I don't know about there in NY, but here in Texas we use horse bedding. There doesn't appear to be a shortage. There are 3 kinds, the pellets or small flakes or large flakes - the flakes I use for the horses but for the ferrets, it is pine wood pellets. Can be gotten at most feed stores (for livestock, farm feed stores). We actually also have it in stock to sell to the adoptors who come in as it is, in my book, so much better than cat litter or even Yesterday News - the wood nullifies the ammonia. We put a small amount in the bottom of the litter pan and a sheet of newspaper on top, every day the newspaper with the solid is removed then once a week, the litter dumped and pan washed. For adoptors, I recommend just dumping the whole pan each day rather than shifting through it as ferrets don't bury, (which disgusts a cat but you don't need as much litter like you do for a cat). It is easier and more thorough than shifting through it o using a sheet of newspaper. We do the newspaper because we have over 50 ferrets and it has to be done once a day or else, so many cages and so many play areas. I have 3 rooms of them in my house 24-7. I am very sensitive to odor Millie Sanders at Txferretrescue.org with Texas Ferret Lovers Rescue and connecting Foster homes and sanctuaries [Posted in FML 8064]