We have a length of 3" diameter PVC pipe which we normally put above
the gate, BUT
1. If we put it on a spring rod it becomes harder for Steve and me to
get over the barrier.
2. If we don't put it on the spring rod Hubble takes leaps where he
swats the tube with his hands till it finally falls safely outward and
then he goes over. Morney can't dislodge it, but she can wait for him
to do so.

Now we are jamming the tube in at an angle right up against the barrier
on their side and we find that they can't get the right angle to leap
over because they can't get close enough to the barrier. If they try
to stand on it they slip due to the angle. Also, we can get over more
easily.

That never would have worked for Jumpstart who was able to unwind from
a sitting position quite a distance from the gate into a leap that
would clear the gate with room to spare. Still, it seems to be working
for next best leapers we have had through our 26 or 27 years with
ferret family members.

After talking with a friend today i became aware that I have to make
some more time for myself. Steve and I have lost about 7 or 8 close
relatives in the last few years, most recently Dad, have also lost some
friends to severe illnesses in the same time, had each of them sick for
a protracted time beforehand except for one who went quickly, and have
had some health needs of our own. The result is that we have had almost
no spare time at all for ages. Heck, I don't even recall how many years
it has been since we have even had a day trip that was not related to
someone's health or death. Some people will have noticed that i stopped
being an IFC advisor due to lack of time, and some will have noticed
that I am on-line not quite as often. Given some continuing family
needs, given that my eyes are also worsening so may have surgery soon
for glaucoma, and given that Steve (the center of my universe for 29
years and married for almost 28 of those) and I deserve more time
together as does any devoted couple, and that we both deserve more
recreation time I think that folks online might see a bit less of me
and have me less available to look things up, at least in spurts. Steve
and I just need and deserve some "we" and "me" times in increased
amounts. So, we'll be doing a bit more of what we WANT to do, on-line
and off-line (Today I even let myself have sometime on sites I love but
had to skip recently.) rather than what we NEED to do to help others,
and will be on-line less consistently.

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html

[Posted in FML 5908]