Hello, I saw your post on FML. Let's see, I generally just pet my ferrets however I want. My don't really like to have their tummies rubbed, but I do it anyway, because it usually gets them to play. They don't usually sit in my lap and cuddle long enough to just pet like a cat or dog, so I try to grab each of them and hug, kiss, and pet them from head to tail before they run off. As for clipping nails, my roommate and I have to do it together. One of us scruffs the ferret (holds on by the skin on its neck), this makes them go limp and not fight so much, then the other clips their nails. We just use a people finger nail clipper, but you can buy special ones for cats and ferrets. When you clip the nails, look at the nail to see the pink vein that's in there. Clip in front of it. There is a nerve that runs right next to the vein and if you clip into the nerve and/or vein it will hurt a lot and bleed. You should keep stypitc powder on hand when clipping nails, just in case the vein gets clipped. Styptic powder can be found at most pet stores (PetCo has it). Also for clipping nails, some people put a drop of Ferretone on their belly. They spend their time licking the Ferretone and don't realize that their nails are being clipped. Occassionally if we grab ours while they're sleeping, if we're careful, we can cut their nails without them even waking up. Now for building a cage. My roommate and I built our ferret cage out of PVC tubbing for the frame, then we attached wire with cable ties, and we used a piece of plexiglass for the floor. We got all of the materials at Menards and the whole thing cost us under $70. Our cage is virtually a square 2x2x2.5 and not big enough for the ferrets to live/play in now that we have 6, (our are free roam ferts now, but we keep the cage for when I have to clean, or we take it with when we travel) but it was extremely comfortable for the original 2. The PVC and plexiglass is convenient for cleaning purposes. If it gets really messy I can put it under the shower and hose it down without ruining the cage. Also if they spill their water or have an accident outside the litterbox, it's easily washed and sanitized. Wood is a very bad material to use for a cage, as it absorbs liquids and can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Good luck to you! Cynthia and 6 carpet sharks [Posted in FML issue 3638]