I am posting this for my co-worker who is trying to find a home for his
two ferrets, Penny and Pete.
 
Penny
She is almost 4 years old; I believe she was born in late November 1996.
I got her in January 1997.
 
She is a light sable color with a pale nose.  She is also spayed and
descented.  She comes originally from Marshal Farms, unfortunately.  I did
not know about that outfit before I got her and learned more about the
ferret world.  When it comes to the pecking order, she likes to be on top.
This may have to do with the fact that I let her rule my apartment for
about 1 1/3 years before I got Petey.  She takes on my golden retriever
even!  Nonetheless, she is my favorite of the two.  And she and I get
along real good.  She used to lick my ears to death, but has reduced the
frequency of it since growing up.  She can jump like crazy.  A real acrobat
if you let her run about.  Incredibly fast when she needs to be also.  I'm
actually surprised that she hasn't found her way out of the ferret pen I
built for them.
 
Pete
He is 2 1/2 years old; born in March 1998.  I got him in May 1998.  He is
gray/white/silver with a mixed colored nose.  He is spayed and descented.
He is from Path Valley Farms in PA.  He is the cuddley one; and he moans
too, especially if you cuddle him when he's in the right mood.  My wife,
then my girlfriend, fell in love with him immediately.  Though not quite
as spry as Penny, he is a great trooper that can surprise you.  I don't
know how he puts up with Penny sometimes; I think he's like my grandfather
with selective hearing.  But when Penny finally gets to him, he will strike
back.;-)
 
Anyway, he's got the toughest skin between the two of 'em--doesn't seem to
take things personally.  But he does kinda of hide from our golden, I think
because he got a good swipe from her once.
 
Health
They both have been real good so far.  Penny has gotten sick badly one time
(Dec 1997) while on a road trip to TN.  We think that she got something at
a motel (ate the wrong bug?) or from my sister's house where they had two
dogs.  She lost weight and was really dehydrated.  But she did bounce back
to normal.  It was a scary moment, though.  They have been seeing Dr. Keith
Gold at Falls Road Animal Hospital, he's great.  They have both reacted
badly to their annual shots one time each.  But I just hang out at Falls
Road for awhile after Keith shoots 'em up.  Last time it was Penny, but she
recovered quickly.  The receipt says that it was Pete who got the extra
help, but it is mistaken.  One time Penny gradually lost some hair on her
tail for through about 2 months.  I was soon to take her into Keith, but
then the hair started to grow back on it's own.  I think that it was
stress.  At the time we had just gotten our golden retriever puppy and we
had just moved into a house.  A stressful time for all and not as much
playtime for her and Pete because of all the moving and other things
going on with our family at the time.  It was when we were in the house
for awhile and were able to keep the dog and her apart for awhile and give
the two carpet sharks a lot of their own room that her hair started to grow
back.  She seems fine now.  And like I said, Penny still doesn't let our
golden forget that she is the boss.
 
Unfortunately, they are in need of annual shots.  Theirs expired in June
2000.  If we assume that one of 'em will react from the shots and will need
a boost from Keith, I believe the total cost would be about $115 (at Falls
Road).  We can discuss this issue.  We are on a tight budget at home, one
of the reasons that they deserve a better home at this point.
 
Ferret castle
With Pete and Penny comes a 2 1/2 level cage with two water bottles, food
bowl, and a litter box for the bottom.  I also have a corner litter box
that I use in the pen.  I built a pen for them that is 2 feet high, 4 feet
wide (maybe a bit more), and 6-7 feet long.  Their cage sits in the middle.
Several towels and other stuff too.  And a tunnel, a thing that they love.
We would not be able to move it whole.  I think that we could take apart
the wooden pen and nail/screw it back together with not too much trouble.
 
I'm not looking for money, just a better home for them.  They are a great
couple, which I hate to say goodbye to.  The changes in our household
situation have prevented me from being with them enough, among other
things.  So it would be best if they can find a better environment with
owners that will love 'em as much, if not more, as I do.
 
Melanie S. Hawkins
[Posted in FML issue 3209]