Dear FMLers,
 
Introductions:
 
Hi, I'm Christine. I've been lurking here for a while, and now have a ferret
of my very own, who's been with me almost a week now.  This adorable sable
fuzzit beside me is Madeline, a fitting name because it's elegant and so is
she.  More to the point, Madeline shortens to Maddy, and this girl is mad as
a hatter, the way she zips around like one possessed!  I don't think I've
ever laughed so hard in my life.  You should have seen the dance she did
when I first put a collar and a bell on her!   Maddy is four months old and
more adorable than you could possibly believe. :)
 
Credits:
 
Thank you all for your wonderful ferret stories and answers to sundry ferret
questions. It's great to have such a super source of information right in my
mailbox.  Special thanks to the wonder-vets, to BIG for moderating, and to
those of you who have put up ferret web pages.  I read every last one I came
across, and admired lots of alluring photos. (And thanks to Sheena, who came
to visit me with her ferrets.)
 
 
Swimming:
 
I saw those web photos of ferrets swimming in the tub, and the one where a
ferret was about to dive into a garden pond.  Wow!  I hope my little girl
will be like that.  Those of you who have ferrets who swim: how did this
come about?  Any suggestions for encouraging aquatic activity?
 
I had to give Madeline a bath (long story) as soon as I got her home last
week, and we found out that she *hates* baths.  I love the water, and have
been trying to do everything I can to encourage her to love it, too.  I've
got a big tray of water on the floor, and it's got a toy in the middle.
She'll drink from the tray, and scamper away when she gets her feet wet by
mistake.
 
She has figured out how to get into the bathtub (sometimes) and I've turned
the tap on to drip for her when she's been in there.  This is cool, because
she likes to drink the water and gets a tad wet.
 
Today when I had my shower I shut her in the bathroom with me (yes there's a
litter box in the corner) and left her to play with toys and towels on the
floor. When she tried to get into the tub I lifted her in, and put her down
in the not-very-wet section of the tub.    In a flash she was rather damp
all over, and I lifted her out.  No distress or anything!  So maybe there's
hope, if we progress in small steps like this with no distress. I don't want
to frighten her or force her.
 
Well, enough rambling.  Just had to tell you about my new darling.  I'll be
interested to hear all of your "how fuzzit learned to swim" stories.
 
Christine
 
P.S.  BIG, thanks for that advertising issue that you sent a while ago.  It
contained the name and number of a woman in the Vancouver area, Susan, who
makes ferret beds and sleeping bags and tubes and hammocks and stuff.  Maddy
and I went to see her yesterday and had a fantastic time! We came home with
a bunch of great stuff and Her Fuzziness loves it all.
 
--
Christine Code                     We shall find peace.
Vancouver, CANADA                  We shall hear the angels,
[log in to unmask]                      We shall see the sky
http://www2.portal.ca/~cmc         Sparkling with diamonds.   - Chekhov
[Posted in FML issue 1331]