Don't quote me, but I think the correct way to say this is: "Ferrets are
thought to be the third most popular mammalian pet in the United States." In
other words, they don't necessarily beat out birds or fish, and besides, no
one has actual numbers to prove the statement.  Correct me if I'm wrong.
 
Our local public radio station ends its fund-raising drive each year with
"Pet Wars", wherein people call in small pledges on behalf of their pets.
The pets' names all get read on the air and their species tallied, with the
idea that each year it's a battle between the dogs and cats to win the war.
It's great radio.  I usually can't tear myself away from listening to all
the names and stories people call in.  But I have to tell you that this year
only 12 ferrets called in.  Even the llamas beat the ferrets.  The dogs and
cats numbered in the thousands.  This is basically for all of western
Montana, where people invariably know what species my ferrets are when I
take them out in public, and they almost always gush over how cute they are.
 
So I live in the boondocks.  And every ranch supply or feed store sells a
variety of put 'em together yourself rabbit cages.  You can build a great
ferret palace without breaking the bank by buying two or three good size
rabbit cages (I use 2' x 3' x 16" high) stacking them and cutting a hole
between each level and adding a ramp.  Every level has it's own door, since
it started out as a separate cage, and there are no shelves to fall off of
as in some multilevel cages, since each level has a complete floor.  You can
fill each level with a variety of toys and sleeping boxes (my ferrets prefer
to sleep all packed tightly into a small box that is complete sealed except
for an access hole in the top) and hang hammocks to your, and their, heart's
delight.  I cover the floors, at least the bottom one, with linoleum tiles,
which fit perfectly and are sticky on the bottom so they stay put.
 
-- Kim and five Professional Explorer Ferrets, waiting for Bob
[Posted in FML issue 2297]