We've had Bonnie for 2 and a half years now, and just a couple of weeks
ago acquired Clyde.
 
Clyde is a fat, cheerful, no-smarter-than-he-needs-to-be 11-week old
silver mitt.
 
Bonnie is a siamese/sable who is brighter-than-is-good-for-her and a joy
to have around.  Except that she is anorexic.  She has always been a poor
eater and is chronically too thin.  Her first response to virtually ANY
stress (a cold, moving the cage, rearranging the cage furnishings, washing
the ferret tube, getting a new hammock are all stress for her) is to stop
eating completely, refuse all dry food,as well as her beloved raisins and
cheerios.
 
Because she is so skinny, she has nothing between her and disaster when she
decides to give up food.  She will not eat ANY kind of baby food or non-dry
cat food.  She does not like most of the foods that ferrets are "supposed"
to like ...  except raisins and cheerios and sometimes, a bit of peanut
butter ...and will eat just a bit of Nutracal.  All in all, barely enough
to keep alive.  After a while, she will reject Nutracal, too.
 
We just went through a siege with her when she caught a cold, stopped
eating, wound up in the hospital getting intravenous liquids and semi-force
feedings of whatever goop they could convince her to eat.  The cold wasn't
the problem, really, because even after the cold was gone, it took her
nearly a week to begin eating on her own again and now she eats just enough
to keep from dying.
 
When she's awake (she sleeps at least 20 hours a day and sometimes more,
whereas new kid Clyde sleeps less than 10), she's active, funny, friendly,
joyously and creatively destructive, and totally lovable.
 
But she's not going to live very long unless we can convince her, somehow,
to eat more.  We were hoping that Clyde, who never STOPS eating, would
inspire her, perhaps in the spirit of competition ...  but it's not
happening.
 
Any suggestions?  We can't force and hand feed her all the time.  There
must be something we can do to spark her appetite!
 
Best from Bonnie and Clyde, the ferret friends, and
Big Guy and Pookie, their feline companions.
[Posted in FML issue 1326]