To the person who was wondering about buying a phone cord for their ferret:
Don't do it.  They can chew right through that rubber-like insulation,
swallow the pieces and get the pieces stuck in their intestine.  I've seen
pet rats chew through phone cords; I'm sure a ferret could do it, too.  If
that happens, they can require surgery to remove the obstruction.  I'm sure
lots of other ferret owners besides me can share with you the horrors of
having a ferret swallow something they chewed off with their teeth.
Rubber-like items are especially problematic.
 
One of my ferrets -- Lucky Charminator, who else -- has tried to pull the
phone cord loose, too. I sprayed it with bitter apple, and she lost
interest.  Bitter apple is really handy stuff.  You can buy it at a pet
supply store.  Perhaps that will help.  Otherwise I would recommend putting
the phone cord out of reach.
 
And then let your fuzzy play with something else. Like your feet. (Oh,
no, not the feet!) That's another think Lucky Charm likes to do.
 
Linda
[Posted in FML issue 1260]