Two things make a great ferret carry sack: a wide seam around the bottom,
and a way to fasten them in.  The sack is a lot more comfortable for the
fert if there is about a 2" strip of fabric sewn between the two sides all
the way around, instead of just stitching the two sides together directly.
Even more important is a snap hook inside the bag that you can attach to the
ferret's H-harness.  That way every time they try to climb out, they are
reminded that it doesn't work, and pretty soon they get used to just riding
around peeking out, and being so unbearably cute that everyone who sees them
immediately falls in love with ferrets for life.  The H-harness should have
the attachment point in back (not middle).  That way, the ferret can hang
safely from the harness if she wants to, with the weight taken by the chest
loop (not the neck!).  I strongly second the recommendation for WarmFuzzy
carry sacks, which meet all these criteria, and then some.
 
McKenzie is a new rescue that the others like to beat up on, so as
compensation for not getting to play with the pack, she gets to leave the
house with me in the carry sack quite often.  She's quite a good passenger,
but sometime she simply has to get down and check things out.  I try to
accomodate this need (rather than fight it), and I also bring along one of
those extendo dog leashes for this purpose.  Yesterday, she simply had to
check out the new landscaping around the post office -- tunneling in bark
dust, yahoo!  Alas, I worry that someday the little weasel will cause a car
wreck, judging from the reactions she gets from passing motorists as her
3-inch high profile scoots across the street at my heels, with a 65-lb dog
following close behind.
 
On my top-ten list for ferts is: build a box condo for your ferrets, and add
to it or change it every chance you get.  Just as you can never have enough
ferrets, you can never have enough boxes.  Cut new holes, seal old ones,
untape the boxes and stack them a different way.  Be sure to provide windows
and skylights -- the sight of a box condo with ferret faces peeking out at
different levels (as they try to figure out where each other is, without
being detected themselves) will make you laugh every single time.  I always
put smaller boxes atop larger, so if ferrets exit though a window, they can
climb (not fall) down.  Use dryer tubes to connect different parts or levels
of the maze.  Put cool stuff in the maze and watch what happens when they
find it.  One of the best boxes I have was originally used to ship a kayak
paddle -- you can picture the dimensions.  Similar boxes can be obtained
from ski shops in season.
 
And finally, a second to one of Mo' Bob's top ten: read the ferret FAQ!
Read it early and often.  This is not a flame, but some days I swear 3/4 of
the questions on the FML are already answered in the FAQ.  If you can get
the FML, you can get the FAQ.  The instructions for how are right at the top
of each and every FML.  I don't mind seeing the questions on the FML, but I
feel a bit guilty letting them pass without answering them (I know the
answers you all have given me have been much appreciated and helpful).
However, when the same FML contains a request for letters to CA legislators
or the Sierra Club, I really feel my letter-writing time might be better
spent on those efforts (and let the real fert experts tackle the FML
questions that *aren't* addressed in the FAQ).
 
Another great resource is "Search the FML archives", reachable from Ferret
Central.  For instance, I needed ammo to discuss feral ferrets recently, and
I got all I needed by searchin the archives for the word "feral".  Check it
out.  Your mileage *will* vary, depending on your choice of keyword(s), and
how often a topic comes up.  I got some other useful info by searching for
"diabetes", but if you searched for "adrenal" you'd probably be overwhelmed.
No matter -- there's a FAQ for that :-)
 
--
Kim, and a bunch of mobile ferts who are mega-glad they don't live in CA
where they'd be stuck indoors on sunny days like this (but who really want
to go on a vacation to the Golden State, so write those legislators!)
 
[Moderator's note: The searchable archives are a great resource, brought
to you by Roger Poore and his ferrets.  I don't most of the past FMLs are
there to search though... Roger?  BIG]
[Posted in FML issue 1915]