I have some information for C. Curry that I think might help....I was unable
to reach him via e-mail....We have had good success in trimming Spenser's
nails.  We do it about every other week, when they are long enough to cut
easily without likelihood of getting to near the pink part.
 
Two things we have used, the first of which is to wait until he is very
sleepy...so sleepy that he falls back to sleep in my lap when we pick him
out of his hammock (favorite nap place).  The only problem with this is that
sometimes he wakes up after only 1 or 2 paws, so it can take a days worth of
naps to get them all done.
 
The other method has been to put a few drops of Ferretone on his tummy.
He's wide awake, but so preoccupied licking the treat off of his belly that
he doesn't care about the manicure.....gets them all trimmed in just a few
minutes.
 
Also, we have been using a standard "human" clipper....I'm worried that I
might bend the nail or not be able to see all of the pink part well with the
scissor styled animal versions.
 
I would not recommend using what we call the "scruff" method (holding him
like a mother cat does a kitten).  We do use that maneuver to discipline
Spenser.....for chewing on lamp cords which he only does on occasion, ...for
biting too hard...etc..  From what we've read, when the little guys go limp
like Spens does when scruffed, it means they really dislike it, and it seems
to work well for discipline.  If you scruff your ferret to cut nails, he may
think he is being punished for whatever he was doing right before that and
come to regard nail clipping as a really bad thing.  Also, we give the guy a
treat when we're done with the nails...a raisin and a good ear scratching
with lots of praise....
 
Hope this helps...
 
Les and Eric Bitters, and
Spenser (like the poet)
 
p/s I lost the request from the person that wanted to talk ferrets real
time....if you're on AOL, please e-mail us....thx
[Posted in FML issue 1538]