About a week or so ago, the temperature here in southern NY began to go up.
When I came home from work one day to find the thermometer in the ferrets
room upstairs registering in the 90's, (they looked fine, weren't even
panting), I decided it was time for them to spend at least days downstairs.
The upstairs of my house is poorly ventilated; the original owners had built
into the attic to create a second floor and there are only two tiny windows,
one at each end, each barely large enough for a 10" fan and too small for an
air conditioner.  With the little exhaust fan going upstairs and the AC
going downstairs it was still 95 degrees upstairs today.
 
I only moved their 'small' cage downstairs for now; because they can still
spend time upstairs when it cools off on rainy days or in the morning.  I
decided they should have a hammock, not the heavy wool and fleece one that
hangs in their regular cage, but something made of lighter material for the
summer
 
Ever get into one of those moods where you want to do a project *right now*?
Well, it was 10:00pm (too late to go shopping), so I decided to make one.
But what to make it OF?  I began to search the house for something suitable.
(Of course, just days before, I had gone on a cleaning binge and brought all
my unwanted clothing to the clothes drop in town.) I started with the box of
scrap material in the cellar, which held upholstery samples.  This one was
too heavy, the next too scratchy, that one was marked 'dry clean only'.  Oh
look-blue jean material, more than enough for a hammock!  Oh ,eewww, what
was that on it?!?  Cobwebs, dust, grunge...I threw it back in the box and
closed it.
 
Upstairs I began looking thru the linen closet.  Nope, need the pillowcases.
Nope, not the towels.  Headed for the bedroom.  Say, what about all those
dress scarves that I never wore?!?  They weren't doing any good just sitting
in the back of the closet...hmmn.  Nope, that one's wool, that one's silk,
that one's WAY too big.
 
Finally I found a scarf that they'd look just lovely in!  (Picture two
chocolate standard fuzzies in a pretty polyester scarf in a warm chocolate
brown and cream pattern.) Darn though, the thin polyester material wouldn't
wear well.  I reminded myself I was trying to make a ferret hammock, not a
fashion statement, and put it back.
 
I started to go through my dresser drawers; maybe there was still something
that could be sacrificed...Started at the top (underwear and socks).  Not
that, not that, DEFINATELY not that!  :-> Pulled out an old bra.  Hmmn, it
already had straps, if I cut the straps, and tied it to the cage, could on
ferret curl up on each side?  (I gave serious consideration to this
possiblity.) Decided even my small ferrets wouldn't fit.
 
Headed back down to the celler.  Pulled out the jean material to wash it.
 
As I headed for the stairs, I saw it.  A cheap baseball cap, never worn; one
of many my now-estranged husband had picked up at a previous PC Expo.
 
Hmmn.  Certainly big enough for one ferret.  Two wouldn't fit though.  I
took it upstairs anyway, began a load of laundry, threw in the jean
material, and began to convert the hat to a hammock.  I punched a hole in
the brim, cut two small slits in the back, and threaded sturdy red cord
through each slit and hole.  I took the ?hatmock? to the cage and began to
hang it.  They started climbing in immediatly, even before all the strings
were tied.
 
The hat holds a little over two pounds of ferret.  (I was wrong, they DO
both fit!) They looked so cute I ran for the camera!
 
-Ilena Ayala and the hatmocked ferrets, Katie & Polly
[Posted in FML issue 1980]