Ferretphiles,
 
Sorry it's taken so long to reply to all the ferret owners who responded to
my email regarding ferret personalitites: nature vs. nuture, etc.
I was at a Sybase seminar on T-SQL (relational database for those of you who
are not in the computer-related world) for 3 days.  Anyway, I guess the general
concensus is that Ayla is a fitch ferret and, therefore, is not as domesticated
as a ferret from a Pro breeder.  I also didn't get her until she was 5-6 months
old so I missed that critical developement stage.  Damn.
 
Anyway, a new issue.  Since Ayla's surgery (to remove her adrenal tumor) she
has lost a tremendous amount of weight.  When she musters up enough strength
to wander around for a few minutes, you can clearly see all of her ribs and
her pronounced hips.  It is quite alarming.  I do catch her having a lone
morsel once in a while...but clearly it is not enough caloric intake.  My
vet made a house call this past weekend.  He told me that I must start force
feeding Ayla beef or chicken baby food.  To put this in context, Ayla won't
eat anything but Iams dry cat food.  Since the surgery, she even refuses to eat
her Felovite II with Taurine...she used to love it.  Whats going on??
When I squirt the baby food into the back of her throat with an eyedropper,
she spits it out.  It's quite a battle.  SHE'S LIKE A FURRY SAUSAGE WITH
TEETH!!  She's never eaten meat (nor anything that's not dry).  Good grief.
I fear that if she loses any more weight...the consequences will be severe.
 
Final topic.  Someone mentioned on "the ferret line" that they rubbed their
ferret down with vitamin E lotion and it helped to restore her fur coat that
was lost.  Will this really work or is this "an old wive's ferret tale"?
I think I'm going to get a bottle of the stuff and really lube up my ferret.
At the very least, I can't see any harm in it.  I'm really desperate to have
her fur coat return.
 
Once again, thanks to all your informative responses.  Ayla, in her own little
way, really appreciates it.
 
Tyler Greenberg
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[Posted in FML issue 0431]