Carrie and Raymond wrote:
 
>Hi there.  I was concerned to read that many people on this mailing list
>have their ferrets sleep with them.  I have read many books and all...
>including Deborah Jean, say that this isn't a good idea.  Is it safe for
>them?  How have your experiences been?  How do you train them to even do
>such a thing?  Thanks a lot...
 
I have had three ferrets who liked to sleep in bed with me.  My first one,
Ellie, always slept down by my feet.  My second one, Epsie, would sleep up
by my head or by my arm.  His brother, Delta, would only come in bed if
Epsie was already there.  I never had any problems with rolling over on
them; if things ever got too tight, they would wiggle around a bit and wake
me up.  My main concern was when my ferrets hogged the bed.  Delta and
Epsie especially liked to team up, and a few times my husband and I would
be getting ready for bed only to find the two of them stretched all the way
across the pillows!  I think they were operating for the FLO.
 
Sleeping with a ferret curled up next to you is the most wonderful, cozy
experience.  There's not much you can do to train your ferret to do it;
you simply have to give your ferret some way to get up on the bed and
then allow him or her to discover the joys of crawling through sheets and
blankets.  The hardest part is nip-training them; even the most gentle
ferret will happily munch on a "bunny rabbit" it finds in its tunnel.
That part just requires a lot of patience or thick protective clothing
until they grow out of the habit.
 
Fuzzy regards,
 Julie, Delta, Ginger, and Pepper
[Posted in FML issue 3270]