Dear ferret enthusiasts,
 
I wanted to use a water bottle to water my little friends (Dors and
Seldon), but I don't house them in a cage, so I was wondering how to
hang the water bottle (that little piece of wire they give you with
the water bottle doesn't help you if you don't use a cage).
 
Since I've now had great success with my water bottle design, I
thought I'd share it with you.  The following text contains a good way
to hang a water bottle on the wall.  If this is obvious, please
forgive me (it wasn't obvious to me).
 
You need:
 
B1: 32-oz water bottle
W1: block of wood about 4" x 4" x 1"
W2: block of wood about 4" x 4" x 1"
H1: Hose clamp about 3" diam. (big enough to fit around B1)
H2: Hose clamp about 3" diam.
two U-shaped staple-nail things (square, not round)
a few nails
 
W1W1 B1B1B1B1B1
W1W1 B1      B1
W1W1H1H1H1H1H1H1
W1W1 B1      B1
W1W1 B1      B1
W1W1 B1      B1
W1W1 B1      B1
W1W1 B1      B1
W2W2 B1      B1
W2W2 B1      B1
W2W2 B1      B1
W2W2 B1      B1
W2W2 B1      B1
W2W2H2H2H2H2H2
W2W2   B1B1B1
W2W2      B1
           B1
 
Hose clamp H2 is connected with a staple to block of wood W2, and W2
is fixed, hammered into the wall (make sure to get the right height).
H2 is adjusted a bit smaller than the main part of the water bottle
(B1), so the water bottle sits on top (H2 fits (roughly) around the
screw-on lid).  H1 is connected with a staple to W1, but W1 is not
hammered into the wall.  The assembly W1-H1 slides down over the water
bottle to hold it in place (and is removable so you can refill the
water bottle).  I have a string hooked to the wall that harnesses
W1-H1 in place after I slide it over the filled watter bottle, and I
have guides on the wall to guide W1-H1 into place.
 
This seems to work well for me.  I refill the bottle about every five
days or so.  The little monsters seem to like it.
 
Todd P. Cromwell III
(206) 528-5952 [log in to unmask]
 
[Posted in FML issue 0619]