To Paula and Matt -
 
>Lately I have noticed more than one reference to towels causing intestinal
>blockages. Our fold-out couch has become Kitka & Charlotte's favorite napping
>place. To stop them from nesting in the mattress/bed pad I cut a full size
>towel lengthwise and placed it along the area in the couch back that they have
>claimed. (They are not in danger of being sat on, they really are in the back
>of the couch.) Also I have an old towel in their box in their cage. Is this a
>potential problem?
 
        There are two potential prblems here, but if you have a ferret, life is
full of potential problems.  We use towels for our ferrets to sleep on.  Usually
it causes no problems, but I had an older ferret who would chew the towels when
she got bored (actually, I think she was getting senile).  More than once, I had
to remove string from around her teeth.  Luckily it got caught there.  But what
else is there that is comfortable for them to sleep on.  My suggestion, - just
keep an eye on the towels, and if they seem to be frayed or bitten, then worry.
 
        The other problem is folding couches.  Our ferrets love them too, but
they wnant to get it and eat the foam rubber from the cushions or mattress.
Once again, keep a close eye and if you start to see shredded foam appear, the
couch becomes off-limits.  (In our case, we had to get rid of it...)
 
       Bruce Williams, DVM                 Department of Veterinary Pathology
       [log in to unmask]         Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
       (202) 576-2453/2454                 Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
 
[Posted in FML issue 0956]