Those of us who have had a ferret for more than two weeks know that ferret
proofing is never a finished task.  Until last week, my in-laws had been
dedicated ferret lovers, but inexperience ferret caretakers.  Then we left
the boys with them for the week while we went on vacation.  The two of them
had a lot of fun and probably had way more treats than they could handle.
When we came back they were healthy and in good spirits and convinced that
my husband's mother was in fact their own mother.
 
However, she confessed to me a terrible adventure that Mortimer had had
while we were away.  There is an open soffet (sp?) in one of the closets.
The house is new and no one had bothered yet to close that one up.  Whenever
Brent and I went there I fretted about this, even though we kept the closet
door closed, I felt it was just an accident waiting to happen.  I should
have insisted they at least tape something over it.
 
Apparently someone left both the bedroom and closet door open one day and
both ferrets found their way to the closet.  My mother-in-law was alone with
them and could only grab Sebastian.  Mortimer escaped into the walls and
stayed there for a good 45 minutes.  They finally found him in the garage
loft, looking confused.  All's well that ends well.  It bothers me that he
could have gotten outside and been lost, or eaten by a coyote or a hawk or a
fox (this is in the country) or fallen and been trapped in the wall!
However, I am not angry at my in-laws because they have learned that ferrets
obey Murphy's law religiously, and I believe they will not underestimate
their mischeivous abilities again.
 
Sooo...if you spot something you think will cause trouble for your ferrets,
don't half heartedly correct it.  You stop right where you are and seal that
hole up with nails, cement, steel, whatever it takes to keep them out!  And
start looking for the next one.
 
-Catherine
[Posted in FML issue 1584]