We thought we would keep everyone apprised of how our two new additions are
fairing.  We feel very lucky to have been chosen to be owned by these little
ones.  Spartan is a real cuddle bunny, he absolutely loves to be held and
petted and loved on.  He took right to us (after a few clumsy attempts at
the weasel war dance he has it down pretty well) and he gets along with all
of our others, however Job has a big time problem with him.  He tried to
attack Spartan, I'm not talking about the ruff play that he's known for, I'm
talking about bottle brush tail wagging, hissing, baring teeth attacking (we
intervened and no one was hurt, except Jobs feeling because we stopped him).
We keep one put up while the other is out.  We wonder if maybe since he is
so newly neutered if it might take another week to get the male harmone
smell out of his system, and if maybe that might mean that Job was an
incomplete neuter?  Any comments from the vets or anyone else more
knowledgeable than us?  I gave Spartan a hand held bath tonight hoping that
maybe that would help, he wasn't impressed with it but he wasn't terrified
either.  I'm also taking Spartan back to the vet tomorrow as we found a
brown mole like lump on his back by his shoulder blades and I'm so afraid it
might be cancer, we already love him so much.  Vets, any suggestions for my
vet?
 
Athena, is very timid and was a little nippy at first but is getting better
already.  But she is very intimidated by the other ferrets.  She will
tolerate Xena (my daughter's silver mit), but the others terrify her.  We
will introduce them later and very slowly.  She is getting use to our touch
and holding and cuddling her, hopefully someday she will seek it out.
 
They both seem stunted in their growth.  Our vet figures Spartan to be
around 2 years old (he's only 2 & 1/2 lbs for a whole male, well , recently
whole anyway), and Athena is only 1 & 1/2 lbs.  My vet figures she less than
1 year old.
 
We welcome suggestions about Job and Spartan.  It really is not like Job at
all which is why we wondered if maybe he was an incomplete neuter.
 
Vicky and Rick
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[Posted in FML issue 1729]