We have a length of 3" diameter PVC pipe which we normally put above the gate, BUT 1. If we put it on a spring rod it becomes harder for Steve and me to get over the barrier. 2. If we don't put it on the spring rod Hubble takes leaps where he swats the tube with his hands till it finally falls safely outward and then he goes over. Morney can't dislodge it, but she can wait for him to do so. Now we are jamming the tube in at an angle right up against the barrier on their side and we find that they can't get the right angle to leap over because they can't get close enough to the barrier. If they try to stand on it they slip due to the angle. Also, we can get over more easily. That never would have worked for Jumpstart who was able to unwind from a sitting position quite a distance from the gate into a leap that would clear the gate with room to spare. Still, it seems to be working for next best leapers we have had through our 26 or 27 years with ferret family members. After talking with a friend today i became aware that I have to make some more time for myself. Steve and I have lost about 7 or 8 close relatives in the last few years, most recently Dad, have also lost some friends to severe illnesses in the same time, had each of them sick for a protracted time beforehand except for one who went quickly, and have had some health needs of our own. The result is that we have had almost no spare time at all for ages. Heck, I don't even recall how many years it has been since we have even had a day trip that was not related to someone's health or death. Some people will have noticed that i stopped being an IFC advisor due to lack of time, and some will have noticed that I am on-line not quite as often. Given some continuing family needs, given that my eyes are also worsening so may have surgery soon for glaucoma, and given that Steve (the center of my universe for 29 years and married for almost 28 of those) and I deserve more time together as does any devoted couple, and that we both deserve more recreation time I think that folks online might see a bit less of me and have me less available to look things up, at least in spurts. Steve and I just need and deserve some "we" and "me" times in increased amounts. So, we'll be doing a bit more of what we WANT to do, on-line and off-line (Today I even let myself have sometime on sites I love but had to skip recently.) rather than what we NEED to do to help others, and will be on-line less consistently. Sukie (not a vet) Recommended ferret health links: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/ http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/ http://www.ferretcongress.org/ http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html [Posted in FML 5908]