to Heather Ross - re: Siamese ferrets.  I just read yet another ferret book,
and they do mention Siamese ferrets as being ones with definite "Siamese
cat" like markings, so I don't think the pet store person was mixed up.  I
think they are even recognized by the show people, if I remember correctly.
 
As for ECE - until I started getting these postings, I'd never heard of this
outside of the books on ferrets I have.  Ours have never had anything like
green diarrhea EVER.  I don't know if they have all been resistant, or it's
just not common in our area, or what.  But we've had nearly a dozen ferrets
over the last 16 years (2 - 4 at a time, overlapping) and NONE of them ever
had anything like that.  Is this unusual?  The only time they had weird
stool was when we saw what looked like blood & rushed Whisper to the vet -
turned out she'd gotten into something with a red dye!  It was harmless, but
scared US to death!  We did a thorough ferret-proofing again that day, to
see what we'd missed!  Never did find out what it was.
 
Our ferrets have mostly known their names - and our current Drifter
DarkWeasel knows his for sure.  He will come when called, and stop what he's
doing if you call his name.  This is quite handy when he's doing something
he shouldn't - like trying to carry the phone under the bed for late-night
long-distance calls to FLO or something.  All you have to do is say
"Drifter!" and he stops.  (well - until he thinks you're no longer paying
attention, that is!)
 
One curious thing you may enjoy: ours don't like raisins, but Whisper (who
died at 11-1/2 years old last year) was a spunky little female silvermitt
(we swore she was also part mink) who LOVED fig newtons.  We had a headboard
with a sliding wooden door where we stashed books & stuff.  Well, there was
a package of fig newtons all wrapped up in there, door closed tight, etc.
But when I went back in there to get a cookie, I found the bottom of the
wrapper chewed neatly open - one cookie missing and the next cookie nibbled.
The door had been CLOSED when I went in there!  There was no other way to
get in (we checked).  We later saw her pull the same trick: she'd roll on
her side & push the door open with her feet.  Then she'd get whatever it was
she was after.  THEN SHE DID THE REVERSE FOOT THING & CLOSE THE DOOR!!!!
 
Have any of you ever had one this smart??  What did you do?  We have watched
these little guys stand across a room and look at our fireplace mantlepiece.
They will gradually climb on higher & closer things, looking around each
time, until they get up there on top of the mantle.  After they've explored
& knocked everything down, they climb back down the way they came (usually).
Sometimes they find a new way down.  They have never fallen off, so we gave
up trying to keep them from it.  Drifter can jump across a 4 foot space, and
they climb like little monkeys.  So other that keeping ALL furniture, etc.
at least 6 feet away from the fireplace (not an option in this small house),
there doesn't seem much we can do.  We watch them constantly when they're in
there - just in case.
 
CJK - BeastHaven
Drifter - ("what do you mean I CAN'T???")
Judah - ("OK - whatever - zzzzzzz")
[Posted in FML issue 1478]