I have been enjoying the FML for two weeks now, and would like to introduce myself. I am Barbara Austin, and I have two ferrets. My beloved Osie Ferret died of cancer last month, so two weeks ago I got a nine week old male, Yancy, to keep my surviving ferret company (not to mention trying to cheer myself up!) In the seven years I had Osie and Panda (the survivor), neither EVER showed the slightest interest in electrical cords; so I was careless. Two nights ago I was downstairs and both ferrets were out playing upstairs in my bedroom (also their room), when I heard a "pop" and the lights dimmed briefly. In absolute terror, I rushed upstairs, to find the room black and filled with a horrible burned smell. I was certain Yancy had been electrocuted, but it was so dark that I couldn't find him. Of course, I was frantically calling out both ferrets' names, but neither came. Then, mercifully, I saw a bump under the bedcovers. It was Yancy, shaking, but alive! When I picked him up, his whole little face gave off a singed smell - leaving no doubt about what had happened. The next day when there was light enough to see, I found that he had bitten CLEAR THROUGH AND SEVERED the cord of a turned-on lamp! I have no idea how he survived - I'm just incredibly grateful! Which brings me to my question: how do I protect all the cords in the bedroom (at least ten of them)? I have been to the homeowners' store to look for some kind of bite-proof tubing to encase the cords, but don't really know what to ask for. I have an old pet heating pad I bought years ago for my dog, which has heavy plastic tubing covering the cord. This is sort of what I had in mind, but can't find. (Or could a ferret chew through such tubing?) I apologize for the length of this post, and promise to be much more succinct in the future. I surely would appreciate any and all suggestions about how to protect my fuzzies. Barbara [Posted in FML issue 1479]