Greeting.
I saw your posting and thought I'd offer a suggestion.  Originally, I used
dog gates, but my "kids" found they could climb them.
 
I had to build two barriers to block off my family room (recliner, reclining
couch) and my kitchen (obvious).  Both rooms don't have doors so I had to
make something.  I don't know how handy you are with tools, if not you
might be able to get some help.
 
Anyways..here we go.  I used 24 x 48, 1/4 inch thick pieces of plexiglass,
as both doorways were between 42 and 46 inches.  You could use some nice
plywood and paint it.  I got 4 nice pieces of 24 inch by 3 inch by 1/2 inch
thick oak.  I also got a couple of strips of quarter circle molding.  Kinda
looks like a wooden dowel, but quartered.  Anyways, I cut the molding into
18 inch pieces and wood glued them lengthwise with a 3/8's inch gap on the
24 inch pieces of wood, flush with the bottom, creating a trough.  I then
screwed each piece of wood (using wall anchors) into the doorways, above
the molding along the floor.  (Note: Yes, the wood along the wall will
stick up higher than the finished barrier, but this makes it easier sliding
the barrier in and out without damaging the wall.  Then I measured the
distance between the two pieces of wood, subtracted an 1/8th of an inch
for flexibility and cut the plexiglass.
 
Whenever the ferrets are out, all I have to do to block off the forbidden
rooms is to slide the piece of plexiglass into the doorway.  All three of
my guys don't bother with it at all and don't dig, even though they can see
through it.  When my other half is in the family room exercising, they'll
generally just sit at the gate and watch her.  Just as a precaution, in the
event any of the three could jump to the top of the plexiglass, and to add
a visual when stepping over the barrier, I used a couple of pieces of the
inexpensive plastic covers for shower rods.  These are long, thin tubes of
plastic that are slit lengthwise.  I cut these to size, parted the slit,
and put them atop the plexiglass.
 
I've had these in place for over a year, daily putting them in and pulling
them out, with absolutely no problems.
 
Hope this helps, or if I need to explain anything further.
 
Mark & Cathey
Geddy, Chewey and Tully
[Posted in FML issue 3021]