I've been catching up with two months of the FML due to an injured wrist
and not being able to use the computer since the end of June.  Lots of
good posts.  Glad to hear that it won't be discontinued.  Where Bill goes
we will follow!  I've learned so much and met so many interesting ferret
lovers, Suki, Vicky, John, Gordon, Joanne, Linda, Judy, Alexandra, Robin,
Wolfy and all the other wonderful people out there too numerous to name!
Thank you one and all for your input!  And I would also like to thank all
those who sent me cards and goodies for the 4th of July.
 
I had an enrichment that kind of back fired on me once.  I had just read
Bob's article on scent enrichment and was hunting for things for the
kids to sniff.  I found a stuffed, toy ferret at a pet store.  Lots of
possibilities I thought, plus it would be fun to see which of the kids
would grab and stash him.  I was thinking I could put all kinds of scents
on it and the kids would sniff them and be interested.  I set the toy on
the floor (just a hair bigger than my biggest) to see what would happen.
Misty (my alpha female) immediately came up and stiffed its ears and
neck, Bear (my alpha male) came over and stuck his nose under its tail
and came away a bit puzzled.  (At this point I had not added any scent to
the toy, I just wanted to see what they would do.) He then tried checking
out the ears and neck, circled a few times and then looked up at me with
that, "What the ...???" look.  Dusty and Mischief sniffed briefly and
bounced off to wrestle with Bear.
 
Hmmmm...they were treating this toy as if it were a real ferret.
Hmmmmmm... So off I go the the pet store again with the toy under my arm
and made an unusual request.  You should have seen the look I got from
the manager!!  I just know she thought I was some sort of crackpot.  LOL
But she allowed me to rub the toy against one of their ferts after I
explained about Bob and scent enrichment.  I got the scent on the ears,
neck and of course under the tail just for Bear!  Back home we go and
down goes the toy again.  Well he got a bit more enthusiastic greeting
this time.  Misty stuck her nose in his ear after approaching carefully.
Bear walked right up and put his nose under its tail and then checked out
the ears while Misty walked around and checked out its rear.  Mischief
and Dusty were much more interested they all spent quite some time
checking out the new "fert".  After that they all left him alone.
 
To this day they still treat him "differently" than the other toys in the
box.  After they grab and stash, he is the only one left in the box.  If
I put him in one of the hammies, the kids will all go sleep in another
one.  Poor guy is all by himself.  LOL I've tried putting other scents on
him but the kids will only give him a cursory sniff and walk off.  Who
knows maybe one of my rescues some day will adopt him as their toy.
 
Also have a link to a funny Budwiser commercial that wasn't released (I
don't think it was).  Here is the link.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bzEDGeIQn8&search=budweiser%20ferret>
 
For some reason, it made me think of Wolfy and the pink thong!!!  Hope
you enjoy.
 
Hugs and Dooks,
Cindy and the gang at
Hiland Ferrets
[Posted in FML issue 5353]