Hi all--
 
Thanks for comments on rabies vac--I'll have them done as usual.  I've never
NOT had them done, just wanted opinion on it.  FYI--it was only rabies I was
questioning--distemper is too prevelent even for me (the tightwad) to
question.
 
Ok, I got Mort on Dec 26, at 10 weeks old.  He's a skinny little MF, while
my Pepper who's about 9 mos, is a fatty fatty 2x4--about 4 lbs.  They eat
the same food (Excell kitten, very comparable to Iams kitten) and I'm
wondering why Mort hasn't gained much weight?  He's longer than he was when
I got him, but only a tiny bit heavier.  He still fits under the spare
bedroom doorway as easily as when he first came to live with us, and I'm
anxious for him to grow bigger--I don't WANT him in the spare room!
 
My question is this:  (and I think I've asked it before)--do winter-born
babies not develop winter fat until the following autumn?  He still skin
and bones--particularly the sternum(?) bone at the chest is very pointy and
prevelent.  Otherwise he's full of energy, spunk, bright-eyed,
full-whiskered, and seems completely healthy.  Should I try to bulk him up
with  a version of Duck Soup or just leave him to grow at his own (slow)
pace?  Perhaps he's just meant to be a small boy?
 
Ok, cute story.  Pepper was sleeping in his truck-bumper box behind the
couch--and Mort was harassing him terribly.  So I rescued Pepper and layed
him stretched out along the dog's back.  Now, Pepper and the dog have
always been very suspicious of one another, not mean, but extremely wary.
The dog eyed him, waiting for the nip that usually is coming, and Pepper
just yawned and lay his head down on the dog.  Very cute.  A few minutes
later, the dog rolled over on Pepper, who didn't move a muscle.  I pulled
him out from under her (she's 40 lbs and on a diet) and layed him stretched
out along the dog's tummy.  The dog was laying on her side.  So Pepper put
his head on the leg of the dog that was against the couch, and the dog put
her other leg right over him--laying spoon-style like people do.  And they
stayed that way!  Pepper, for once in his life, didn't nip the dog's leg.
He'd slit his eyes open and yawn every once in a while, and finally the dog
said, "Well, this is ok" and relaxed and lay her head down.  I was supposed
to be getting ready for work, but they were so cute and companionable that
I just couldn't leave the room.  I kept telling them both how sweet and
good they were and stroking them.  This has never happened!  They've never
relaxed like that with each other.  Eventually my ride showed up and came
to the door since I wasn't ready, and ruined the beautiful moment.  The dog
leapt up, barking like a fiend at the knock on the door, and scared the
heebies out of Pepper.  Boy, he was wide awake after that!
 
The relationship between Harley (dog) and Pepper is really interesting.
Suspicious interest.  They will lay on the floor nose-to-nose, staring into
each other's eyes, neither moving a muscle.  Eventually one of two things
happens: Pepper stretches to give Harley a light nip, or Harley stretches to
mouth Pepper's neck.  But this only after 10-20 minutes of staring.
 
And Harley and Mort have a totally different relationship--total hyper,
running, teasing, mock-attacking each other.  No fear.  No suspicion.  They
*know* they're going to bite each other.  Harley usually ends up worse off,
because she has a very soft mouth and Mort has quite a nip, and Harley knows
she'll get her butt kicked (by us) if she uses her big mouth against him.
No, we don't leave them unsupervised, even though the dog has never shown a
propensity to hurt the ferrets--I know how sharp those ferret teeth are, and
how the dog could react instinctively and kill a ferret if one really bites
her hard.
 
One game both ferrets play with Harley: They get under her belly trying to
nip her pee-pee, and they stay under there, even as Harley turns circles
trying to get at them.  Eventually she gets tired of that and
quite-on-purpose sits on them!  Oh!  Animals are funny!
 
I told Mort he better watch out if Harley and Pepper get in good with each
other.  Harley'd never let him harass Pepper again--she can be very
protective!
 
--Sheri
--Harley (I don't know about this Mom, as soon as I relax he's going to
  bite me!)
--Pepper (Hmm . . . this is a warm place to sleep, but if I don't get her
  first, she's going to get me!)
--Mort  (Hey you lazy-butts, don't sleep, PLAY WITH ME.  I'm bored.  I'm
  always bored.)
[Posted in FML issue 1846]