"Citcom" <Bodi RemoveThis @citcom.net> wrote in message
news:fjjkob$d1$1@news04.infoave.net...
> We are about to put up our Christmas tree (artificial). This is the first
> Christmas we've had a ferret. I am looking for any recommendations about
> Christmas trees and ferrets.
We've had two considerations with ours.
First, that when they climb it they don't knock it over. As it happened, we
already had the problem with cats (climbing) and dogs (running under) so we
wired the top of the tree to the cross beams on the ceiling.
Second, ingesting things on the tree. We gave up on tinsel due to the cats
and dogs anyway. But I imagine the same precautions have to apply to
ferrets as well. Along with anything else they might ingest or otherwise
have problems with. Basically, ferret proof the tree as you might any of
their other play locations.
As to actual interest. We've had nine ferrets over the last decade and
more. In all that time only three showed any interest in climbing the tree.
One of those climbed it all the way to the top, looked around, and climbed
down. And never did it again to that, or any later, tree.
One other would occasionally leap into the tree from a nearby table or couch
or such, wander around inside it for a while, then climb down to the floor
and go on her way. She did this a couple of times a year for as long as we
had her.
The last was a rather large, heavy, and somewhat clumsy male. He'd try to
leap into the tree once each year, thump off branches all the way down until
he plopped onto the floor. Then he'd ignore it until the next tree next
year. The last year he was with us, I intentionally put some of the
branches up against our couch so he wouldn't have to leap. He walked into
the three, climbed down to the floor, looked back up the tree, and that was
it. He seemed very pleased.
If your ferrets are prone to chewing on wiring, I'd watch for that, of
course. I don't recall a single one of ours has ever showing any interest
in wires, but I hear some do.
- Bill
>> Stay informed about: Ferrets and Christmas trees 
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