I've been using newspapers for many years. I work at a University so have easy access to plenty of newspapers. If anyone lives near one, you could find out where the newspaper stands are and at the end of the day you could pick up left overs from the stands. There are tons left over at ours and they are recycled, one way or another. :-) Newspapers have worked well for us because they are easy to change and it can be done as frequently as needed without too much extra effort. Difficulty depends on which ferrets are up and around when I change papers and where they are sleeping. Jem loves getting under the papers and moving them around out of place. I tend to be a little obsessive about newspapers being in their proper place so we often go around and around until.... I finally give up and let him do his thing while I go do something else and come back later to straighten up. Sometimes Jem only moves the papers, sometimes he bunches them up (grrr) and sometimes he shreds them so I never know what I'll come back to. Hmmm... sort of like a surprise! (NOT!) Our basement is rather dingy, partial concrete/rock, partial dirt. Ferrets don't have access to the dirt side. The basement is a dungeon mostly, but the ferrets love the cool moist darkness. I use papers in and under a large cat box and behind the door. Up till winter that was fine, but now that it is cooler, somebody is taking the papers and stuffing them under the large fluffy twin quilt and they aren't particular as to whether the papers have been used or not!!! What a mess! I can't use wood pellets down there as they dump them and if a certain area of the floor isn't covered with papers they go there anyway. sigh. What use to be a 10 minute clean up job has turned into 30 minutes and frequent laundering. In the rest of the house, in some areas papers are moved or shredded so I'm frequently checking rooms to see if papers are were they belong. Sometimes I find them stuffed in beds, for insulation I guess... Apparently when you add newspaper to fleece bedding it is more comfy... I've placed trays in some areas and newspapers in the trays. The trays get moved out of the way so they can 'go' behind them. Litter boxes do too. More checking and cleaning. When changing papers, it never fails, someone comes up to 'go' as soon as I pick up the messy papers. Shelves of cages, especially snap in shelves, are often used whether there is a litter box, newspaper, or not. I wonder if the plastic shelf has a scent to attract them to go there... I keep the trash can on a shelf that the ferrets can't get to. When changing papers I would take it down and set it on a lower tin container for easier access. Jem has figured out he can get behind the trash can, wedge his back against the cabinet and push to dump the trash can over when I put it down on the tin... my memory isn't so good sometimes and I often forget that he can do that... ugh. Even with all the challenges, newspaper has proven the best for us in the litter dept. Happy Holidays! tle www.ferretfamilyservices.org [Posted in FML 7642]