Hello, all.  One more from me today.  Abi seems to be having a tough time
adjusting to her new brother Samson, I think.  I got Abi back in April (as a
kit) and she has been living alone in a huge cage for 5.5 months until last
week, when we got Samson.  Samson is only 10 weeks old, and was taken fron a
cage of four ferrets (at the pet store) to our home, with Abi, and has been
fine.  However, he just kinda goes where he wants, which is usually where
Abi is, and she doesn't seem to want to give up her sleeping space too
easily.  Abi loves her hammock, it's the only place she will sleep, except
for inside the couch (only available to her when we are home).  Samson goes
in the cage and whether Abi is there or not, falls into the hammock and
immediatley to sleep.  If Abi was there first, she gets up, looks at him as
if we just stole her seat, and stands on the platform in her cage looking at
us as if to say "now where the hell do you want me to go?"
 
Needless to say, I feel terrible!  I swear ABi hates me know, she thinks I
don't love her anymore, and she has no space of her own.
 
Out of the cage, they seem fine.  They follow each other everywhere!  At
least Samson follows Abi.  When she wants to get away from him, she usually
heads for the couch and by then he is so busy jumping on everything in
sight, he doesn't  realize she is gone.  But...when he does, he knows just
where to find her.  She has no peace from him.  Any suggestions?
 
I thought we could just ride it out, and eventually Abi would get used to
Samson in her cage.  But this morning, she woke us up with a terrible
coughing and wheezing which lasted about an hour.  She wanted to curl up
under her blanket in the hammock, and Samson wouldn't get out of the way!
I felt so badly!  I temporarily resolved the problem be putting Samson in
our travel cage while Conrad and I are away at work, and Abi immediatley
found her old blankey and bed, went right to sleep, and stopped coughing.
Obviously I can't keep Samson in the travel cage, so what do I do?
 
Abi has an appointment with the vet this evening for the coughing/wheezing.
I think she may have forgot she was snorkeling and inhaled a huge gulp of
H2O.  I hope thats all it is.  Suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thanks for listening!
 
Heather, Conrad, Abi & Samson
[Posted in FML issue 1319]