I hope this will become more of a thread than a single post.  I am certainly
not the expert in this area, nor do I have an endless supply of good ideas.
So I will offer mine, and hopefully others will add their stress-reducing
ideas as well.
 
As in humans and ALL other mammals, ferrets are prone to stress.  There is
really no such thing as "good" or "bad" stress; it is simply a continuum
with good effects on one side and bad effects on the other.  There is some
controversial evidence that small amounts of stress can be good for your
long term health, but there is no controversy at all about how long-term
stress can shorten life.  Stressors are normally those things that strike at
the "security core" of the ferret, such as personal safety, lack of food,
feelings of being watched, etc., and it is easy to figure out many of them
by our furry friend's normal behavior.
 
One of the things I kept harping about in adrenal disease is the differences
between the Americas and everywhere else.  One of the most obvious
differences is in housing; specifically, in providing separate sleeping
quarters for ferrets.  A typical hutch is composed of two areas; a
play/feeding/toilet area, and a sleeping chamber.  The open area is often
open on two or three sides, but usually the nest box is completely closed,
with just a single opening for ferret access.  The ferret knows exactly what
this is for, and invariably retreats to the nestbox for sleeping or when
afraid.  American ferrets do this as well, as evidenced by their desire to
crawl into couches, drawers, under sofas and generally dark and enclosed
spaces to sleeps.  This makes perfect behavioral sense if you consider their
polecat ancestors normally den in burrows.
 
I have built a series of small wooden nesting boxes, about 1 foot square by
8 inches tall.  I cut a 4 inch circular hole in one side (using a circle
cutter on a power drill) and hinge the roof.  The other side of the roof is
held down with a magnetic lock.  A towel is added as a blanket.  These are
painted to match my home decor, which means they are painted the wall and
baseboard color.  I put these boxes in the corners I don't want the ferrets
to use as latrines.  Also, I pull them away from the wall and turn the
access hole to the back.  They are VERY popular, and once I built enough of
them, the furniture was NEVER bothered again.  Ferrets will favor certain
boxes, and sometimes will pull favorite toys into them.  I have noticed
scared ferrets dash off to the boxes, and ill ferrets don't seem to want to
leave them.  I only wish those manufacturers who make ferret cages would
include a nest box with every purchase, and I recommend shelters to have one
inside EVERY cage.
 
One of my nest boxes is really a terra cotta vase, standing about 3 feet
tall.  I simply used a ceramic bit to drill a series of holes, then, using a
very sharp chisel, wacked out the center plug by chiseling out the portions
between the holes.  I then used a circular bastard file to smooth the hole.
I cut three 1 inch wood dowels to fit across the inside of the vase and hot
glued them in place.  I added a towel, placed the vase in a corner with the
hole turned away from the room, then placed a potted plant into the vase,
supported by the hot-glued dowels.  Looks nice, and the ferrets pile inside.
 
A second good way to reduce stress is physical exercise.  I glue felt faces
to old oven mitts, put them on over my delicate-to-fert-teeth hands, and
rassel the carpet sharks.  They rarely hurt even when greatly annoyed and
seriously thrashing the mitt.  I sometimes add little jingle bells, and one
mitt has a squeaker in the thumb.  The mitts are their favorite toys, and
the physical stimulation is a fantastic stress reliever.
 
A third stress reliever is to minimize cage time.  Cages are a great source
of stress to an animal that is inherently curious and active.  I know, I
know, you can't leave them out all the time, etc.  Sure, I understand.  But
maximize the outside time as much as possible.
 
Fourth, reduce distractions.  If you leave your cage in an area frequented
by people, cover the front with a blanket, or turn the cage so outside
activities are not so distracting.  Also, if you cage your ferrets like
shelters do, alternate males with females.  Ferrets are sexual
territorialists; that is, males exclude other males but overlap with
females.  Even neutered animals will respond more vigorously to other
members of their own sex than to the opposite sex.  Both sexual and visual
distractions can be quite stressful to many ferrets, especially those who
are already ill, timid or abused.
 
A fifth idea is called touch therapy.  Some behaviorists call it grooming,
animal lovers call it petting, but whatever you call it, do it as often as
possible, especially with sick or injured animals.  Light, gentle touching
has been shown to stimulate the inner defenses and increase resistance to
disease.  Works will all mammals.  It is also soothing and reduces stress
the human might feel.  Like humans, ferrets without physical contact can
fail to thrive.
 
Last, have a cool down period.  Don't expect to let the ferrets out for an
hour, then toss them back in a cage while they are still war dancing.  Let
them play until they start to wander off to find a place to sleep.  Then pet
and stroke them until they a) start running around again, b) go to sleep, c)
get down to find a better bed.  Only after you know they have slowed down
should you put them away.  That reduces cage stress, and also helps them to
understand they will not be put away early, reducing bad behavior in that
regard.
 
I have lots more than I will toss in from time to time, but others should
contribute their ideas as well.
 
Bob C and 19 MO Mitt Shreaders (Missing Jet)
[Posted in FML issue 2244]