Why wouldn't you just block access to the kitchen altogether? There's
just far too many hazards in there to allow them to be in there.

May years ago I found out the hard way that when my landlord had put
a new oven in he'd removed the side wall of the adjacent cabinet. One
of my ferrets disappeared and when we finally found him a couple days
later it was inside the back of my oven range where he'd been
electrocuted. Evidently he d gotten into that cabinet then behind and
inside the back of the range. Since then I've never allowed my ferrets
access to the kitchen or utility room. I have a tall, clear baby gate
that I put up that completely blocks their access. No matter how much
ferret proofing you do I just don't think it's worth the risk. You also
run the risk of stepping on or tripping on a ferret in the kitchen if
you're in there cooking or spilling, dropping something on him or her.

I don't think it's too cute that you're letting your ferret scale your
refrigerator. He could easily fall from the top or catch a leg or his
head on something on the back and end up with a broken leg or strangled
to death. So sorry - your story didn't amuse it just brought back the
horror of losing my ferret so tragically and how easily yours could be
next.

[Posted in FML 6968]