I just thought I would send this as a little reminder of the dangers
of small everyday items that can be such a danger to ferrets. I have a
3 month old ferret (really a demon) named Shakespeare. I had quite a
Shakesperience (when he's around its always a Shakesperience) the other
day. Yesterday morning I was sitting at my computer when I kept hearing
banging coming from my bathroom. I thought it was the Shakespeare
trying to get in the bathroom closet so I went in to get him. As I
walked over to the closet I happened to look down in the garbage pail
and saw this round bundle of fur in it. It wasn't moving at the time. I
touched him thinking he was sleeping when suddenly he went nuts jumping
and twisting all over the place. I just couldn't figure out why he
was going nuts and kept landing back on what I thought was his head.
Finally, I picked him up only to find he wasn't landing on his head!
That's because his head was stuck inside an empty cardboard toilet
paper roll. He kept twisting all over in my arms while I futilely tried
to pull his head out of the roll. But he got himself in there good and
tight. In a panic, I ran down the hall screaming to my two sons to
help me. I was scared to death. I had heard of ferrets suffocating
with one of these tightly rapped around their heads. I was crying and
everything. My kids could only see a furry gray and white body with an
empty toilet paper roll for a head, they started to laugh but when they
saw me in tears they knew it was serious. They also tried to pry this
thing off his head with no success. Then we got scissors and I held him
while they tried to cut him out, but he wouldn't stay still enough and
I was afraid we'd poke his eye out. Finally my son, Shane, got a small
pocket knife and cut the end so we could rip it off him! Success!!!!!!
He was free. I cried again and hugged him and checked for any injuries
but I didn't notice any on him. When I put him down, he shook his head
and then just ran over to his food and started eating. sure, he was
glad to be free, but he acted like it was just another one of his
famous Shakespeariences.

I was just was just so happy I was home that afternoon and I did go in
the bathroom to check on him (or yell at him) or no one may have gotten
to him in time and he very well could have died. Another item to be
thrown in the kitchen garbage or torn open before disgarding to keep
the little terror safe. Of all my ferrets, he has to be the craziest
and possibly the stupidest ones I ever had. None of my other 6 ever
did such a dumb thing. But that's why they have us hoomans around, to
keep them safe. So, just to remind everyone that even the most unlikely
items can be a danger to a ferret and to watch out for them!

[Posted in FML 5438]