>Second, I was thinking about the possible usefullness of those "Build
>your own Fishpond" kits.  You can buy them at places like Home Depot
>(Man-Land) and local greeneries.  They are molded pond bases in extremely
>heavy plastic.  They are maybe a eighteen inches deep, with one end
>several feet deep.  In essence, they are a kiddies plastic wading pool,
>only much tougher, deeper, and shaped like a little fishpond.  You dig
>a hole, pull out any rocks, and slide the pool into the ground.  These
>things last for years, they are really tough.  No ferret is going to
>dig a hole through one.
 
I wonder if the ponds come in this sort of size!
http://www.koiclubwa.com/ponds_passey/index.html
 
Several years ago, I made an outdoor enclosure from second hand glass
doors/windows, with each panel stood upright and secured to another panel
or to the side of the house.  It was located within a walled courtyard,
so it was built on top of paving, with a thick layer of dirt inside
(which I had to cart in by wheelbarrow up a hill by the way!).  It was
about 6 ft x 4 ft (from memory), and it took forever to make.  We even
double riveted the panels together, and put one of them on a hinge so I
could get in and out.
 
I lovingly planted ferns and buried a tunnel through the dirt.  I put a
big pile of larger gravel down one end, so they could choose whether to
dig in the dirt or gravel.  I installed a misting system along the edge
so the plants would survive and so the ferrets could experience "rain".
It was a labor of love.
 
On the grand completion day, I placed the ferrets (then 2) in the
enclosure.  They sniffed round the perimeter, scratched at the dirt a
little, and then the little snots promptly lay down on the dirt, sighed,
and looked at me like I had just put them in a solitary confinement cell.
 
If you're thinking about an outdoor area for your ferrets, I reckon aim
to ferret-proof your whole yard.  Can't do that?  Try for half the yard.
Not a possibility?  How about the area between the side of the house and
the fence.  Think big - do it as large as your finances/time/space will
allow.  Try to ferret-proof a human outdoor living area, instead of
making a separate ferret outdoor area.  After all, both parties will
enjoy it more if they can interact within the space.  And if it's big
enough for you, it's big enough for the ferrets :)
 
I try to think of a ferret as a mini dog (like a chihuahua but cuter),
not a hyperactive guinea pig, when thinking about how much room to
provide.  I can only laugh when I imagine a chihuahua out for it's
daily fresh air, running in little circles, in my enclosure!
 
Fortunately, my ferrets had me well enough trained to let me know that
that enclosure wasn't up to scratch in terms of size, so I had to come up
with another plan.  As we were sharing the house with other people, it
wasn't possible to erect permanent barriers/gates on the entrances to the
courtyard (the courtyard was about 15 ft x 40ft).  I went and bought some
large sheets of cheap plywood, and every morning (with my morning cup of
tea) I would come out and temporarily secure them, so that the ferrets
could have the entire courtyard to play in for a while.  When they were
tired of all the fresh air and digging, I would take down the barriers
and bring the ferrets inside.
 
They let me know that this setup was approaching acceptable, and I could
get back to doing my usual unimportant tasks like working, instead of
spending all day down at the hardware store.
 
Some pics of my "disaster" and my temporary fix:
http://shona.org/outdoor.toy
 
Things I learnt from that experience:
 
* make it an area next to the house, so they can come and go at will,
instead of relentlessly scratching my feet and insisting that their
need to go outside at 5am was much more important than my need to sleep
 
* go for as large as possible first, not last.  This will save time,
money and many trips to the hardware store!
 
Happy fence shopping
 
:)
shona
[Posted in FML issue 4948]