Back over 30 years ago one of the ferret books -- hmmm, it might have
been the only one we could find for several years -- said to let them
sniff or taste toothpaste when they misbehaved. (Actually, the fluoride
might be a risk for them). Oh, and early on some ferret books said that
male ferrets can never get along w each other, even neutered ones...

Ferretmama requested this thread, and EVERYONE here has made mistakes,
ESPECIALLY when new to ferrets, or read weird things. Of course, not
all are true mistakes. Some things are just situations for which
nothing is perfect or nothing is without risks like food choices, so
those become just a matter of opinion, so, please, stick to the truly
stupid stuff that will have people gasping and chuckling! Some may be
situations in which more has since been learned, but many will be
beliefs, folk beliefs, or practices with no hard data behind them.

Oh, and for the older name for a group of ferrets I found a link on
the possible origin of the word which MIGHT derive from a meaning of
lucky chance.

<http://carlygoogles.blogspot.com/2009/04/where-does-word-fesnyng-come-from.html>

Notice this person who thinks that ferrets are always fiercely solitary
(which links the topics):

http://www.ojohaven.com/collectives/fesnyng.html

[Posted in FML 8052]