I never had a problem with water containers, I use a water bottle and a
water dish for those who like to drink from a bowl.  Then Polar Bear joined
my family, once he got used to the environment, he started looking for
destructive outlets for his energy, and he's the most energetic of all my
ferrets.
 
He doesn't like water to be in bowls.  He'll dunk his whole head in it (it
is so cute!) and dig the water.  My other ferrets do this on occasion, but
Bear is the only one who'll dig ALL the water out before he stops.  The
heavy ceramic bowls are not tipped over, but not a drop is left at the end
of the day.  The ones attached to the cage is worse, since empty water dish
results in a wet carpet that needs drying.  My brother gave me a water bowl
that is shaped like this:
 
     -- --
    |_____|
 
Bear was stumped for a week, he could only manage to dig out so much water
-- always there's an inch left.  Then he found that if he braced it against
something, he can tip it over and out goes the rest of it.
 
After that, it's water bottles only for the several weeks.  I guess the
only thing he won't empty all the water out of is a basin of water, and
then he and Sand gets everything so wet, I don't want to sleep in a wet
bed.  I saw this fountain on sale at White Rose (also see similar ones at
Michaels):
 
      __________        It has a hexagonal base, a nice pattern of
     |  -|--|-          falling leaves.  The base is covered be a
     | |      |         flat stone piece with an inverse L-shape
     | |      |         pipe coming out from it, and the water
     | |      |         trickles down holes at the top and onto a
     | |      |         swinging stone (duct taped in place), and
     | |      |         then back on the stone piece and along the
     |  ------          sides into the base.
    _|____________
    \            /
     \__________/
 
The ferrets (and cats) all love it.  Birch likes to drink from the dangling
stone, they can get their paws wet, but not soaking wet.  They can push
against the dangling stone and get a spray.  Bear can dig at it all he
wants and only so much water splashes out.  It also works great as a
humidifier for me.
 
It cost about 60-80 canadian, I think, and I recommend it as a fun and
aesthetically pleasing addition to your collection of ferret toys.  The
cons are that it can be loud, and limited splashing is not no splashing.
 
// ***********************************************
// Selina, Birch, Dief, Sprite, Storm, Sand & Bear
// http://www.cgl.uwaterloo.ca/~ssiu
[Posted in FML issue 2970]