Our experience (mishap) with a christmas tree happened the first year with
the first ferret, Molly.  We thought we had ferret proofed the tree to a
large extent, there was no tinsel, no ornaments hung within batting practice
range, and the water in the tree stand was plain H2O. So far, so good, no?
 
Then I started noticing that the candy-canes I had hung were thinning out.
So I began blaming my husband.  (we were young and unsuspecting ferret
parents way back then!)  He insisted he had only had one, the rest I was
obviously eating in my sleep, as far as he was concerned.  My first hint
came when Molly came to sniff my face (I was eating raisin bread) as I sat
on the couch and her breath was oddly minty-fresh!  (the light begins to
dawn) So I started watching her alot more closely, but still couldn't prove
anything.  Right before Christmas break, I came home from class to check on
the fuzzball, and couldnt find her.  I heard crackling coming from the tree
and went to investigate.
 
When I peered into the tree, I got the shock of my life when I discovered
I was nose-to-nose with Moll...she had climbed up the trunk, out the branch,
was in the process of snitching one of the last candy-canes, and trying to
get it across the branch and down the tree. I followed her around the living
room only to discover her stash of over a dozen chewed-up candy-canes still
in their ragged little wrappers way back behind the couch.
 
Needless to say, we don't hang candy on the tree anymore. And we haven't had
to soak sugar-spikes out of Molly's fur in years.
 
Love,
 
Marya and the whole family, fuzzy and human.
[Posted in FML issue 1386]