It's not just soft drinks... it's anything that might go splat, boom, or
splash.
 
I'm utterly convinced that ferrets just like to watch things fall.  The
motto: "If it's not nailed down, it's mine... If I can pry the nail out,
it's not nailed down!"
 
Even though the behavior is funny or cute and generally harmless, the
annoyance eventually builds up into a "get rid of it" situation.  Don't
back yourself into that corner.  (Except, of course, unless you're Lisette
who wouldn't understand the definition of the word "rid" and has the
patience of Job and really isn't stupid, just too full of fuzzy love to
care how many spills they make!)
 
So, for the rest of us, some tips:
 
The simplest way to avoid stained carpets and broken what-nots is
prevention.
 
What-nots, even lamps, can be secured onto table tops with floral putty
(similar to poster tack or "fun tac" but much stronger).  Floral putty is
available at craft stores and in the floral dept.  at large Walmarts.  It
doesn't harm even wood surfaces but it can take a while to get if all off
if you decide to move an object to a different place after it's been there
awhile.
 
In the case of drinks in ferret accessed areas, that requires a life-style
change.  Quit buying canned drinks.  Buy bottled drinks.  Buy the little
"flip-top" lids (any WalMart) that fit them.  Use travel cups for coffee
or other drinks, too.  The big cone-shaped type travel mugs that are big
at the bottom are fairly difficult for a ferret to overturn and you don't
have to bother with the lid (unless you'd prefer they not "fish" in your
drink, as well... spoilsport).
 
Keep your ferret off your desk (unless you're sitting there).  You might
not leave a pencil with an eraser laying there, but someone else might.
Most of the world thinks that's where a pencil should be put.  Only in
ferret households is it an exception.  Don't expect your guests to know
everything you do.
 
SPILLING LIQUIDS ON YOUR KEYBOARD CAN SHORT-CIRCUIT YOUR MOTHERBOARD.
With many of the new keyboards with a "Power-on" key on the keyboard,
shorting out the keyboard CAN occur at the keyboard SOCKET on the
motherboard, requiring replacement of the motherboard.
 
As for Lisette's question "how does she get there?"... duh.... she FLIES!
Just because YOU haven't seen her fuzzy wings doens't mean she doesn't
know how to use them... or...
 
She climbs the curtains over the patio doors.  If they're not closed all
the way, she begins to swing as she reaches countertop height.  When she's
got enough momentum, she lets go and flies to the countertop sliding past
the blender into the open roll-top breadbox.  Luckily that half-loaf of
bread is there to soften the impact.  Once there's enough holes in the
bread bag, the bag can be shoved to the floor for further dissemination by
the fuzzies on the floor.  Then she slinks behind the faucets around the
sink, pausing to get a drink of soapy water from the dishes soaking in the
sink.  She thinks to herself "Why did they leave that much water in the
sink?  Don't they know I could fall in and get WET?" (No, she doesn't
worry about drowning, just getting wet.) Once past the sink, she checks
out the coffee maker.  "Ouch!" Yeah, it's before noon, coffee's still
warming.  Maybe one of these days she remember not to touch her nose to
it first.  She pulls the decanter from the warming plate to construct her
ladder to the top of the coffee maker.  Now she can reach the spice rack
on the wall which makes a dandy ladder to the top of the fridge.  The top
of the fridge is a neat place.  They put all sorts of goodies "out of
reach" up there!  Mom's paperback romance novel, Joey's confiscated water
gun - quickly minus it's rubber plug, and the cookie jar, join the bread
on the the kitchen floor.  Did you see that cookie jar bounce!  (This new
plastic one's not near as much fun as that first one that shattered
everywhere...) Just a quick hop down... oops... guess maybe it was a
little farther than a hop... to the stove top.  Wow!  Last night's omelet
skillet is still here... and it's still OILY... that's good stuff... and
of course, here's Mom's Dr. Pepper, softly fizzing it's irresistable scent
throughout the house... the real goal!
 
Yeah, a few ferret proofing warnings inserted here and there just to
illustrate that there's no such thing as "ferretproof" or a "perfect
ferret home".  We all mess up in various ways daily.  Most of the time
no harm comes of it.  Sometimes the disaster is caught in progress.  It's
the occasional tradgedy that keeps us here sharing our experiences and
reminding each other to be careful.
 
So... I can't ever again close my patio door curtains.... one of the days
I'll replace them with something that fuzzies can't climb.
 
Debi Christy
Ferrets First Foster Home
 
Practical & easy training, care, & maintenance articles available at
http://www.geocities.com/ferretsfirst/
[Posted in FML issue 3718]