This is not quite a direct response to the question of ferrets attacking the
X-mas tree, but I have a similar situation.  I had some concern when I moved
my potted grapefruit tree indoors this year.  The tree is currently several
inches taller than the room, and thus, the uppermost branches touch the
ceiling.  (It has never flowered and thus, no actual grapefruit.) I didn't
know what my two fuzzbeans, Ren and Stimpy, would do when they saw this
interior sequoia rising all the way to the ceiling.  I had cut a shield of
hardware cloth to cover the soil to prevent them from scattering it across
the room.  They spent perhaps 20 minutes exploring the metal screen that
separated them from the soil and they haven't been back since.  However,
whenever I water the thing, they both go crazytrying to drink the water from
the watering pan in which the pot resides.
 
 (Any source of water *other* than the filtered, distilled, UV-disinfected
 spring water in their water bottle is infinitely more sweet.  *Sigh*)
 Neither ferret has tried to climb the grapefruit, but this may be because
 grapefruit trees havethorns and they were discouraged from the task.  I may
 ultimately have to screen off their access to the water pan since in some
 years I have needed to treat thetree with a systemic mitacide to prevent
 spider mites from devouring it.  The systemic mite products for plants are
 very toxic and so I'll want to keep them away from the plant's water at all
 cost.  I'd have similar worries about fuzzies reaching the water of a
 christmas tree if it has tree food and/or preservative in it.  Thank
 goodness for hardware cloth and tin snips...
 
--Jeff  ([log in to unmask])
[Posted in FML issue 1384]