Happy New Year to ALL~! I have been having offline discussions with several people about ferrets being allowed outside to play in the grasses and earth and/or drinking out of water left outside. As some of you may remember, I spent years walking my ferrets outside through the park and nearby woods. I think it was a wonderful source of fresh air, new smells, and enrichment. I gave up my work out time to make sure my little ones all got out at least once a week. I took them out one at a time. We had many many hours of delights. BUT: as Monk said in one of his hysterical shows when he falls in love with this toddler..."nature is dirty." I LOVED that episode. Nature...durty, the little boy mimics. He transitions into a wee Monk. When I would write about my outdoor experiences...which were actually plenty full...I would usually get a kind email to let me know the dangers involved with my endeavors. Eventually, one of those warnings came to fruition. . I spent many months and hundreds of dollars to get rid of fleas. I only had 5 ferties at the time. I did not see the fleas until a vet visit. Financially, it was a drawn out burden to be certain they were gone from my home. Dreadfully expensive and Time Consuming. Doctors Foster and Smith have a pet education site. Look under ferrets. Heartworm, sarcoptic mange, ticks, fleas, and giardia to sicken and/ or kill the babies are some of the reasons you do not want your companions playing outside in nature. The words written here are so short and take a second to say. The possible consequences if your ferret or ferrets gets one of these short swift words is profound. Enrichment: What I do for enrichment now is to have half a garage full of various items that get swapped out. I change location of items, and the way they are placed. I bring home boxes from Aldies or Sams club, and put paper towels in them and blankets over them, and then a tube. I move the box to a different room and put a sleepy sack in it. Then it goes into recycling, and another box with new smells comes in the next week. A room is closed off...which drives them crazy. Or they stay in their cages for a day, and then go bizerk to be free roam again. I do many other things. Get a board and make a slide. Put a sheet over your chair and watch what happens. Put ice cubes in their water bowl. Especially...I interact with them. Feel free to disagree. We want our ferties happy and to give them the most glorious adventures possible in their short lives. For you, the outdoor enrichment outweighs the risks. I was there. That was my stance. I utterly understand. But in my old age, I have found that enrichment does not have to take place outside. Secondly:Economically; I cannot afford to waste hundreds of dollars because of fleas or a tick or heartworm. I am close to retirement age. I will spend enough on Lupron, meds, surgeries, vet visits, and expensive ferret kibble. I am not a millionaire.Thirdly: Lovingly, I cannot afford to lose my little ones due to a mistake I knew better than to commit. I cannot profess ignorance. I have grown with experiences and your shared knowledge. In my humble opinion, having the ferties outside where they could get heartworm, sarcoptic mange, ticks, fleas, or giardia is a deadly gamble for me. Walking on dirty dirt (LOL) or through the grasses with or without standing water along the route is pretty much a thing of the past for me. ( On the day I euthenized Goober, he sat outside, snuffled the grass, and staggered a few steps before we left for the vets.) Feel free to disagree. Folk in England seem to do perfectly well with ferrets living outdoors. Their coats are probably gorgeous. I never heard of parasites there. Maybe in England, nature is clean. LOL. Happy New Year to all, whether you are an inny or an outy.!! Lisette [Posted in FML 6200]