Greetings again, everyone, from me and Velocity.  (Who is once again
curled up in one arm as I type, dreaming happily... probably about chasing
terrified cows.)
    On catching up with the FML today, I've read the posts about finding
another distraction for nail clipping.  Well, here's what I do with Velocity
("Grunt, snore!  Hey, you wanna quit that infernal, incessant clicking, Dad?
It's late!")... I simply wait til he's just about settled down for a good
nap, usually in my arms, (eg, right around that 'third yawn'), and then
gently scruff him, hold up upright just a little so I can see his claws
properly, and then clip.  Both times I've done it now, (once when I first
got him a month ago, and again yesterday) he never even opened his eyes.
Yawned twice more, in fact.  I was able to trim every claw without a flinch,
and when I let him go and stroked down his scruff and soothed him, he yawned
again and went right to sleep.  I learned this trick is effective for
putting his ear mite medicine in his ears, too.  Now, normally if I scruff
him, usually for discipline, of course, he squirms a bit, then goes right
snakey after I let him go.  But if I play him out beforehand, and then get
him as he's about to nap, there is zero fuss!
    Now here's a question for you folks with much more ferret experience
out there.  I know that an average adult male ferret can be expected to
weigh in at 2-4 pounds.  My little guy will be turning 11 weeks on Monday,
and today he tipped the scales at a full Kg (2.2 lbs).  What I'd like to
know is, at this rate, how big is he gonna get, if he's this large at less
than 3 months?  Is he about to peak out soon, or am I gonna have a
bear-sized monster-ferret bounding along behind me in the street, causing
trees to shudder and swallowing his bovine prey whole?  ;)
 
    Thanks!
 
Velocity, "Why do you think cattle mutilations are up, Dad?  It's not
because they're being abducted by aliens!  Think about it!"
and Sean, "Blink..... blink blink blink."
[Posted in FML issue 1235]