Denise wondered whether ferrets changing colour is "wierd".  It is
unusual, according to friends who've handled many ferrets, but not unheard
of.  It can be quite shocking as it happens quickly, as the following
story will indicate.
 
We got Me and Max in February, they were both sable.  My grandfather passed
away in November, while I was at graduate school in Vermont.  I came
rushing home to Ottawa on the Wednesday to get some things and pick up my
husband.  I am sure Max was her normal sable brown colour when we left.
We got home at midnight on the Saturday and Max greeted us at the door as
usual.  Except that she was no longer brown, she was silver grey!  She
still had her mask and darker legs, but no brown.  In March, she changed
back to brown.  The next year, it was Christmas before she changed colour.
Last year she was ill at coat changing time and didn't change.
 
In other news, Hops is slowly accepting and being accepted by, the other 4
ferrets.  A warning to others introducing new animals, however, I thought
things were going okay, that the fighting was down to screaming matches,
until I found Max (the little bully) biting Hops' nose!  Hops bled
profusely, but was not seriously injured, thank god.  I felt so guilty.
Max somehow managed to get a "shiner" (swelling around her eye, which
went away quickly).  We kept them separate for a week, then started again
under strict supervision.  They are getting along now, but I'm still
watchful.  I'm not convinced they'll ever be friends, but at least they
aren't hurting each other.
 
Benn managed to get a "basal cell tumour" (I think I have this right, it
was benign at any rate) on his tail, which the vet removed promptly.
Unfortunatly, Benn also removed the dressing and stitches promptly.  Tails
bleed, a lot, a whole lot.  He's okay, the wound is healing, but he'll
have a scar, which the vet was trying to avoid.  Oh well, vanity has never
been one of Benn's problems.  This tumour was scary though.  I found it
Friday while I was bathing him, and then watched it grow over the long
weekend until Tuesday when it was removed.  My vet chose to use just a
local, which Benn appreciated.  Most of the vets around here would have
put him under.  Apparently, he was really good about it, except for
squawking when they injected the local (That HURTS, no-one blamed him).
 
 
One other thing.  Hops came with the most wonderful collapsible pen.  It's
about 2'6"X4' by 30" high made of 4 plexiglass panels and 4 2"X2" slotted wood
cornerpieces that the panels slide into.  The panels are ventilated with 2
rows of 1" holes about 4" from the bottom.  I like it better than a cage.
I can reach in to take care of the ferret, and there's no wire to bite at
and break teeth on (one neglected foster ferret I had had all her canines
broken from trying to get out of a cage).  We are thinking of making them
for ferret owners as a fund raiser for the Ottawa Ferret Association.  We
already make cages and plywood pens.
 
I think that's it for now.
 
The Mama of Me, Max, Benn, Bear and Hops
 
 
--
Elizabeth Watt
Knitter, Spinner, Ferret lover, SLP, (in no particular order of importance)
Manotick, Ontario, Canada          [log in to unmask]
 
[Posted in FML issue 0947]