You  know I love my ferrets.  But I most definitely CAN imagine $10,000
damage.
 
I am replacing the flooring in my home every year.  The ferrets ruin the
carpet.  They dig holes in the middle of the room.Mini-Me destroyed my den
this way last year.
 
They destroyed the flooring in the dining room by pooping and urinating
until I could not get out the odors anymore.  They splatter all along the
baseboards, and the paint has come off the base boards now due to constant
cleaning in various areas along the wall.  Putting down a durable material
that they cannot scratch up is expensive.  It is about $2000 a room, since
the base boards also need to be replaced.
 
The doors look ruined in two rooms from the scratching to get out or in.
And then there is the poop that sprays above the litter boxes and
splatters on the walls.  Constant scrubbing washes off the paint.  It has
only been 3 years, and I need to paint again.
 
The inexpensive linoleum or tiles with but a thin layer of material on top
of the base will soon be ruined by scritching.  My opinion is that it is
better to pay more now for something durable.  Resale value of your home
must be considered.  This area seems to crave wood floors( and no poop on
walls or floor boards.  )
 
I will have easily spent $10,000 because of the ferrets by the end of next
summer when I replace the flooring in the living room.
 
My first ferrets were very good at using the litter box.  But with the
rescues that I have taken in over the years?  The floor poopers teach the
well behaved to loose their manners.  And now, I no longer have any little
ones BUT rescues.  You could not begin to imagine the hours I spend
cleaning every day if you cannot imagine $10,000 damage.
 
This is just my experience.  I am truly happy for those of you with
different experiences.  Living alone-with no husband to yell at me, or
kids to crawl or step in anything-I really think God wanted me to care
for these little ones.  Biters, shelter ferrets, old furless ones, floor
poopers: This is why the FML is so important to me.  There are very few
people who would understand.  But I know that you do.
 
Lisette
[Posted in FML issue 3793]