Did anyone see the segment on Animal Planet yesterday with 3 ferrets?  The
commentator of the vet show (a woman who hangs around and talks to the vets
while they do cases) got bit like 3 times - once on the neck!  Close up of
what looked like a mosquite bite on the commentators neck.  (AP repeats
stuff sorry if this has been mentioned before).  Thankfully no blood was
drawn and they were sort of laughing it off.  The question was asked though
"uhhhh why do people have these?"
 
When people aske me "don't ferrets bite and why do you have them?" I give a
two part answer: Yes, most kits are NIPPY (which is different than BITING)
but will grow out of it with proper and lots of handling.  Given proper
attention most adults don't bite or even nip, though a few will continue to
be a bit nippy sometimes or nip something specific like toes or noses when
in a playful mood.  (Hey its true and I'm not going to sugar coat it).  The
important part is I then continue with all pet owners put up with something,
cats that scratch furniture, dogs that dig, jump on you, mouthy puppies grow
out of it, kittens scratch etc.  Ferrets aren't any different, they just
have different things to live with and if you love them (long discourse on
how cute they are) then the occassional nips are no different than a putting
up with a stinky cat box if you like cats or your annuals dug up.  At this
point I usually see a light come on with a "oh yeah".  Cages: Two
improvements I'd like to see to the Midwest Cage.  (1) I wish the top would
open since the cage is fairly deep and I find it hard to put up the back
middle hammock loop.  (2) I wish the cage didn't sit in the tray.  I'm
pretty strong but having to lift the cage out can be hard and awkward.
Seems like since the trays molded plastic they could mold a separate plastic
trough for the cage to make cleaning easier.  Trying to wipe out the bottom
well with the cage in their is neigh impossible.  Mine sits on a piece of
plywood with lineolum stapled to it.  I see the newer cage has the uppper
door in the middle.  My old one has the offset door and since I added a
couple of floors I can't reach in and get back to the second floor back
corner.
 
Mary, Giesela and Boris
[Posted in FML issue 2192]