they are safely
tucked away in the multi level cages, playing in the hammocks, sliding
through tubes or snacking on our friend Tom's homemade version of Linatone
with a little Nutrional Yeast or a milkbone thrown in for variety.
 
Recently someone tried to pry our front door open and I imagine the sight of
Ben's snarling, bad attitude face sent them running like the wind, but it
reminded me that it is an ever present threat and we have to keep that in
mind.  Besides, the blasted ferrets climb everything in sight and my house
would be demolished in seconds if I let them roam free...
 
Sheena
WFHHF, GVFIS and
Ferret Association of Greater Vancouver
[Posted in FML issue 1596]