E.M. Ennis had a great point on an FML that ran a couple o' days ago, and
it was one that should be blatantly obvious to anyone who loves ferrets
enough to be reading this list.  Ferrets were meant to be free animals, not
spending more time in a cage than out.  This should be most apparent when
you place one in a cage and as you are walking away, you get "the look".
You know what I'm talking about.  One of mine, Fozzie, is always the first
out of the cage, shooting out like a bullet from a gun.  Once out, he plops
down on the ground secure in the fact that he is "out" and not "in".
Doesn't matter if he doesn't move another inch.  He knows he can if he wants
to.  So I agree completely that 1-2 hours a day just is not enough.  I think
they should spend no more than 8-10 in a cage, and of course less is
preferable.  If you are in a situation that requires your fuzz-butt to be
locked up for all but a few hours a day, you may want to reconsider whether
you should own one in the first place.  "Free-spirit" and "ferret" are
synonomous.
 
There is a point I would like to make in addition.  I would urge that anyone
who leaves there monsters out unattended reconsider doing the opposite and
let them out only when you are around.  I learned a very tough lesson a
couple of years ago when I used to leave mine out while I went to work and
then put them in their cage at night.  I thought I had that room "ferret
proofed", but tragically a male, Buddy, fell into a place where he could not
get himself out, and died by asphixiation.  And that's how I found him when
I came home.  We all know ferrets get into everything.  It's in their
nature.  And anything can happen at anytime.  For what it's worth, my advice
would be to let them run only when you are there to investigate any unusual
thumps and bangs.  I have found that when I come home from work and open
that cage door, they spend the time between then and when I go to bed
running themselves out of gas anyway.  They sleep when I do for the most
part.  Just a thought...
 
chris, thor, fozzie, simone, & roxanne (rocky)
[Posted in FML issue 2376]