Angie:
> ... there was a ferret in the animal control of Stamford, CT.  Well,
>tomorrow (Saturday) I am going to be going there to check him out and
>possibly adopt him...
 
First of all good luck -
 
If you aren't used to ferrets or how to handle them, I would suggest you
take someone along with you who is.  If he has any nipping issues (very
common problem with ferrets if they haven't been properly trained) they
can show you how to get your hands on him and train him out of it.  They
may also be able to detect any signs of possible serious illness in him.
 
>1. I don't have a cage set up, but I have a room with a completely
>linoleum floor set up for him.
 
This is EXCELLENT.  You don't have to have a cage if you have this, some
people don't have cages and just have "rooms" set up for their babies.
Just make sure that there are no holes that he can shimmy through and get
into the walls or under the doors (it doesn't have to be a big hole ...
like 2" x 2").  I do suggest getting a cage so that you can "put him
somewhere" if you have to clean the whole room.  Of course, if you
ultimately need this room back you will need a cage then too.
 
>2. What kinds of things should I watch out for when he first comes home?
>How much time should I spend with him?  A lot so he gets used to me or
>give him some time to adjust first?
 
This may vary depending on the age of the ferret and how long he's been at
the shelter and what he went through before he got there.  He will likely
focus on the room first (i.e. "where am I") and think about paying
attention to you after.  He will likely rearrange everything in the room
and then go to sleep for a while.  Yes try to spend time with him, get
him used to you ... give him treats.  Gauge by his reactions if he's
ready for a wrestling match or no.
 
>3. Is cat litter safe to use?  It is non-clumping regular clay litter.
 
This is fine.  I prefer the "yesterday's news" stuff as it doesn't track
as easily.  There are other types of litter that work, just stay away
from the clumping stuff.
 
>4. Should I encourage him to play right away or not?  Will he want to
>play or will he be too scared?
 
As I menttioned before this will depend somewhat on how he's feeling about
recent events in his life.  A good thing to have on hand are cat treats
and Ferretone (or Linatone ... a liquid vitamin supplement).  While he
decides whether or not to like you some bribery will help things along.
Ferrets are a bit like cats when it comes to getting to know new owners.
He may be aloof for a while and then suddenly you look down one day and
he's looking back up at you with "pay attention to me" look on his face.
 
Good luck.
Lorraine
[Posted in FML issue 3724]