Hi FML Family:
 
I'm filling out my form to enter into the Susquehanna Valley Show on May 10,
and I want to enter Patches (my slothy ferret :) ) just to see how he would
do.  However, I have no idea what color to call him, or if he's a Mutt.  So,
for anyone out there with experience in SHOW STANDARD colors (especially
LIFE standards, as this is a LIFE show, but I am also interested in knowing
what the AFA would consider him for the future), *please* e-mail your
response to me (as I need an answer asap!)
 
He is predominantly a white ferret, with dark eyes.  However, he has patches
of brown all over his body (thus the reason I named him Patches!) His tail
has patches of dark chocolate brown, making him look like his tail is
striped.  He has sporadic brown patches on his body (not just on his spine,
but all over).  On his face, on the nose in between his eyes, he has a
slightly noticable splotch of light tan (like a champagne color tan) but it
can't be considered a mask.  His head and neck are nearly all white, but
there is a little brown on his neck as well.
 
I thought he might be a DEW Pattern, as I read that any ferret that is 90%
white with intermittant splotches of any color is considered this
color/pattern, but there is one factor that I think might exclude him here
as well.  His front legs are brown, from the top of the leg to the top of
the foot; he does have 4 white mitts, but they are just the foot only, not
up the leg at all.  One back leg is entirely white.  The other back leg is
white with some brown splotches, but his foot is white.
 
I want to enter him in both championship and specialty rings, but if anyone
can confirm that he is a mutt, I'll just enter him as that in specialty.  He
is a really beautiful ferret!!  Just odd looking!  (The vet even asked me
once if I was sure he is a ferret !  :) )
 
If anyone wants me to e-mail a picture, I'll gladly do so, but you'll have
to tell me how to do this (*shame*).  I tried to do this once before and it
didn't exactly work.
 
On other matters: here's an update on Patches "slothy" problem:
 
For the past week, every warm & sunny day I have taken Patches outdoors for
excersise time.  We run up and down the hill outside our townhouse, and he
gets *so* excited!  He even runs up the hill.  Remember, this is the ferret
that wouldn't walk all winter long, unless it was to run to a corner or the
food dish.  He even did somersaults (sp?) down the hill one time, but he got
so dizzy he fell over!
 
I also started to cage him with Slinky.  No major fights, but for the first
few days Patches was miserable, cuz he's a wuss and he was afraid of Slink.
Now they sleep next to each other.
 
Now, even when I just let Patches out in the house for regular runtime, he
actually moves!  Three or four times, he even broke into a run and did a
(three second) war dance!  I can't believe in such a short time he's turned
around so much.  We have a long road ahead, as he still should lose weight,
but I'm finally optimistic that he's not on death's doorstep.  I don't know
if it's the outdoor exposure, Slinky, or just my one-on-one interaction with
him (which I've tried to give all winter with no luck) that's helped, but
it's working.  Yeaaaa!!!!!
 
Kymberlie Becker
Director, Pennsylvania Ferret Rescue Association
"Forget Puppy Love...There's nothing Greater than Ferret Love!" TM
[Posted in FML issue 1893]