In regards to the carpet digging, you can try what we have done for our
ferret's bedroom: office mats that lay on the carpet for rolling chairs
under desks.  I cut ours to fit inside the doorway with a dremel cutting
tool.  My ferrets gave up digging because they can't make any progress
through the plastic material.  We also use the marshall playpen extension
panels as a doorway gate that they can't get over.  My husband attached
them to the frame with screw eyes and cup hooks on the respective ends of
the door.  We haven't had a ferret escape from their bedroom yet and it
has been more than 2 years since living in this house.
 
Hope this helps,
Kelley
[Posted in FML issue 4569]