I have a question that I don't think I've seen on the FLM before ...
 
My ferret Epstein lives in a modified Midwest Ferret Playpen.  I've included
the 2 standard "resting benches" and added 4 more .... one is on the upper
level and 3 are accross the middle creating an entire second floor.  It took
hours and hours to make all the ramps fit together --- and I did a great
deal of swearing and ended up with bloody fingers.  In the end it worked out
great - Epstein has plenty of room to romp when the "people" are at work -
its black and it fits my roomate's need for sleek modern furnishings - and
its not too hard for me to clean.
 
The one problem I am experiencing is with the small "gully" between where
the bars meet the floor - and the outer rim of the plastic bottom.  It keeps
filling ou with all kinds of derbis - rasins - flying leaves from the ficus
tree - and lost bits of ferret poop.  (Okay ... lots of lost bits of ferret
poop - I've been working 13 hour days because of the approaching fiscal year
end and Epstein is protesting the extra cage time by pooping outside of the
litter box) I've tried scrubbing the gully with a brush - with a stick -
with a sponge - with a towel etc ... but derbis keeps sticking under the
bars.
 
What I'd like to do is unhook the cage from the bottom - give the bottom a
good scrubbing in the bathtub and then reattach the cage.  If I do this will
it flatten out?  Will I have to spend hours getting all the "resting
benches" back in place?  Has anyone done this before?  Any suggestions?  In
an ideal world I'd just take the whole cage outside and squirt it down with
a garden hose ... but I live on the third floor in the city and I don't
there is a hose attachement around for miles.
 
Any help or advise would be much appreciated.
 
Thanks
 
:)  Cynthia Donovan
 
Oh and don't worry ....  there are only 13 working days left in the fiscal
year   Epstein will be getting several hours per day additional free roam
time soon!
[Posted in FML issue 2341]