Nothing exciting on TV, so I figured I'd watch a movie I hadn't seen
before while "ferreting" through my mail that build up all week. You can
imagine my total & complete thrill at the ferret, who has a much more
important role in the movie than a 5 second sighting! Amazing how animals
always seem to know "good" from "bad" people. I thought the noises that
ferret made sounded more like a chipmonk, but the little guys don't "dook"
much just from being picked up, so they had to come up with something.
Could have been worse.
One of my ferrets (P-bear) may have some of this "bulldog" stock in him.
I've always known there was something different about him. He has short
legs & tail, and he doesn't seem to ever form the upside-down U when
running around. His face is noticeably broader than the rest of the
ferrets. He's my only biter. He doesn't bite me, but he knows ferret
people from non-ferret people and he knows he can't get away with biting
ferret people, but tries like heck to bite everyone else! I got him right
at 6 months (baby teeth fell out the week I got him), he was abandoned at
the vets office. He was not neutered or descented! He is turning 5 years
old this spring. He gains mass amounts of weight each winter (doubles+ in
weight) and loses it all in the spring.
When I got him, he had no problems fitting in with the rest of the gang,
but he was the new one. I haven't been able to successfully cage him
with any new ferret since then. He grabs them by the neck & I swear he's
trying to kill them by how hard he whips their heads/necks around. It's
not at all the way any of my others have "worked it out" when introduced -
it's incredibly more violent. His last cage mate was put to sleep this
August and he is visibly depressed caged by himself, but I don't know what
to do. About 3-4 times a year, I try to introduce him to the others, but
quite frankly, it scares me! I would really like him to have a friend,
but I'm not sure how I can facilitate this. Any ideas????? He's so sad
by himself. He gets a lot of personal attention from me, but I'm not a
ferret. Please help!!!!!
Tuesday the 3 ferrets I'm watching will go home with their owner. I
wouldn't mind terribly if they stayed, but it's been extremely stressful
on my 15 year-old cat. She's always been able to tolerate my 5, but
adding 3 (originally 4) more was just too much for her. Where she has
always just gone high & slept to escape them, she now hunts them. It's a
payback for getting her butt kicked a couple of weeks ago & loosing her
dignity, she's trying to re-establish her position of top-dog (well, you
get it).
Holly, Tigger (cat), P-Bear (lonely), Perrin, Tassie, Buddy & Wheelie, and
the visiting Jasmine, Spaz, Slink & Cocoa (Over the Rainbow Bridge resident)
[Posted in FML issue 3654]
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