First and foremost, I want to send out a big group thank you to everyone
who has sent me information / advice on my move back home to the Chicago
area.  I am going to send out personal thank you's and replies, but haven't
had a chance yet.  (Been busy getting all packed up, you know). :)  Second,
I have discovered that the inside of my couch is the number one ferret
tourist attraction in the apartment.  Now at first I thought this was an
isolated incident, and didn't pay it much mind, but it seems to be the
perfect FLO headquarters.  Does anyone else have this problem?  And Advice
on how to KEEP THEM OUT???  I'm ready to go nuts!  At first, they managed
to get into my roommate's couch.  There are apparently holes in the lining
inside the couch behind the cushions, and they were all able to squeeze in.
And stay in for hours and hours.  I told my roommate, and he didn't care,
so I cut open the bottom of the couch and would just pick it up and pull
them out when it was time to go back in the cage.  Then they started to
stash food in there, and possibly even poop in there (they'd say in for a
LONG time).  And it began to smell really bad.  And my roommate was moving
anyway, so he said to just throw out the couch.  So I did.  Problem solved.
A few days later they started going into the chair that had matched Tim's
(my roommate's) couch.  I figured it was no big deal, the design for that
chair matched the couch, and they recognized it.  And I called Tim since he
had already moved, and he said I could throw the chair out too.  So I did.
Problem solved again - for real this time, I thought.  Now, today, we have
a new problem.  They can get inside MY couch.  And I can't go around
throwing out all the furniture I have.  I didn't think there were any holes
in the lining of my couch; I checked it out and it's put together pretty
well, but they always find a way.  It all starts with luna, she's the
instigator.  And she only found the hole because she squeezed under the
cushion while my brother (who is visiting me) was sitting on it and pushing
it down.  But now she knows it is there, and soon they will all be inside.
What can I do?  Especially since I'm moving back to my parents in a couple
of weeks.  They have lots of furniture and won't be receptive to ferrets
hiding in it OR to throwing it out.  And they have a pretty open, quad
level house, so it is hard to block off rooms.  And I can't keep them out
of the living room in my apartment either because that's where their cage
is.  So the solution has to lie somewhere in the couch.  There must be a
way to block it off successfully.  And it has to be impervious to furious
ferrets who are trying to dig their way into a place they were previously
able to get to (in other words, VERY DETERMINED ferrets).  PLEASE help me,
I'm at my wits end with these four.  And you are the only people I can turn
to who might have a way to help me, or at the very least will understand
how difficult it is to keep them out of the couch now that they know they
can go in the couch.  I can't be the only person whose ferrets do this, can
I?  And for an added bonus question, does anyone know why they are suddenly
trying to go in the furniture, when we've been here since June and they've
never paid it any mind before?  Are they getting bored?  Do I need to
stimulate them more?
 
Thanks in advance for any replies!  Sorry that I've rambled on so long.  I
just don't know what else to do!
 
Kristi (Kitchen Consultant with The Pampered Chef) and the Mad Menagerie:
        Mayonnaise, Clover, Luna, and Loki (Mustelid Mob of Mayhem)
        Boo (the cat) and Casey (the kitten)
(see the crew at:  http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Park/4093 )
 
Reach me by ICQ. My ICQ# is 194656 OR
by yucky AOL: My IM name is EmaniaE
 
ferrets are like potato chips...you can't have just one!
[Posted in FML issue 2559]