This is W.M. from anon again, with Rockey & Squeekers, God I wish we
could use my real name too, but it is probably best to err on the side of
caution you never know when or who might read the FML.  We'd sure hate to
have anything happen to these guys.  The situation is not all that bad here
(in Mass).  Squeeks and I go for a walk (carry) very early every morning
when he climbs into bed and scratches to wake me up.
 
        Usually there is at least one sleepy officer that we pass waiting in
his patrol car, or perhaps he passes us as we are going along.  Squeeks is
most often either in a stocking cap, or in my jacket.  There was a 'double
take' a year or so ago, and I was prepared for the worst but he never
stepped out of the car and since that time we are pretty much accepted.  We
have even stopped in at a local donut store a couple of times, and were
recognized as a ferret by the nice lady at the counter.  We have also made
quite a few friends on our way and had many adventures.
 
        One of the better ones came early this week when we noticed that the
crows were worked up a bit more than usual by our passage thru their woods.
It was just getting light, and as we neared the edge we could see that they
were also quite interested in what turned out to be a very large owl, way up
in the top of a very high oak tree.  He was trying very hard to blend in but
not too successfully with all the crows pointing him out.  As we passed, he
sure spotted us.  Squeekers just yawned and snuggled down in the hat.  I was
thinking what would have happened if he had been in my jacket and had as
usual, climbed up partly on my shoulder to stick his neck out and look
around.  If the crows hadn't been there, or if we had not been late that
morning and it was still  dark.  I have read too that owls are really silent
fliers.  Could have been 'exciting'.
 
        On a couple of other subjects, Squeeks 'bit' quite a lot back when
he was 'teething'.  Also it seemed that his teeth were a lot smaller in
diameter, just like little needles.  I found that it was much better to
substitute the word "ouch!" or "ow!!" for "no".  It usually was the first
one that we could think of anyway, and it works pretty well for strangers
too.  Neither of our ferrets bites at all any more. Rocky never did bite
except once when Squeekers was new, and I had him in my gloved hand which
she mistook for part of him.  That was a real bite, which went through a
fairly heavy work glove and quite a ways into my finger.
 
        Jack our cat, of course doesn't count in all this.  He is fair game
at any time when he misbehaves.  Squeekers (they are the same age and both
endured Rocky from almost the time they were born), loves him and follows
Jack around until Jack signals 'enough' with a claw.  Rocky, though blind
now, is like Mr Mague, constantly on the look out, and will bite fiercely if
she find him.  This comes from when we first had Rocky, and our other cat
'Midnight' used to attack her on a fairly regular basis.
 
        Rocky was more like the Roadrunner then, with Midnight plotting all
sorts of devious ways to do her in.  Usually she would duck at just the last
moment, and then turn toward her target, and run like Hell underneath,
turning at the last moment to bite whatever part happened to be soft and
above her.  Once she had him on the run she wouldn't quit.  Ol Midnight used
to kill lots of mice, rabbits, and even a squirrel once, which she ate and
left the feet on our doorstep; but she could never lay a glove on Rocky.
        Concerning cages.  We don't have them except for travel, but have
found that the critters do need a private place to go from time to time
(don't we all).  One of the best ideas came from my wife who suggested a
doll house.  We bought a kit, and modified it by sawing out parts of a wall
so that all of the rooms are accessible.  Then we put a hinged door on the
back, with a bolt to keep it closed.  It sits in the corner on one side of
our couch, and the litter box is on the other side behind an end table.
Squeeks makes the trip quite admirably.
        After a time to get used to it, Squeekers now goes in the front
door, around back and up the stairs to one of the two rooms where there is a
fuzzy stocking cap to sleep in.  Favorite toys are in one of the downstairs
rooms, and he can see out the windows which are covered with screen nailed
to the inside, to keep touch with what is going on.  I suppose with a little
work, the front door could be locked from the outside, and a water bottle
could be put in a window, or maybe a 'hot tub' water dish sunk in the floor
???  It is not as unsightly as a cage, and they seem to enjoy it.  Rocky
mostly prefers a box upstairs in the bathroom, but we 'have' caught them in
bed together in the house.
 
                                        :-)
[Posted in FML issue 1031]