Your moral support and suggestions are both very much appreciated!  After
being gnawed on at least eight times so far, I must admit, my confidence was
beginning to flag... (as was my patience.  It is not easy to try to help
something and it really CHOMPS for keeps..).
 
Yesterday was the first day I used the gloves, and with all luck, today will
be the last I need the gloves to get him out of the cage.  Today he came out
just as placid as can be... without even a motion to chomp my (much abused)
hand.  He had one attempt to bite me, and that was when he was heading
toward the PVC pipe maze I had made for my ferts.  I guess he really wanted
in..  when I reached for him and touched his sides, he whipped his head
around and tried to bite.  Though I must admit, he did not have as much
force behind it as he did even just the other day.
 
Tried another experiment... while the albino was out sniffing around the
room, I deliberately drove my ferts into the Weasle Wardance..  made them
really REALLY hyper..  then timed it that I sent them skidding across the
carpet into the very same cloth pile that the albino was investigating.  I
swiftly donned the gloves in case the newbie would not play safely... but
SURPRISE!  Even though he did not understand what was going on (at first)
never did he bite hard enough to make my Tenaka and Cayanne squeal!  He did
not participate in this for too long (about five or ten minutes) but I do
believe that he was playing... and not just being frightened by the strange
goings on.  I admit, it was an awfully big chance to take... but I thought
the sooner he experiences play, the better off he will be.  It seems to have
paid off.
 
Want to hear something else interesting?  The albino was out playing... and
abruptly stopped.  Fearing the worst, I started putting the gloves on.  But
instead of wandering over for a taste of Hooman Bean..  he stepped into the
cage to use the LITTERBOX!  Cripes, Almighty!  That's a trick MY TWO haven't
picked up yet, and lo and behold..... he goes and stops playing to use the
litterbox in the cage?!?  Not that I am complaining... but for Cripes
Sakes... I only got him STARTED on pan training two days ago, and VIOLA!  he
is hitting the box 100%!!!!  And something else interesting.... Tenaka and
Cayanne's hit percentage?  Climbing rapidly to the 90% mark!
 
He definitely is starting to show signs of improvement.... Now I only have
to worry about trying to push things too fast..  expecting too much of him
too soon...
 
That, I think, is going to be even harder than anything else... even than
having him bite me again.
 
I hope you don'y mind, but I am forwarding a copy of this email to the
FML... there are a lot of people wondering how my little albino boy is
doing, and I have said everything just the right way in this message.
 
As for names?  Well, right now I am leaning in favor of Falkor, whom people
may remember as the Luck Dragon from the movie Never Ending Story.  It seems
appropriate.  After all, he certainly is lucky to have come away with his
life and (according to the vet I took him to) his health VERY much intact.
The vet said that this little guy was all gristle and rock solid/hard
muscle.  All in all, one very healthy fert.
 
As with your fert Pansy, Joanie... I hope mine will enjoy a psych boost from
the name as well.  I think he is on his way to being one very lovey fert...
but we still have a LOT of mileage to cover first.
 
Fuzzy hugs to you and your ferts!  Fuzzy hugs to all the FML and theirs,
too!
 
     ---Bryan Hall
[Posted in FML issue 1729]