I have just recently been added to the FML and was very excited to
learn of its existence and recieve my first couple issues. I had a couple
questions... I am a relatively new ferret owner, I purchased Cleo in
november from a pet store after several months of deliberation.  She was
the smallest of the group of many ferrets from different litters
and of different ages.   Cleo has been such a great little girl, she is
bouncy and exciting and quite a handful at times.  One of my questions is
this:  Right now she resides in a large wire cage which contains several
toys, her litter box, food and water, and her bed(shoe box filled with
wood shavings that she burrows into).  Unfortunately, I am a student and I
work and she has to spend quite a few hours a day in her cage which I feel
terrible about.  I have tried letting her stay in my room(I live in a
house with several people.. a couple of which are not incredibly fond of
my two rabbits and my ferret) but I come home to find the place a disaster
area and she will not use the litter box I give her... she also does not
seem to 'go' in any one particular place.  Is there any way I help her
along to using the litter box?  I feel terrible cooping her up in her cage
because she is so intelligent, I want her to have free run of the house.
That is impossible because there are too many unsafe areas for her  and
other peoples stuff to get into.  Any suggestions?  Do most people let
their ferrets run fee most of the time?
   Another thing, Cleo eats quite a bit but she is remaining small, she
really has not grown too much since I got her and she was pretty small
then.  I recently went to a pet store and saw a ferret that must have been
almost two feet long from nose to tail.  I give her vitamin supplements in
her water, feed her ferret chow and on occasion canned cat food.  Is there
something wrong or is this normal for some ferrets to remain small?  I
have also had trouble finding vets that seem competent in dealing with
ferrets.  I went to an animals hospital that said they were used to
dealing with ferrets and then proceded to tell me that the innoculations
they give ferrets are the same as they give to dogs.  This concerned me
because ferrets are not cats and they are not dogs and everywhere I go,
"Oh, ferrets, yeah feed em cat food, give em cat treats".  I wanted to
check what kind *exactly* of shots a ferret needs before I go someplace
where they *say* they know what they are doing. Could anyone possibly
supply me with this info?
  And lastly.. when I get home in the afternoon and let Cleo out she runs
spastically around the room rolling over and crashing nto things and
hopping around.  Will she injure herself doing this?  She is always
falling off chairs and things and I don't want to see her with any broken
bones.  She also tends to walk with her back very arched, is this normal?
Most of the ferrets I have seen have been in pet stores and have not been
out walking/playing so I am not really certain of what is normal as far as
how they walk and run about.
 
   I would appreciate any info...  Its really great to have found
the FML.  Thanks to all   :)
 
 
Amy Lotto
 
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[Posted in FML issue 0425]