Thanks for the warning on carpenter ants getting stuck to ferret tongues!
So far mine have ignored the ones we have outside, but can't be too careful!
Lao Bear prefers crickets & spiders - YUM!  (It's pretty funny to watch him
chase crickets around - boing, boing boing! Snatch! Gulp!  Mmmmm!)
 
Re:  Sand boxes.  I don't know if there's any kind of sand that's really
safe for ferrets, but they do like to dig in rabbit pellets.  I put some in
a box with 4-5" sides & they go nuts digging & rolling in the stuff.  It's
harmless, smells nice, & is pretty easy to clean up.
 
Weird foods - Gurgey will climb the highest heights & overcome almost any
obstacle for raisins & frosted flakes.  They all like dry dog food, peaches
& ice cubes.  Funny thing about raisins is that they don't like to eat them
as much as they like to hide them under the couch.  I found a hoarde of
about 40 raisins under there the other day, & when I tried to clean them up
Gurgey hissed at me & tried to take my fingers off!
 
Battling ferrets:  Some ferrets are naturally antisocial or sociable only
with certain other ferrets & introducing new ones to an established group
can sometimes cause problems (I had 3 of mine gang up on a "newbie" all at
once & had to save her before they pulled her apart - well, at least that's
how it looked to me!).  If you've only had them together for a short time
just keep introducing them gradually & let them fight it out unless someone
is really getting hurt.  They have to establish the pecking order & even
after they do, they'll occasionally have to re-establish the heirarchy
(sp?), although it seems to get a lot less violent as time goes on. Hang in
there!
 
Happy ferreting!
 
Karen & the Gang
 
Lao Bear - Boing, boing, boing, CRUNCH!
Gurgey - MY raisins!  MY RAISINS, MINE! MINE! MINE!
Samantha - Did somebody say raisins?
Puka (Yawn)
[Posted in FML issue 1272]