>From:    "Cher R. Clarke" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: water and rut
>I have a whole male; didn't want one, but that's how he is (rescue).  He's
>2 years old.  You know, I'd always heard how agressive and smelly hobs are,
>but he's a big, sweet teddy bear.
 
Whole hobs ARE Teddy Bears to people.  Its only other hobs that they are
aggressive to.  You WILL want to neuter him.  They are smelly only while in
rut so its not a rush.  When a hob goes into rut he will drop a LOT of
weight.  He will use hob cologne which is better known as urine.  He will
excrete extra oils especially around the eyes and develop dirty eye rings.
In general his fur will be sticky and smelly.  He'll still be fine with
people though you might not be as happy to touch him.  Rut is stressful so
you are doing a favor to him to neuter him.  Hobs can only mate (with some
rare exceptions) while in rut.  It lasts any where from a month to 11 months
in our experiences.  Hobs do not have the severe medical problems jills do
and it is not even potentially fatal - just unpleasant.  You didn't say what
color he is.  If he is at all "white" he will turn basically orange without
a lot of effort.  Pandas get particularly ugly...
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 2107]