>I have two ferts that I want to give free roam.  I had them out one full
>night but I was so nervous I woke up about 15 times before putting them
>back in their cage at 5am.
 
The whole debate to free roam or not to free roam is pretty much up to
individual preference and lifestyles, etc., but when it comes to free
roaming at night -- or any other unsupervised time -- I'd like to speak
out.
 
There are innumerable dangers in even the most vigilantly ferret-proofed
home, and when they are out of their cage, ferrets need to be supervised.
From chewing on something they shouldn't have (and, after all, what's the
fun of chewing on something you *should*?) to wiggling out a slighly ajar
window screen and escaping into the wild unknown, there are myriad
tragedies that can be avoided with close supervision.  You want your
ferrets to have the run of the house to increase their happiness and well
being, but both would be compromised (or lost altogether) by an unexpected
accident.  Besides, your ferrets won't miss out on anything by being caged
at night...other than an occasional sip of water and midnight snack, my
ferrets zonk right out with the rest of us and sleep all night, exhausted
from their busy days of wreaking havoc and stealing hearts.
 
Kristin D. writes:
>Oscar LOVES to **dig** at my feet and my legs [if I'm lying down]  He'll
>dig and lick continuously until I make him stop
 
And Lisa writes:
>I have tried again but my two never biting ferrets will bite REALLY HARD
>when they get under my blankets.  Does anybody know how to remedy this?
 
I will assume that it's your feet they're biting (who can resist a good
wiggly toe?).  Have you tried spraying bitter apple on your feet (or
whatever)?
 
As I mentioned before, free roaming at night is dangerous for the ferret,
and sleeping in a bed with his human is just as dangerous.  It's one thing
to snuggle together and enjoy each other's company, and it's fine for the
ferret to sleep next to his human, but it's dangerous for him if his human
falls asleep and inadvertantly rolls over and crushes or suffocates him.
 
We were entrusted with these little lives to guard and protect.  It's a
fine line to walk, between giving them limitless freedom to play and be
happy, and the need for limits to protect and save them from their own
curiosity, their environment, and from our own occasional blunders.
 
Take care,
Chana Rosen
Tiferet, Snowball, & Kesef (tormentors of Oscar the Cat)
[Posted in FML issue 3460]