I read the scoopable litter story with some interest.  If the
six-week-old ferret had a mouth full of litter, as well as litter caked
on his nose, he was definitely too young to be using litter!  He should
have known to keep his mouth shut, or come up for as soon as he couldn't
breathe through his nose.  What kind of scoopable litter was in use in
your ferret cage?  I know that clay litter is very dangerous to ferrets
because it can cause respiratory problems; is this another reason to
avoid clay/silica?
 
Both of my boys go swimming in clean Swheat Scoop occasionally, and
neither has ever come out with more than a few easily shaken kernels of
litter on their noses.  We've had our share of runs through the litter
box after bath time as well, and I've found that Swheat Scoop comes loose
as the fert involved dries.  I know there can be problems when dealing
with litter that sticks to mucous membranes, particularly in the anal
area, but I've never seen Swheat Scoop stuck to my boys' rear ends.
 
The current (May/June) issue of Ferrets has an article on litters
beginning on page 18.  The author, Erika Matulich, Ph.D., mentions on
page 23 that one wheat-based litter clumping litter is labeled safe for
ferrets.  To my knowledge, Swheat Scoop is the only wheat-based litter
on the market so labeled.  I found two other wheat litters on the Net
that say they can be used for small animals in their ad copy.  However,
neither is labeled as such.  Swheat Scoop is the only one that offers
testimonials from ferret and rabbit owners, not just cat owners.  {By the
way, that isn't my testimonial.  I live in CT, not TX!} Check out the
small animal litter page on their website http://www.swheatscoop.com/.
(As previously stated, the only difference between the cat and small
animal litter is the packaging.)
 
I'd like to hear from other ferret owners who are using Swheat Scoop.
 
Gale
 
"Don't smile at me like that!  That's not even a real smile; It's just a
bunch of teeth playing with my mind!"  Lt. Templeton Peck
[Posted in FML issue 4524]