>I have found that as long as I have a good relationship with my jills,
>they are fine with me cleaning up and checking on them and the kits.
>One jill even insisted I be next to her belly (grabbing my thumb and
>putting it there) while she was having her kits.  I stroked her while
>she had each kit and only left her after she had curled up with them
>and went to sleep.  It calmed her down by me being with her.  I have
>had several jills like this.  Most all of them would gently grab my
>thumb and take it into the nest box with the kits.  That being said,
>I never let others touch the kits.
>
>Amy Flemming
 
Hi Amy
 
Thanks for pointing these things out.
 
I agree totally with you, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work this
out.  Ferrets do accept their owner handling their kits and the better
the relationship the owner has with their animals, the more likely it is
for the mum's to allow this to happen.
 
Here in the UK I have to take a lot of Sh*t, because I tell people to
handle baby animals and birds as soon as their mother will allow this.
 
I have even taken mothers and kits to exhibitions to let the public see
ferret, rabbit and rodent kits before their eyes open.
 
Some of my animals are quite happy about this and they do not get
stressed.  On several occasions I have been reported to the RSPCA for
doing this by people who thought they knew more about my animals than
I do.  Yet the RSPCA officers who visited me, vet's at the exhibitions
and my own vet's have found nothing wrong with this.
[Posted in FML issue 4014]