It occurred to me that some might think that I have a home littered with little dead carcasses and chicken wings. No, I don't have anything near that. What I do have are strategically placed "stashing boxes" for my ferrets to eat in or hoard in if they so desire. I don't have carpets in the areas that the ferrets frequent. In fact I've spent a lot of time tearing up carpet & laying tiles since moving in here. I'm sure that a major factor in choosing to buy this home was that the main living area has slate floors. :-) The "stashing boxes" are either upturned cardboard boxes with a little doorway cut out or 1/2 a plastic carry cage. These are simply put on a few sheets of newspaper and the happy snacker can eat in privacy or hoard for later. http://ferretfair.com.au/showcontent.toy?contentnid=34664 Not all of my ferrets hoard, but some do. Not all of my ferrets carry their food away from the plate, but some do. Even so, the paper can be changed without drama so the ferrets and I are all happy. Cheers, Shirley [Posted in FML issue 5168]