First off, I would like to express my sincerest sympathy to those whose
little ones have wandered off.  I lost a kitten once that way, entirely my
own fault, and I know how terrible you feel.  :(
 
Since I have known the fear of losing a pet, I am fanatical about having all
my pets wear ID tags at all times.  In fact, I usually buy two each.  My two
ferrets each wear one with the standard name/address/phone, and another that
says "All emergency medical expenses will be paid." I used to travel with
them a lot, and figured if I were in a car accident and unconscious I would
want people to know they were a loved pet and that I would pay for their
care.  They also wear a bell and rabies tag (which can be difficult to talk
your vet into giving).  My two dogs each wear the standard ID and one that
says "If found, I'm lost!  Please help me get home", so that people know
they aren't allowed to roam and need help finding home - and their rabies
tags.
 
My ferrets do just fine with 3 tags and a bell dangling from their necks.
I've had 7, of varying sizes, and all have taken to collars easily.  You
just have to get them fairly snug.  Make sure you can fit a finger (snugly)
underneath, and the ferret isn't choking.  If in doubt, err to the loose
side.  If the ferret gets it off, make it a bit tighter.  Once properly
adjusted, and the ferret is used to it, the ferret will only pull them off
once every few months.  The exception being "teenagers", whose necks are
bigger than their heads.  ;) You may need to put them back on every few
days.
 
Collar - I prefer the smallest, thinnest (both width and thickness) leather
collar I can find.  Usually for dogs.  The cat kind are usually stitched,
making it difficult to modify them.  You just cut them off to size, and use
an electric drill (over a piece of wood) to make new holes, about 1/2 as far
apart as the original ones.  There used to be some nice suede ferret ones to
be found at shows, but I haven't gotten that kind in some time as it is
easier just to go to the local pet store.  You can also use the FLAT nylon
dog collars (not the cat kind - they have elastic which will never work),
melt them with a hot knife and use a hot nail to melt new holes.  The
problem with nylon is that it always looks like melted plastic when modified
at home.  I would recommend leather unless you have an ethical problem with
it.
 
Warning...  Do not use the "puffy", loosely woven nylon collars.  The ferrets
catch the fibers when they scratch and the collars will constrict over time!
They are dangerous!
 
ID tags - as small as possible.  The ones I use are about 3/4" round brass,
with the hole actually in the circle.  (i.e. they don't have a tab that
sticks up, making them pear-shaped) If your ferret is caged you may want to
find the type that rivets to the collar itself - they look like a long
rectangle that lays flat against the collar, you bend them to fit the curve
of the collar.  Or, simply slip their collars on during play time and take
them off when caged.  There is some risk of hanging tags catching in the
cage wires and the ferret strangling itself.  It may also be worth taking a
look at the type that are cylinder shaped, and you write a message on a slip
of paper that screws inside.
 
Bells - I can't tell you how many times these have saved my little one's
lives.  Numerous times they have just nearly escaped being stepped on when
walking in front of me with my hands full or accidentally laundered when
asleep in my dirty clothes.  The bells are life savers!  And there's the
time at my parents when my father called into the house "Nancy, get out
here, there's a ferret in the garage!".  We didn't even know she had slipped
out.  If she had survived the dangers of my Dad's garage (mouse traps,
chemicals), she would have escaped into a very rural neighborhood backing up
to woods and farms.  I was very lucky Dad heard her bell as she explored
behind the row of engines.  My only warning is to avoid bells that have an
opening the right size for a ferrets nail to get wedged in there.  It should
be too small for a nail to slide into.  If you don't want a bell, the tags
themselves will give a bit of a jingle if the ferret is wearing more than
one (i.e. ID & rabies).
 
"Fasteners" - I wasn't sure what to call these.  The things that hold the
tags to the collars.  I prefer the split ring type (like a keyring) to the S
type.  If you use the split ring, be careful that it stays tightly coiled.
If the split pieces of metal separate they will catch things like their
carpet and bedding.  So stretch them as little as possible when putting the
tags on.  (Note: The ferrets won't strangle themselves if caught on carpet.
They'll just slip out of the collar.  The only real choking risk is if the
ferret ends up dangling from the side/top of a cage where they can't get a
foothold.)
 
Yes, all this jewelry does bump the ground when they walk.  But the ferrets
get used to them quickly, as will you get quickly used to ferret "jingles"
all the time.  I very strongly recommend them.  As for the choking risks,
they are minimal.  I feel that the benefits outweigh them in an extreme way.
Kind of like I still get Popcorn vaccinated even though she has a history of
allergic reactions to vaccine.  Consider how many cases of strangled ferrets
you have heard of vs.  how many lost ferrets.
 
Oh, and consider that most people don't know what ferrets are.  If someone
sees one in their garage or trying to walk in their door, they will shoo it
out as a wild animal, possibly forcefully.  However, if it has a collar, the
chances are much greater that the person will treat it like a pet.
Hopefully even picking it up to read the tags and helping it find it's way
home.
 
- Nancy
 
P.S. This post is in now way, shape, or form intended to lay the blame of
any lost ferret on it's owner.  It is just a suggestion to try and save
other ferrets.
 
-----
Nancy L. Stephens
 
[log in to unmask]
Senior Systems Analyst
TCIM Services, Inc.
[Posted in FML issue 2207]