I'm positive I've emailed you about this before Debbie..
 
The best way, although the ferretone trick is a good one, that I've found
to trim nails came via someone else's FML suggestion quite some time ago.
I scruff the ferret with my teeth, like a mamma ferret.  I usually do this
sitting in a chair, but I slouch down so that the ferret's body rests
against mine and doesn't just dangle from my mouth.  This way I have two
free hands to clip nails, and even the ferrets who really hated, struggled
and fought having their nails trimmed before, relax and rest against me
while I'm quickly getting the job done.  Afterwards, everyone gets a
snuggle and a treat for being so good.  No, you don't get hair in your
mouth, but the ferret gets a little slobber on the neck, which I wipe off
and they don't seem to mind too much.
 
Yes, it sounds odd, but it works very well and isn't as traumatic as having
to restrain and wrestle with a ferret who doesn't like having it's nails
cut.  I've helped out trimming nails on these kinds of ferrets, and even
with someone helping you and scruffing the ferret with their hand, you're
still facing the ferret's mouth while clipping.  I've had more than one bad
bite this way.  By having the ferret in your mouth, the ferret faces away
from you and has no choice really but to relax.  It's also not necessary to
bite hard.  Don't worry that your teeth will hurt them, ferret teeth are
much sharper than human teeth, and ferret skin is thicker than you might
think.
 
Robynn and the Four Ferrets of the Apocalypse
[Posted in FML issue 2861]