Has anyone else ever wondered how ferrets think - at 3:00 in the morning
while their laying in bed.  Do my ferrets think that knocking around the
shampoo bottles in the tub turn on the water?  Do they wonder why the
bottles wont do it only at 3:00 in the morning?  (This is the only time I
WONT get up and run water for them, 4:00 is iffy, 4:30 ok).  Or do they know
that knocking around will get me up and I turn on the water.  By the way
they have water in the kitchen and in the bedroom/computer/cage room (1 in
the cage and one outside the cage).  Its changed every day and I swear I've
seen Boris drink out of a bowl maybe twice in 6 months.
 
To the person (sorry) who's ferrets are pooping everywhere.  Well, sometimes
they do get better as they get older:)  What I'd do now is get carpet runner
and put it in every conceivable corner of the house, put down several layers
of newspaper and hope they pick a favorite corner (mine have, well mostly).
Then as they get older and better cage trained/used to a litter box (attach
the box to the cage so they cant move it) - you may be able to put a litter
box in those favorite corners. I think the bigger the box the better.  This
is my skip the recycle step answer to the litter debate.
 
By the way - for those of you wood pellet avicianido's - you might want to
stock up as most stores in my area carry that sort of stuff seasonally.
 
How different can two ferrets be?  Giesela: always greets me at the door
(she hears the garage door opener?) Gets up and down frequently, cruises
around, cruises by to check me out wherever I am (what up?  see ya), only
stashes food (cookies, PB&J sandwiches stolen from my lunch bag, bread what
have you) doesn't play much, sits in the window and looks out like a cat,
never nips except under the covers when she wants me to get up, once in
awhile sleeps with me, gets in the shower, loves to go outside, almost never
dooks, loves strangers, eats weird things like worms, broccoli, califlower,
any kind of cotton (socks, bathroom rug fringe though she has grown out of
this somewhat), soap.  Boris: sleeps for a long time at a shot, gets up for
longer, plays by himself if I don't initiate it but loves to play, chuckles
a little bit occasionally, loves to stash socks, not interested in anything
but ferret food/ferret treats, nips strangers feet HARD, rarely gets on the
bed, is extremely skittish and runs from under one thing to under another,
fluffs up when he plays, gets scared outside, is an incredible begger for
treats but rarely eats anything that would cause a blockage.  So much for
getting Boris as a playmate for Giesela.  The only common dominator they
have is neither likes RAISANS!  Oh and both KNOW the Nilla Wafer box and
Cheerio box.
 
Mary and the different duo
P.S.  BIG - if any Japan people weigh in on MF could you make an exception?
I wonder what their role is over there - I have heard they are marketing
them over there big time as the perfect small apt pet, but haven't
helped/been responsible about selling before the vets have any vaccines or
knowledge much less the pet owners taking them home.  Would really like to
know whether this is true or not.
 
[Moderator's note: Well, I'm not (yet) rejecting MF posts, and certainly a
non-USA viewpoint would be something new to the discussion anyhow, so that's
fine.  What I'd like to avoid is the repetition of already established
guaranteed rumors.  BIG]
[Posted in FML issue 1815]