To Bean's parent who uses a baby gate to block off the kitchen:
        PLEASE be careful. I bought a baby gate, too. The sides don't go all
the way to the wall though and the beastlings can get through.  I gave up on
the gate and use a piece of plywood now.  But that's not the problem.  My
three went with me and my fiance to visit a friend in Oklahoma who has two of
her own.  She has a baby gate for her dog that doubles for the ferrets as
well.  HER ferrets aren't as smart and inquisitive as mine though :) They
didn't try to scratch or crawl through.  But MINE were awful!  Beckett
immediately sensed he was not allowed on the other side so even though he had
a whole new world to explore on THIS side, he started climbing the gate.  He
scaled the wall and dropped over quicker than lightning.  I redid the gate so
that it was angled towards the room the kids were supposed to stay in so he
couldn't climb again.  Then MAX got into trouble.  They were all playing and
having a grand old time when I looked over at the gate and Max's head was
STUCK in the mesh!  He couldn't pull back out or push all the way through.  He
was drooling alot and not making a sound.  I tried turning him sideways to
pull out but he was in there good.  I was going to cut the mesh (it was
plastic) but my 'friend' was insistant that I not cut her gate for my bad
ferret because it cost her $10.  After a few curses and a promise to buy her a
f*cking gate, my fiance was allowed to try to find some scissors.  In the
meantime, I poured water all over Max's head (they didn't have any butter) to
help with the friction and Max tugged one last time and pulled back out.  My
point is, had I not seen Max stuck, he probably would have died.  He wasn't
getting much air and he was being pestered by the dog.  I never would have
thought his head would fit but apparently the plastic bent just-so.  From that
experience, the only gate I would consider using would have very TINY holes,
and the kids would always be supervised by it.  Scratch that, after that
experience I would never use a baby gate.  Just be careful, okay?
 
Ahn, Applejuice (wasn't I good, momma?), and Beckett and Max (Mom's no fun!)
[Posted in FML issue 1157]