Hi all!
 
In response to the collars thread:
 
I have tried many harnesses, the velcro type, the figure eight style, the
ones that have the large plastic coated hook and eye that sits on the
ferret's shoulder blades, and gave up on them.  I then used Marshall's bell
collars.  They stayed on moderately well and I could attach a very small ID
tag to it with the ferret's name and my phone number.  But, still this was
not ideal.
 
(if you want these VERY small tags, call Lucky Pet and ask for the "Tiny
Oval" tag.  It's 1" long and 1/2" wide.  The ferrets don't seem to mind
it at all.  Call them at 1.800.543.8247 or order on the web at
http://www.luckypet.com
and, no, I don't work for them I just am really happy with their
products!  :) )
 
One day, my Kiffy got out.  He left the collar under the couch before he
made his getaway.  I lived with roommates in college at the time and there
was a lot of traffic at my house.
 
So, I found something MUCH MORE RELIABLE.  I have been using Hagen's
H-style lead and harness set with a bell for three years now, with an ID
tag.  The ferrets don't escape them, don't seem to mind them.  And best of
all, they are not too bulky, even for my two scrawnier ferrets.  They have
little black plastic clips, so once you set the size, you just clip them on
and off.  And, to make it easier, I unclip the section that goes under the
arms and the pull the "collar" section off without unbuckling it.  That
way, I don't have to figure out which section is adjusted for the neck or
chest.  I still use the harnesses whenever my ferrets are out of the cage.
It doesn't help find them when they are asleep, of course.  But it does
give me some peace of mind, god forbid one should ever escape again.  I
am not in college anymore, but I still live in a busy household, so this
works best for me.
 
I TAKE THE HARNESSES OFF BEFORE PUTTING THEM IN THE CAGE, even with a
harness, it is possible to hang themselves.  And, I'm sure that they aren't
the most comfortable things in the world, so maybe the fuzzles sleep better
that way, too! :)
 
If you are looking for a new harness, try this Hagen one.  Unfortunately,
the Ferret Store doesn't have it on their web page, but if you call them,
maybe they could order it.  I paid about 10 dollars for each of mine.
Added bonus, they come it lots of solid colors and a couple of patterns.
So, your woozles can be induvidualized. :)
 
If you live in or near DE, Concord Pet Food carries these.  Though they
seem to sell out regularly.
 
On a different note:
I am the person that asked about ferrets and rabbits.  Well, I am happy to
announce that I stumbled across a marvelous indoor home for the bunny with
some really great animal people down the street.
 
While the bun was here, I kept him in one half of the house and the ferrets
in the other.  He seemed to really enjoy watching the ferrets play through
the plexiglass gate.  He'd hop up to it and watch them for a while then go
look around some more.  Everytime the ferrets played near the gate, he'd go
watch.  I never tried an introduction of any sort.  While the stories of
the two critters getting along is wonderful, I never intended to try that.
I just wanted to know how the smell of ferrets would affect the bun.  My
conclusion is that he couldn't have cared less about their scent.
 
Thanks to all who wrote about the ferret/rabbit topic.  I really appreciate
it.
 
I hope everyone has a great day,
Sincerely,
Jaclyn and the zoo...
Kif, Trevor, Fred and Mr Pepper, the ferrets
Immelmann, the cat
Hunter, the dog
Green Lizzie and Brown Lizzie, the lizards
 
Check out my new web page, most of the ferrets are on it already, and some
other neat stuff too.  If you want me to link to your page, just drop me a
line!!!
 
http://flyingferrets.homestead.com/home.html
[Posted in FML issue 3001]