Hello!
When I brought home my first two ferrets, I could hardly wait to put those
cute little kitten collars with bells on them!  All the books I had read
previously about ferrets showed pictures of them with these and I thought
it was just adorable!
 
If you choose to use them, be sure that they are the kind that has elastic
on it so that it stretches if they get it caught on something so that they
don't choke or strangle themselves.
 
Truth is though, I had a lot of problems with the little collars - first,
my two that I used them on, hated them and would do anything they could to
squirm out of them.  It is difficult to get them on so that they are tight
enough to stay put but still loose enough to be comfortable for them.
 
Second, there is a big risk of them getting caught on something like a rung
in the ladder in their cage, or just about anything and it is a big risk
for them to strangle themselves.  Not really worth it to me.
 
Third, I found that when my guys scratched their little necks, on occasion,
their nails would get caught in the little spacing in the bell - perfect
fit too, which causes them to scream (in pain) and thankfully, I was around
to help them get it out.  If not, they can accidently pull a nail out
because of this - which would cause blood and pain for the guys!
 
Fourth, the sound of the little bells when they are in their cage is, well,
annoying.  I suppose if you have free roaming ferrets, the bell can be a
great way to keep track of and/or find your ferrets in the house though.
 
The collars were a short lived thing in our house though - probably about
2 or 3 weeks.  They are fine without them - probably better actually.
 
I know that there is a company, can't remember the name now, that makes
little harnesses for ferrets, where you attach the bell to the back, which
alleviates the risk of them catching their nail in it, and also, since it
doesn't go around their neck, there is no chance of them strangling
themselves.  Thing is, though, these harnesses attach with velcro, which is
easy, but after one day, the velco is covered with fur and dust.  I didn't
like them for my ferrets personally, but it is a great alternative with
less risk than the collars.
 
Well, there's my two cents on that.
Lisa Gavin Loco, Tasia, Nala, and Chocky
[Posted in FML issue 2999]