Mary Jo wrote:
>I thought maybe she just had a fondness for the fabric so I removed
>every piece of anything that had that silky polyester finish feel like
>the night gown was made of.  If it wasn't cotton it left the room.
>
>Well no such luck.  My plot didn't work.  This morning I caught her
>eating the crochet lace on my antique bed ruffle, all cotton.  What
>can I do?
 
Fabric eaters can be a challenge.  Ferrets like to chew and they'll find
something that feels "good" or "right" if you don't provide something
more appropriate.  We've had luck in offering a Gumabone (made by the
same company that makes Nylabones, but it's more flexible -- though tough
enough to withstand ferret biting).  Cheweasels (or the Marshall brand)
are an excellent replacement.  We've found that Koosh (our fabric eater)
won't chew on denim or other canvas -- I'm guessing it doesn't have the
consistency he wants.  We do have to watch him when he's out because
sometimes he'll start to gnaw on a towel or blanket or something.
Offering something appropriate or simply distracting him with play will
stop the behavior.
 
We've also had success with aversion: spraying Bitter Apple on some piece
of fabric the ferret particularly likes to eat.  This has worked well
when Trixie decides she needs to chew on the edge of the hanging tube.
 
You should also make sure your ferret gets a hairball remedy (e.g.,
Laxatone, Petromalt, plain Vaseline) if you find him eating fabric,
just to help move the fabric through his system.
 
Hope that helps.
 
--Mary & the Fuzzies
 
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Mary R. Shefferman, Editor, Modern Ferret Magazine
Trixie, Koosh, & Gabby, the Modern Ferrets
Read my blog --
http://www.modernferretblog.com/mary
[Posted in FML issue 4108]