Folks, I'm amazed and, perhaps, more than a little jealous reading about
your ferrets leaving your Christmas tree alone.  Mine love it.  They think
it is the greatest playground we ever created for them.
 
We found this out early, just as we finished trimming the tree.  Joan and
I proudly stepped back after the last of the glittering gold balls was
carefully placed on the branches.  That was when I saw a pink nose pop out
at my eye level.  The nose was carefully checking out the new "toy" I so
graciously place there.  Looking up from the nose, near the top of the
tree, I saw a silver tail disappear into the tree, near one of the electric
candles, and an albino ferret head bobbing not far away.  Of course we
removed the living decorations as fast as we could, but even then, we knew
that it was already a lost cause.
 
Sure enough, the rest of the day was punctuated by the sounds of ornaments
bouncing off the floor, followed by the fainter sounds of them being rolled
off to various ferret treasure troves around the house.  The balls were the
favorite, but the tiny toy shapes were a close second.  None were safe from
the tree dwelling creatures who, up until that day, got nervous when more
than 6 inches off the floor.  I swear that they lived in the tree and only
came down to earth to eat and drink, and of course stash the ornaments.  I
even found one trying to stash ferret kibbles in the tree, but they
wouldn't stay put.
 
Each of the 8 had his or her own stash.  As fast as we'd raid the stash
and return the decorations to their rightful place on the tree, the former
ornaments would disappear into a different stash.  The ferrets out numbered
us 8 to 2; it was hopeless.
 
Mickey, our large silver-mitt male, had far greater visions than just
taking the decorations.  On one trip to what was left of the Christmas
tree, I found Mickey on the floor, his mouth blinking brightly in sync with
the mini-lights, as he valiantly attempted to drag the entire tree across
the floor to his stash under the China cabinet.
 
And some people wonder why our Christmas trees sits outside on our porch,
just outside the French Doors where the ferrets can only watch and dream.
Of course those people don't have ferrets.
 
Dick B.
[Posted in FML issue 2531]