Renee, attach at three points on the top of your ferrets hammock a heavy,
flannel-like cloth, such that the ferret may burrow underneath and thereby
sleep as in a natural burrow.  In other words, the ferret is lying on the
hammock but has secreted himself beneath the extra cloth you've tacked to at
least three places on top of the hammock.
 
Ferrets instinctively want the security of their burrow (as you know, they
are normally subterranian dwellers, as is their kissin cousin, M.
nigrapedes, the Blackfooted one) and nearly always cover themselves with a
nest cloth if no natural tight burrow is available.
 
You may have noticed that the ferret usually digs at its hammock.  It may be
doing this to attempt the pulling up of loosened fabric so it can cover
itself - a completely instinctive act.  Then after digging and forming a
hole or ragged edge, it's again quite natural for the ferret to grind his
carnasials (animal molars, sort of) across the fabric to enjoy its desire to
chew, as it would on animal skin, muscle, and bone.
 
Perhaps we forget that M. putorius furo is an actual carnivore, and would
naturally eat animals that it successfully preyed upon.  It's really a sad
commentary on the intellect of somel ferret owners that their nutritional
ideas of what their ferret should eat is the stuff that comes out of a paper
bag.  You know, I really wonder if the extraordinary high incidence of
carcogenic tumors in pet ferrets is due, in part, to the artificial food we
provide to them.  Wouldn't it be wonderful to know how the incidence of
cancer in the wild ferret compares to the pet ferret.  Hmmm.  But, then
again, the butchery of kits, primarily for man's convenience, at the hands
of assembly line "technicians" in a place like MF, is indeed a contributor
to the high incidence of cancer.  As a matter of fact, the latest statistic
is that 70 percent of MF ferrets can be expected to develop lethal cancerous
growth within the first four years of life.
 
Here at Ferrets NorthWest FNW we give to our caged mustelids, including pet
mink, these dog biscuits (small dog size) for them to chew.  It helps
satisfy their craving to gnaw.  We also provide certain portions of briefly
cooked chicken, with thigh bone in, for their chewing needs.  The ends of
the bone are always chewed off.  From time to time, briefly hot-air seared
fresh meat, beef, is also provided.  You might consider doing something like
this for your M. p f ' s.
 
It has been our experience that the wider the range of foods fed to the M.
p f , including poached eggs, starches, fruits, vegies, carbohydrates,
yeast, onions, garlic and bandsaw meat debris, all combined with the heavily
laden bacteria of yoghurt, in a soup mix of ultrafine, hi-speed blender
churned food particles, the healthier M.p f you will have at double the
longevity of ferrets on cheap cat food.
 
The FNW shelter has adopted in excess of 2,000 ferrets, two mink, one otter,
and three lesser weasels since our founding in 1983.  So, we've been greatly
blessed with knowledge that we can't help but trip over sometimes.  I hope
you'll consider widening your ferrets diet soon, and will offer him/her
liquid food as well as solid.  It's been our good fortune also to have never
experienced even one case of ECE (Epizootic Catarrhal Enteritis) the green
slimed diarrhea here, so whatever it is, we must be doing something right,
some of the time.
 
As the Germans say,  Good luck or Glueck Auf !
 
Edward Frettchenvergnuegen Lipinski,
[Posted in FML issue 1817]