I have just read this on FML. Funnily enough most people in the UK are seeking out the Hagen type H harness because ferrets can quite easily wriggle out of the figure of 8 style harness. Also there is a risk of stretching with a leather harness whereas once a nylon harness has bee adjusted to an individual ferret it only needs ocasionla adjusting, with seasonla variation. The H style is much easier to put on, the front bit can be left done up and simply slipped over the head then all that is neede is to do up the body strap, much easier with a snap together buckle than the traditional buckle usually used on a leather harness. I am talking from personal experience and the experience of many ferret owning friends who have triedmany types of hrness and have found the H ones the best. The only time I would advocate using a figure of 8 would be for a very small jill as the H ones tend to be too big, but even then it only takes a few minor adjustments to make it smaller. And personally I wouldn't leave any small animal staked out unsupervised in an uncoverd area, even in the UK where we don't have eagles. Cats, hawks and seagulls are enough of a threat. Mary http://www.beehive.com/bristolferretclub [Posted in FML 6077]