I just wanted to add my two cents to the discussion about caging ferrets.  I
have two ferrets.  I hate to say this, but one of my ferrets is pretty lame.
She never tries to get into anything, and I really mean never - not in the
year and a half we've had her.  She sleeps in one of three corners of the
bedroom at night.  Never anywhere else.  So we feel pretty comfortable
leaving her out at night and even when we're out for a short time.
 
On the other hand, I have another ferret who gets in everything.  We got her
a year after we had our first ferret, and we had to ferret-proof all over
again because she would find every little hole, every cord, every shoe
accidentally left out.  We never know where we'll find her.  So, we keep her
in her cage at night and when we're gone, even for a short while.  She just
would not be safe alone in the big world.  And I'd much rather see her a
little sad (which she doesn't seem to be) in a cage than wake up and find
her dead somewhere.  But when we're home and awake, she has the run of the
apartment.
 
My boyfriend's mom had a ferret a few years ago.  He was a free-roaming
ferret.  In fact, she even let him go outside whenever he wanted to.  One
day while roaming, he got hit by a car.  My boyfriend's mom insists that
Rascal had a great life because he got to run around and do whatever he
wanted.  But he would have had a much longer life if he had just been
protected in his cage.
 
Some people have also said that they're ferrets are happier when not in
their cages, so they just can't bring themselves to cage them.  But a live
ferret, even in a cage, is much happier than a dead ferret.  As ferret
owners, we sometimes have to do things for the ferrets' best interest, even
though it may not be the thing that would seem to make the ferret the
happiest (just like with kids!).  My one ferret loves raisins, but just
because she loves them doesn't mean I'm going to give her gobs of raisins.
 
Anyway, I certainly haven't meant to flame anyone.  As I mentioned, I have
one free-roaming ferret and one ferret that is caged when we're asleep or
gone.  So I can see both sides of the issue.  I made my decision based on
the situation and the characteristics of the particular ferrets.
 
Debbie Riccio had a good suggestion to keep a carrier handy in case you need
it in an emergency.  I keep one right inside my closet door so I can grab it
quickly if I need to.  That came in handy when the fire alarm went off one
morning.  Luckily, there was no fire.  And I'm just shocked by the stories
about burglars hurting pets.  It's one thing to steal, and quite another to
hurt an animal for no reason.  Is it common for burglars to do that?
 
Sorry I've rambled on for so long.  Again, I didn't mean to offend anyone,
just to express my opinion.  Thanks.
 
Heather
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[Posted in FML issue 1597]