I've spent the night thinking about all the cat & ferret dillemmas that
Lisette brought up in the FML the other day.  Although I currently do not
have cats, I did have cats and dogs at the same time in the past and
several of the issues brought forth have possible solutions in looking at
cat & dog relationships.
 
Lisette's biggest concerned (from my interpretation) is regarding health
problems from cats eating ferret food and ferrets eating cat food.  For
most people, I think you can keep the ferrets out of the cat food fairly
easily in the same manner you keep dogs out of cat food.  Put the cat food
up in a high place like a shelf, table-top, on top of a dresser or some
other place that cats can jump up to but ferrets can't climb up to.
 
Keeping cats out of ferret food might take a little more creativity if your
ferrets and cats inhabit the same area of the house.  But a solution might
be found in a similar principle as the solution posted above.  Where can
ferrets go, but adult cats cannot?  In small places...take an enclosed box
and cut a hole just large enough for your biggest ferret, but too small for
your smallest cat and keep the ferret food in this box.  Of course this
only works for adult cats, since kittens can get into any hole a ferret can
get into.
 
Sorry Lisette, I couldn't think of any possible solution to your litterbox
blues, unless you can keep the ferrets and cats in separate areas of your
house.  But, that probably doesn't work for you or else you would have
already done this.  Good Luck on your re-flooring and poop patrol!
 
Deb Adams & 2 ferrets, 8 gerbils, and 2 rats (and soon to be a puppy)
[Posted in FML issue 3104]