One of Hilbert's quirks involves piddling.  (Hey, Risa, his nicknames
include "Hilly Billy Bert").  Hilbert had some urinary tract problems,
including cystine stones (but is fine on a 35% protein diet) so for
about a year we have regularly had to check his urine and his ability to
urinate.  Well, last night Hilbert was having some particularly good oil
to drink and he could no longer hold his bladder, so he released it.  he
knows we appreciate that he can urinate so we figure that he figured,
"Well, this is acceptable for them." I got to wear two sets of nighties
last night due to a needed change.
 
Hilly can also escape from their cage.  He can open about 4 types of
latches, especially hooks, and he's very flexible.  But he almost never
does it.  The little guy likes the cage after a day of being our playing.
Still, if I wait later than he likes for giving his meds at night (one of
which can be given in oil) he will let himself out and come tell me about
it.  If he figures that Steve has over-slept he also will let himself out
of the cage and bump Steve's face till Steve repairs his oversight.
 
On very rare occasion (months apart) he will let himself out just to
sneak around, and those times he will be so careful to not be caught that
he will close room doors behind himself.  (He also always does this in
the daytime if he is having "Hilbert only out" time beyond the ferret
region barrier and want to like my soap.)
 
Morney figured out that the barrier made from MF playpen panels across
the kitchen entry (which slides at both ends behind shelving) can be
pulled backward at a joint to cause it to fold open, so we stuff some
paperback books between one shelf and the barrier to successfully stop
that.  It took her only minutes to realize that she needed to climb that
bookcase, walk over to the edge and dislodge the books, then get down, go
to the barrier joint and pull it.  Luckily, she usually figures that is
simply too much work.  She does like us knowing that she can do it,
though!
 
Ashling used to hide our television remote 8' up in a closet.
 
Have you ever had anything disappear for years only to reappear in the
middle on a room one day?  We have.  Some photos of me with the chimps
and raccoons I once worked with had that "teleportation malfunction"
happen them.  (It must be FLO.) as did a pair of my eyeglasses.  For
years no matter where we looked (and believe me that we even dismantled
an entire closet seeking my glasses) we could not find those things.
(The envelope was 8" by 11", too.) Then years later the envelope appeared
in the middle on the middle of the ferret room floor and several years
after that my glasses were suddenly on our bedroom floor.
 
Ashling was one who liked to have conversations.  If you kept a sentence
simple and used words she knew she would think about it and if she agreed
she would bump you.  If she strongly agreed (like if she was offered a
favorite treat by name) she would put her little nose on the person's
cheek and streak it right down the face.  That was an emphatic "yes".
On very rare occasions for very special things she would nod.  (Really.)
More common was her shaking her head if something was strongly not
wanted.  (We have had several who would shake their heads in that
situation.)
 
We smell ferret ears, too!  Skunk smell smells good to us after all of
these years with ferret ears, too.  I guess that is like the way that
people below a certain age have been found to like some industrial odors
in perfumes whereas we old farts prefer flowers.  Different tastes
through exposure.
 
We have a front door with quirks.  It farts.  Really.  When we get a bad
wind it has been moved just enough by area quarry blasting that it sounds
like being within 500 feet of the world's largest chili tasting and it is
loud enough that it is heard in the neighboring condos.  Such winds are
rare here and no adjustments have worked, yet.  The ferrets love it when
this happens.  They sit there looking expectantly at the door awaiting
the next wind gust.  Sometimes Morney or Hubble will get tired of just
waiting and will play with the bell hanging from the doorknob, but you
should see that ferret jump when the gassy sounds start up again!
 
Quick note: no, I am not angry with the wealthy themselves since many
realize that the tax burden is in recent years being disproportionally
shifted more and more off their shoulders and more and more onto the
middle class.  Why not?  Because a number of those who are so aware have
greatly increased the contributions they make to help charitable works.
I am annoyed with the current administrators and legislators who are
quietly pushing through such changes, though, and the media executive who
choose to not to have reports on the changes.  To those among the wealthy
who are trying hard to make up for the reduction in the middle class'
contribution ability I send a very big THANK YOU.  (If there are a few
here who can afford it but aren't trying to help make up the shortfall,
well, you know what that annoying, nagging feeling means.  It will go
away once you do contribute more. :-)  Yes, sometimes I am awful about
saying difficult things, but luckily ferret people have such a strong
history of caring deeply that I doubt this applies to many at all and the
few times when it does the fix is easily taken care of by contacting
places like Support our Shelters, the Morris Animal Foundation, and other
wonderful caring places mentioned in the FML who turn what was just money
into loving advances and care that help all.  So, if I worded my comments
about the shrinking middle class contribution budget badly about why that
means that ads for selling ferret charity wares need to be interesting --
now you know.)
[Posted in FML issue 4859]