Katy asked about wood chips linign the bottom of a cage.  I have to get
straight exactly what you are asking.  Do you have a cage with a mesh
floor over a solid floor?  Do you have a solid floor?
 
I would never put pine or cedar chips in under on or near a ferret cage.
There have been to many potential problems mentioned.  If you really wany
wood chips for some reason as far as I know Aspen chips are okay - though
I hope a vet. who knows differnt would correct me.
 
If you have the mesh over a tray type of cage and you are unhappy with
plain newspaper (newspapaer is what we use) you could try the wood pellet
fuel for pellet burning woodstoves.  This is what we use as ferret litter
now.  It is the cheapest thing I've ever found - about 3 or 4 dollars for
a 40 pound bag!  We get it a a woodstove store.
 
If you have a solid bottom cage I don't recommend any kind of chips or
litter.  Just some old tee shirts.
 
Remember though ferrets don't tolerate tempertures over the mid-80s (F)
very well.  You said that chip question was becaus eof the summer
temperatures so I thought I'd point this out.
 
Hope this is of some help...
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
[Posted in FML issue 1237]