Chris, I have to send this to you 'cuz mail to the 2 ferret-list
       address bounces back. I dunno why. hope this is OK?
 
[If "clewis" works, "ferreet-list" will too.  Just make sure that
you don't capitalize it]
 
Hi ferret folks,
We would never think of de-clawing our cats let alone the ferrets!!
We had a problem with the carpet in front of the door to our spare room.
We live in an older single wide mobile. There is a 2 or 3 inch space
from the bottom of the interior doors to the floor. We decided to block
the gap under the door to the spare room to keep the carpet sharks out.
They decided this was nonsense and started attempting to 'burrow' under!
The carpet definately has a new 'texture' in one area. If the door had
been blocked from the begining I don't think the ferrets would have
tried to dig their way under. It was only 'cuz they were used to having
access to this room and then having the road blocked that caused the
problem.
 
When we build/buy a new house it will have the 'conventional' door to
floor setup. We plan to buy some of the plastic carpet runner made for
hallways and cut it to closely fit the door jam. We will wind up
with a strip of plastic inside and outside the door. After living
with ferrets for about 10 years now I've almost given up trying
to 'train' them. And some folks think felines are independant and
hard to train (harumph!).
 
I wonder if the person who owned these ferrets heard they should be
de-scented and got confused?? We don't believe in de-scenting ferrets
anymore either! When we first got a ferret we were told they had to
be neutered and de-scented. We believed it 'cuz our first ferret,
Tsquare (T2), found us in the spring when he was in full breeding
'plumage'. He needed a bath about twice a week or the odor would
almost make your eyes water! When we got the last 'batch' of 3,
we were told they had already been neutered and de-scented.
Well, during the establishment of the  input  pecking order with the 2 ferrets
already living with us, we discovered Bobbin was the owner of
'The loosest scent glands west of the mississippi'. If one of the
other ferrets looked sideways at him he would 'yell' and spray
immediately. Thank goodness the scent doesn't stick around like
skunk spray. Not that it wasn't bad but... light the inscense quick!!
None of the new kids has been descented. I would bet no one could
tell which of our 5 ferrets has/hasn't been de-scented from the odor
alone!
 
A short side note, Toby (The Bear), our public relations ferret, got
a cold this winter. It didn't last long and he is fine now but...
during a sneezing bout in his nest box he knocked out one of his
upper canine teeth!! Honest, he's just fine now but he chirps with
a lisp :-).
 
'nuf ramblin'
Jerry
 
owned by:
Maudi Bryn Ben Toby Bobbin   Magellan Willie Turbo
            ^                           ^
         ferrets                     felines
 
[Posted in FML issue 0225]