Sorry that we are behind in everything.  Had to catch up on some chores and
deal with a bug we both got.  Will get down to more thank yous and mail as
soon as possible.
 
Steve and I wanted to let you know that today we traveled about 450 miles
round trip to pick up a little gray sterling mitt at Path Valley,
Meltdown's, Ruffle's, and 'Chopper the organic helicopter's breeders.  They
also had a little boy whose mother was new to whole rigamorole of giving
birth and took off some of his toes when she groomed him at birth (We'd
specifically requested one with handicap if there was one needing a home and
did not know till we got there what that little one would be like in any
way.) He came home, too, as an adoption; Path Valley adopts out any with
handicaps and pretty much everyone who works there has multiple handicapped
individuals of their own.  Betty in their office has five including one
without use of either rear leg.  (Oh, and they neuter them later than they
used to when Meltie was done, as well as waiting a few weeks longer for any
which are tiny.)
 
The little girl looks a LOT like Meltdown.  The little boy is basically like
a sable except that he looks as if he might not have a deliniated mask and
he's got a white stripe running down his throat.  Both are only 7 weeks old
so they still have mostly deciduous teeth and they are therefore a bit chewy
to help them teethe, and they have those short-short infant tails and bulgy
infant round tummys.  (The little girl likes to recline on a person's palm
while she eats and one can feel her belly grow like hard ball during her
gluttony.) Both discovered kissing on the trip home and LOVE it, plus so far
there was only one "I am a baby and you must be a ferret so let me bite your
face to begin play with you" incident, but none since they found how much
fun kissing is.  The little guy decided on the way home that cheeseburgers
are fun, especially the cheese part, but he did not "yip-yup" like Meltie
did as a kit when she first tried one.  We almost "lost" him at the vet
hospital since two of the folks there wanted to hide him in pockets and
smuggle him to their homes; nothing like missing digits to get the sympathy
vote without any serious handicap, is there?  Oh, the little girl loves to
sleep on her back with her tongue out -- always cute as can be.
 
No names, yet.  Have to see their personalities.
 
Someone asked about tooth eruption sequences.  According to Fox's vet book:
Upper:  C 50 days, P2, 3 and 4 60 days, M1 53 days; Lower: C 50, P2 60, P3
67, P4 74, M1 50, M2 74.
 
For those looking for removable plastic cage shelving: Discount Master
1-800-346-0749 now has some.  The 24" ones are #1990133S and are in stock
though are not in the catalog.  Some should get here in a few days to
augment our 24"x24"x around 5 and 1/2 feet multilevel communal cage.  (Boy,
what will the little ones say when they move there from their baby cage?
What will they say about the romp rooms?)
 
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 1905]