Digging in the food dish:
I again offer my suggestion if you have a digging ferret, help the little
guy out; give him a rice box or a sand box big enough to move around and
bury his head.  You will enjoy his antics as well as he/she/it getting to
do what comes naturally - digging.  If it is a matter they are in the cage
all while you are at work, get yourself a box, secure it to a shelf, and
have a lid on it big enough to let your ferret in and out where if they get
too excited they won't bounce over the top and land below (trust me when I
say they do get excited.  Maybe, just maybe, with a lid on, they won't pull
their blanky, their water bottle and their feed dish in there with them.
They will have more fun in this box than sorting through a little feed box.
You'll get your money's worth out of the next bag of food you buy.........
 
For the tunnels, I have both.  I agree the clear is more fun for YOU but I
don't think the ferrets notice as they chase each other on both the inside
& outside going through the white tubes.  I don't find the clear plastic to
be tougher or hardier than the dryer hose - well at least mine can severe
either kind in 3 to 4 pieces within a very short time.  I mostly use the
dryer hose as I have so much of it running around the edges of the walls,
tied in knots, etc and I also have 4 in their playyard.  I do keep a clear
one put away for special occassions or to give them a change or to impress
a guest :).
 
I want to thank the many many people who wrote to comfort me over my little
Ammonia - I believe I have answered each one direct but wanted all to know
just how much that helps.  It is such a bad feeling to lose one not knowing
what is happening to them.  But I want a VERY special thank you to JAMES
CURFEW.  You see I was thinking the worse, what if she gets out there and
someone picks her up who doesn't know or understand her and tries to
contain her in a little cage, it would kill her inside.  James wrote: "My
point is - even though she may not return to you, it is very likely that
she will find someone else to love & care for her.  Look at it this way,
she may be a ferret missionary to introduce someone else the the
'pleasures' of weasel ranching."
 
It's already worked.  Just before I came home, I called my vet and found a
lady had called in, she found a ferret and wanted to know what to feed it.
I went direct to her house, when i told her why I was there, I think she
was going to lie to me but her daughter said yes and ran up stairs to get
the ferret.  By the time we found she had a male and I had a female, you
could see the relief all over her face.  They brought down a pretty little
boy that had certainly been mistreated at sometime, 2 toes where missing
and a tooth knocked back.  He was covered with fleas and the daughter was
all interested in what to do as they had tried several things - I gave her
lots and lots of advice and how important it was to get it under control as
they don't have that much blood to spare.  also told them of the Olympic
coming up Oct 9 and how wonderful it is for kids to enter their ferrets.
Then after reading James email, it was a light bulb, "stupid, help Ammonia
be that ambassador, go back to their home with the Advantage and apply some
yourself til they can get their own supply (I don't think they can afford a
lot of things but no question when I asked if they were going to keep him
and they answered so fast YES, they already loved that ferret, the gal was
curled up on the couch with the ferret leaned up against her both watching
tv when I left, he was that kinda ferret.
 
So it has already started, Ammonia at work.  And now I will think of her
fantastic personality and the fact she may win some people over to her side
while she is out there.  And me, I may find more who have found ferrets and
need some help on getting started.
 
And, Yes, Michel, she had the little bow on her tail, always the feminine
one.
 
Also, the friends I mentioned before, they made another trip over here,
Kathy Lucy, and Kym D. and Kym, who is deathly afraid of snakes, went
underneith my house and crawled the complete 3200 sq feet to rest our
fears if Ammonia might be under there dead or too weak to come out.
 
Thank you all.  There are no better people than ferret people bar none.
 
Millie and her Noble Cleaning Crew
Easy Off:  the most perfect ferret in the whole wide world
Ammonia:  Bless you, girl, whereever you may be
Cascade:  If we have to stay in these cages much longer Grandma, you
          will be calling us thunder thighs.
Ajax:  snurkle, snurkly, Thunder thighs, Oh hohohohoho Thunder thighs.
Dizzy: Don't laugh,   I remember when she called you Lard Butt
Joy:  Well, the exercise didn't do me a bit of good, I kept the same
      weight in or out of the cage.
Prell: Yah and I remember you fainted when Grandma said you were going
       to have to go up the stairs 3 times before you could come inside.
Febreze: I have claustephobia, I can't whip up on Cascade, - does
         anyone have a spitball and a rubberband.
[Posted in FML issue 2712]