Fairly recently I set up a water fountain for my weasels (many years ago
on the FML I predicted that I would install a babbling brook in my living
room for my ferrets, turns out I was right!) and both the weasels and I
have been really happy with it, though it took a few days to work out the
set up.  The fountain is the one sold through the Ferret Store, and it's
available in lots of other pet supply places as well.
 
Day One: fill up fountain.  Place on floor.  Plug in.  Ferrets are amazed
and astounded.  Ferrets discover that they can knock off the lid and drag
the whole thing around the floor.  Much glee and dooking ensues.  I mop
frantically behind them and hold the electrical cord (yikes!) out of the
water.
 
Day Two: I tape down the lid with duct tape (good for more than terrorist
attacks!).  Ferrets indicate displeasure with this by renewing efforts to
dig all water out of the fountain's bowl and look very silly every time
they stick their noses up the water spout.  I continue to fret about
electricity.
 
Day Three: I build a small wooden platform and buy a pair of c-clamps.
After clamping the fountain to the platform, the ferrets are no longer
able to budge it, and while the platform is plenty big enough to stand
on, they tend to fall off it if they try to dig at the water with mush
vigor.  So now everybody is happy, and as an added benefit I've noticed
a real difference in the ferrets' coats, much softer.  They also drink
much less water from the bottle, so I can tell they really prefer the
fountain.  However, I don't let them near it when we're away or asleep,
because I am still a little uneasy about that whole electricity and water
thing.
 
On another subject: I posted recently to the FML about an article about
domestication and an increase in white markings in animals' coats as an
apparent by-product of domestication.  With that in mind, I wonder if all
these white markings are inevitable if ferrets are bred for temperment,
regardless of what kind of coat markings breeders might be aiming for.
Just a thought.
 
Regina Harrison  [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask]
http://www.channel1.com/users/regina/
blog: http://www.channel1.com/users/regina/zblog.html
 
Is that my business?  Well, what is my business?  Do I know?  Did I ever
know?  Let s not go into that.  You re not human tonight, Marlowe.  Maybe
I never was or ever will be... Maybe we all get like this in the cold
half-lit world where always the wrong thing happens and never the right.
--Raymond Chandler, The Little Sister
[Posted in FML issue 4066]