As far as hammocks go, we have a ferret hammock in our ferrets' very large
cage, and they love to sleep in it. I purchased it for about $10 from a pet
products catalog. I can find the phone number if anyone is interested.
 
Those of you interested in finding out whether your ferrets will respond to
squeeky toys might try the following: Go to your local hunting/fishing
sporting goods store and ask if they sell a squirrel call. A squirrel call is
basically a small rubber air bellows with one or two reeds that make a
squeeking and/or grunting noise designed to get a response from squirrels in
the wild (presumably so that you can then find and shoot them... but why
would you want to?) My ferrets will come running when I mimmic their own
chattering with the call. The call I have is designed to make two distict
noises, one that sounds like a squirrel chattering (and somewhat like a
ferret playing) and the other that is supposed to sound like a baby squirrel
in distress. Not having heard any distressed baby squirrels personally, I
couldn't attest to its authenticity, but I do know that Princess (our female
albino) comes running and will climb all over me trying to find what's making
the noise. We figure it must be her maternal instinct (even though she's
neutered.) We can't decide, however, whether Princess wants to rescue the
baby squirrel or EAT it!  :) Princess will even occassionally talk back to
the call, although its a very low, quiet grunting.
 
One thing that has eluded us (me and my girlfriend, Tatia) over our seven
years of ferret ownership is an effective way to punish the little buggers.
We tried spankings (with and without rolled up newspaper,) spraying water in
their faces, sharp "NO"s, and the only thing that seemed to have any effect
at all was incarceration. Our ferrets do hate baths, but it seems like a lot
of trouble to give them a bath every time they are bad (boy, we'd be in the
tub constantly.) Lately, though, I've been trying something that looks like
it has possibilities-- dipping their hind feet in cold water. Ferrets have
very sensitive feet and DO NOT like to get them cold. Presto and Princess
have been teaming up to get on top of my bathroom counter and stealing the
toothpaste, rearranging the toiletries and basically being healthy,
inquisitive, and annoying ferrets. Every time I catch them up there now, I
run a bit of tap water in the sink and dip their hind feet in it (just for an
instant.) There is no doubt in their little ferret brains that this is
punishment! My entire apartment is carpeted, so they dry off almost
immediately, but it does seem to hurt their feelings. So far they haven't
stopped getting on the counter, but they are being a lot more sneaky about
it. If I catch them at it they try really hard to get down before I get to
them, because they know what's coming. I wouldn't reccommend this punishment
if your ferrets don't have access to carpeting or towels to dry their feet
on, or if you live in a particularly cold environment (it's 95 degrees here
almost every day now.) Wouldn't want the little demons getting sick, now
would we?
 
Marcus, Tatia, Presto, Pricess, and Taz
 
[Posted in FML issue 0509]