The discussion of stapling fabric to the bottom of a sofa had me giggling to
myself.  Most furniture comes with this flimsy stuff stapled to the bottom.
It's sort of like dryer sheets.  The ferrets will rip it off in one part,
and use the rest for a hammock.  The did this at my in-law's house with the
livingroom furniture and the bed.  My MIL thought it was so cute, she left
the tattered stuff hanging from her couch a long time, then felt guilty for
removing it.  After she removed it, she had no more ferrets in her couch,
but they looked funny dashing for their "hammock" leaping to get into it,
and landing on the carpet looking confused.
 
Well, ANYWAY...they used a different tactic with the bed in our bedroom.
They took the frame off and set the box spring (with no spring, you know the
new kind that are just boxes?) on the floor.  Hahaha!  We win.  We have
prevailed over the mustelids...uh oh.  Can you guess?  In about three
minutes flat, they had ripped a hole in the side of the box "spring" and
were happily running around inside.  Just like that.  Oh we can't get in the
bottom.  Slash, rip, tear.  There.  ARRGH!
 
So, just a warning.  Definitely staple some sturdy material under there, and
watch in case they decide to make an alternate entrance.
 
Oh, and the best solution for carpet digging that we've found so far is that
ugly plastic runner stuff.  It has sharp nubbies on the bottom, so when they
stick their heads under there, they get poked, and it really doesn't get
them to the other side of the door any faster, so they don't dig.  Of
course, there's no telling how they'll decide to get around that one.
 
What does everyone think of this idea: Our house has two bedrooms, a
bathroom, and soon to be a family room where the ferrets could play with
impunity.  In between these rooms is a livingroom with brand new carpet (no
one is pooping on that sucker, or digging it), a kitchen with ferret death
traps, and a utility room with furnace and water heater and washer and dryer
which--call me crazy--I just don't want them in.  So, we're thinking of
putting up some barriers, then stringing some of that flexy black four inch
tubing through the FFZ so they can run through to the other areas.  Anyone
else do anything like this?  I don't want them to live in the family room
full-time because there is one exterior door and one garage door, and these
guys can really RUSH doors.
 
-Catherine (Wonder what kind of plywood and tubing Martha Stewart uses in
her home...)
[Posted in FML issue 1746]