Food in the hammock:
cute -- yes
dangerous -- possibly
 
Jumpstart had to have major surgery for a blockage that turned out not to
be mostly composed to fur as was first thought, but of the fibers from
fake fleece and fake fur.  Have since heard of this happening to another.
I suspect that although most fur balls are likely to be actual fur that
there may be more ferrets like Jumper than folks know.  There is a fix:
cover fabrics that shed to prevent them being accidently eaten by
bed-snackers.  Use a fabric that won't shed like sheet fabric.  Not only
will it help their stomachs, but the hammocks will last longer and will
launder more easily.  In our household the dangerous fabrics turned out
to be some fake fleeces and some fake furs.  The polar fleece in the
beds we've got does not seem to shed much so that hasn't worried us, but
check all fabrics in case some types do shed due to our finding marked
shedding variability in things like fake fur.  For most ferrets I doubt
that this is a concern, but when a bed-snacker is present it needs to be
considered.
[Posted in FML issue 3861]