I lost RePete and shortly after I lost my mother. This has been a most difficult month, probably the very most difficult month ever in my life. But all such things come to a person if you live that long and is just my turn for these devastating experiences. So I have come to the decision I will have another ferret. The cage needed a clean, was just done but did it again today. This cage started as a simple rabbit cage from a pet store. It was 20 inches wide and 36 inches long with one door in it. I had purchased Byte-me from a store and she was running around 'helping' me assemble that cage. That was a blast! Over time I needed a bigger cage. So I bought two more rabbit cages and assembled them on top of another to make a big one. And then Lee wanted a big cage so he bought a 100 foot roll of the wire and I made one for him. The rabbit cages left me with two more bottom pans that I put handles on to slide out for cleaning. This has worked great ! With the wire Lee had I built two cages and added a bit more to mine so over all I made 3 cages 36 inches wide, 20 inches deep, 68 inches of fert living height and 73 inches over all when the wood frame bottom and wheels are added in. No two cages were alike. Two had balconies and I have the only one with a full balcony. Byte-me loved that, but not all ferts did. I use a 'J' feeder on the outside and made a platform for a self filling water 'jug' from Walmart, it holds about a gallon of water. Is easy to clean and held in place with a gilguy rubber stretch hooked thingy found in most hardware depts. This has worked out perfect! They can drink naturally and always have a plentiful supply of water. I put the litter pan on the bottom and have made a special one where they have easy access in and out. Most use this but from time to time one or more will pick a different spot so the cage has to be cleaned now and then, but over all this cage is magnificent. Over time I have added floors and doors to access every part of the cage easily. The many floors, this one has 5 plus a balcony, make for a ton of living area and places to play. I also built a wood box about 10" cube with a top that just lifts off and the inside is lined on the bottom and sides with carpet. All ferrets love this, they go inside to sleep. The hole is a door knob hole made with a drill and a door knob hole attachment. RePete used to yank a pillow case into the hole to plug it up, his body heat kept it warm and toasty inside. But to prevent him smothering I made the top so it never set fully on sealed, it left about a 3/32" crack all around the top for ventilation. This worked out fine. So that is where my ferts live when I am at work. Otherwise they are out with me. They get plenty of 'out' time in my house. This makes more work for me where they leave 'gifts' for me all over but that is what you get when you have a ferret so I have come to live with it. Maybe some day soon there will the pitter patter of little clawed fanged teethed creatures waddling about my home again. Gordon Rev. J. Gordon Bengtson Aarrow Ranch Aviation Mechanicsville, Virginia 23111 [Posted in FML 5718]