>I'm concerned about Fred.  While he more or less had the run of the Apt. in
>NYC, my OR Apt. has a fireplace and is incredibly difficult to ferret proof
>Fred, I fear, is spending way too much time in his cage.
 
Hi Bob -
 
I'd start with a small room, perhaps the bathroom and see how he does in
there.  Ours have had the run of a medium size house with a fire place (more
than five years now), and yes they have gotten into a bit of trouble over
the years, but it is almost always while we have been watching them so we
can intervene and make changes.  The biggest danger IMO is for a ferret to
get stuck some place and unable to get out, or to be injured by a human who
doesn't realize that the ferret is where he is about to step or sit.  Going
at the process slowly allows you to learn their favorite places more
quickly.
 
It also helps to have some premade safe and acceptable (to the ferret)
places mapped out for them.  Susie and I built a doll house and put a back
on it which serves as one such place.  I constructed another by making an
insert for a shelf in the bathroom.  Made out of 3/8 " plywood, it is box
shaped with a top, sides and front and just fits into the bottom of a set of
adjustable shelves.  The top has a couple of finger holes to aid in lifting
it out and front has a doorway cut in it so Squeekers and Peaches can get
in.  Just inside the doorway, I put a wall part way across to provide some
privacy; so it looks like this:
 
           |           |               -------------
           |           |               |           |
           |    O O    |               |  ___      |
           |_______    |               | |   |     |
           |           |               | |   |     |
           |_    ______|               | |   |     |
 
              (Top)                       (Front)
 
Inside we keep one of a large set of fluffy ski hats for them to sleep
either in or on.  These can be found at Woolworths, K-Mart etc for often as
little as eighty cents apiece, make great 'beds' and can be placed almost
anywhere to make it more comfortable and desireable than some place that
might not be as safe.
[Posted in FML issue 1437]