Most non-pet owners think I'm weird when I talk about my "kids" or
when I talk about their personalities or moods on a particular day. It's
nice to be on here and see I'm not the weird one, it's them :)
        I recently moved my room around so that my ferrets (Brandy and Blaze)
don't have the same access to the beds and off-the-floor places they used to.
(My roommate is coming back and the beds need to be ferret free so we can get
SOME work done when in the room:)  Well, my little adventurous climber (Brandy)
started moping the moment she realized she'd lost access. It was so sad. She'd
walk around and look up and the beds, maybe do a pathetic jump at them, and
then do that lay-down-really-flat thing and stare at me with those big, sad
eyes.  Blaze (who is most contented with a good solid floor beneath him) has
even been doing it. Sometimes they gang up on me and lay together!! Rotten
little guys. So I gave in and gave them their favorite blanket to root up and
spread it out flat on the floor. Within 5 min it was balled up and they were
momentarily appeased. Now, though, they have become more cuddly and want a
attention - which I gladly give :)  Brandy will even follow me around and
reach up my legs with her arms outstretched like a little kid does until I
pick her up. It's too cute!!
        I kept hearing about and thinking about hammocks, and since I removed
part of their territory with the beds, I decided to try to make a hammock as
something new and a little treat - if they like it. So I took and old
sweatshirt they like to cuddle in and put holes in it - 2 at the bottom, and 2
in the shoulders and tied it to the underside of my bed (it's 3 ft off the
ground).  They love it. The best thing to them is that it's double thick so
they can climb in to the inside of the sweatshirt and play around in and out of
the arm and neck holes.
        Oh, one more thing before this gets too long...
For those of you who have to cage at times - do your ferrets scratch and chew
at the bars of the cage? Can you get them to stop and relax (it isn't always
OK to be out of the cage since be rules they are never allowed out)? I
just discovered that a little bitter apple on the opening once and now when
ever they must go in the play or go to sleep - they don't even look much at
that old favorite chew spot now :) If you guys have all figured this out
sorry! I'm learning a lot of this dorm-life and room stuff be trial.  Lots
of people already have ferrets and so I missed out on those initial tips:)
        Thankx for letting me share my story - I'll have more on occasion
Hopefully shorter :)       Angi & Brandy & Blaze
 
[Posted in FML issue 0637]