This post continues a thought I had when posting to Minta and her attention
dilemma with new baby and ferrets. There are NO new babies, but rather
just ferrets and it has to do with commitment to a ferret.
Joshua was adopted about 2 months ago from my favorite shelter. He is a
good size albino male about 6 months old when adopted. He is the only
ferrets that I have adopted that has stretched my patience and
understanding to its limits. Here is his problem...Joshua has a biting
problem. Not the kind of biting that indicates aggression, but rather he
bites for attention. I have gone to work with bandaids on my fingers and
my ankles all covered with welts from him sharp little teeth. The way it
happens is this - all the ferrets come out for playtime and after an hour
or so, will wander off the my dresser drawer to catch a quick three hour
nap. Joshua is left alone to play by himself and then the biting starts.
I have tried one-on-one interactive play sessions, rubbing my legs with
Bitter Apple, and even time-outs, but nothing seems to change his behavior.
I feel that as Joshua becomes older he will slow down and start heading to
the dresser drawer with the other, but in the meantime, he is a handful.
The shelter mom has offered to take him back, if I choose, but I am
standing firm on the fact that I won't give up with him. He reminds me
of my eldest son, who during his teens, was my worst enemy and who is now
one of my best friends. I truly believe that when this has passed Joshua
is going to become one of my favorites, but for now he is just the "Demon
Child".
This is my personal lesson on commitment and I am determined to weather it
thru. I know how easy it would be to give Josh back to the shelter and
choose another ferret, but I also know that deep in my heart I would have
done him a dis-service by putting him through yet another adoption. He is
too young to have dealt with shelter life as it is.
Phyllis
Mom to Duchess, Tobey, Tyler, Jenny, Molly, and yes, the Demon Child -
Joshua.
[Posted in FML issue 3530]
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