Ingella - we don't all keep our ferrets in cages. Just most people. I too feel free roam is best but also understand that in the interest of the ferrets it doesn't work for a lot of people. I am single, live alone and don't have a lot of traffic in and out of the house. A married couple of mine have a similar situation and their ferrets are also free roam. Some American households are very busy with many children and people coming and going. The risk is great that the ferrets will get out. Its an individual call. For those families that have ferrets not interested in the door every time it opens and super responsible family members - go for it. For those whose ferrets seem really interested in escape - best to ferret proof a room if you can and allow free roam when there's not to much traffic. These are just a couple of examples of the wide variety of of situations that individual decisions have to be made for. I do feel that if the ferrets are allowed out in only one room ever that if its not the TV room the ferrets may not see people much and that makes me sad. I also feel that ferrets who are free roam are not nearly as "spastic" as caged ferrets when their out. There activity levels and personalities are very different from ferrets who are caged a lot. Oh and BTW my 3 yr old ferrets DO NOT sleep 22 hours a day, more like 16-18. And as for those recommendations that I keep hearing from book authors etc. "Ferrets need at least 1 hour out a day". Folks - THAT IS NOT ENOUGH. It drives me crazy that this has become some sort of mantra from professional ferret educators. My own personal opinion is that an effort needs to be made as much as possible to have them out where you are approx 4 hours a day - of course those 4 hours are divided up since they are usually only up and hour or two at a time. But I realize people do what they can - I don't mean to slam anyone. But I think that if your following the 1 hour guideline you need to readjust. Sometimes its safer to cage for sleep time for the first year and then you can do free roam after they get over their kitdom. Individual ferret personalities figure in heavily. I could not imagine Giesela caged - it would be just too cruel. Boris would probably adjust with lots of play time. Mary, Giesela and Boris and Booker the dog [Posted in FML issue 2338]