A lot of ferrets like to dig in their food or water bowls. If the bowls are in contained areas and the ferrets are willing to eat off the floor, the easiest solution is to provide a back-up water bottle and ignore the digging. You can also put the bowls in larger pans to contain the mess; use separate pans for the food and water, so the spilled food doesn't get soggy and spoil.

Heavy bowls that angle inward can help, or for more diligent water-bowl diggers, you can switch to a bottle. Likewise, some people find that a J-type rabbit feeder works well for food, though others find that just gives their ferrets a lot more food to joyfully spread around the room. At least one person used a PVC p-trap with a smaller opening instead. Another nearly dig-proof design is to put the food in a covered plastic Tupperware-type container and cut a hole in the top just big enough for the ferret's head.