As a last resort, you might try fine ground black pepper, in small
quantities, sprinkled near the doors where your ferret diggs.  The digging
will stir up just enough to make him start sneezing.  He will loose interest
very quickly.  This will also work in some cases to stop your ferret from
using the wrong corners as potty.  By "in some cases", I mean, if your ferret
smells of the corner before backing into it.
 
I have not had occassion to use this myself, but I mentioned it to some
friends who were having some serious problems with their little girl.  The
digging stopped _IMMEDIATELY_ and she stopped using her favorite corners
after only a day.  She did try using a couple of other places the next day,
but a little black pepper there and she caught on.
 
Just for the record, black pepper or a derivative of black pepper is the key
ingredient in some dog repellents.  I happened to be down wind of someone who
used one a few years ago.  I was at least 20 feet away and it was as though I
had black pepper tossed in the air in front of me.  I sneezed twice.  The dog
that was the target had lost all interest in the girl and was sneezing and
rubbing his nose in the grass.
 
The word from my friends is that they vacuumed the carpets four days later
and they have not had any problems in the last three months.  Must work.
 
 ----------------
"Cats may be cool, but carpet sharks rule!"
 
John Gaver ([log in to unmask])
 
[Posted in FML issue 0616]