Hello to all fuzzie lovers.  This is my first posting so I will be brief
(and for me that really hard).  This is in response to Roger McMillian's
questions about ferts and Shelties.
 
My daughter and I have always had many pets around the house.  About 3 years
ago we got a Sheltie puppy to keep our 100 lbs. half German Sheppard, half
Chow mix company after my 17 year old Spitz passed on.  A year and a half
ago we got our first ferret baby (Fairy - short for Ferragamo) and since we
have added Niles, Chandler Bing (the only boy in the house) and Bug.
Jasamine (aka, Jazz) has mothered each and every one, but I must admit with
the last one she started looking at me as if to ask "another one, Mom?".
The ferrets are Jazz's best friends and they chase each other round and
round the house.  My Sheltie, although a great barker (read watch-dog), is
basically a coward, so she always stands back while the ferrets take over
her food dish.  When she is really hungry she will bark for me to follow her
into the kitchen to guard her while she eats.  The ferrets only complaint
about her is that she is a tattle-tale.  When they knock something over, or
are into something they shouldn't be, Jazz barks until I follow her and then
stands there looking at whatever the ferrets have done, so that I'll know
they did it instead of her.  Baby (our big dog) just tries to ignore the
ferts, but that isn't always possible since they chase her away from her
food and use her for a jumping board to get off furniture.  It really is
amusing to see an 8 week old ferret chasing a 100 pound dog around the
house!  Although everyone (who walks on four legs) knows they have to get
along with all the others who live here, we did closely watch all the
animals at first to make sure they got along.  But I can say now that they
are all the very best of friends.
[Posted in FML issue 1641]