I just have to tell you all about the #004#new addition to our family!!!
 
My first ferret, Casey, is a very small, dark, sable with an attitude.  She
is now about seven months old and is very special to me.  She is pretty much
entirely litterbox trained and she is a lot of fun to play with.  She
usually gets me to play by jumping on my leg and then laughing at me as she
runs away backwards.
 
About a month ago a friend of mine said she knew someone who had a brand new
ferret which wasn't getting along with their cat and they wanted to sell it.
At the time I was considering buying a ferret from a shelter.  These people
wanted $200 for the ferret and cage but I didn't need the cage.  We settled
on $100 for the ferret.  Well, then I asked if they had gotten her the rest
of her distemper vaccinations and they hadn't so they told my friend that I
could have her for free!!!!  I named her LouLou.  She's about five months
old.
 
LouLou is a very mellow ferret.  She and Casey hissed at each other a lot at
first and I thought of separating them for the first night but it was
difficult to arrange for two food and water dishes so I just caged them
together and kept an eye on them.  LouLou took over Casey's hammock and
Casey tried to "push" her out!  Eventually they settled down together.  The
next day Casey tried desparately to get LouLou to play with her but LouLou
just wanted to explore the apartment.  It took about a week before LouLou
would actually play with Casey and about two or three weeks before she would
play with me.  She NEVER bites (unlike Casey).  I didn't have time to
litterbox train her because whenever I was home I was tired.  But finally, I
spent a whole day following her around and sticking her in the litterbox
when she backed up somewhere and giving her ferretone.  Now she's GREAT!!!
I can't believe it.  You should see the look of shock that's on my face
every time she goes potty in the litterbox.  (At first I had her trained
that she got a treat when I put her in the litterbox, but she had no idea
she was supposed to go potty there!  Ha!)
 
LouLou and Casey are best of friends.  They play together and then curl up to
sleep together in the closet, or under the nightstand, or on a shelf between
some clothes.  Wherever Casey sleeps, LouLou sleeps.  It's so cute.
 
[Now I just have to figure out how to get them to San Diego if I have to
move there.  I would die if something went wrong.]
 
I was worried about introducing another ferret to Casey because she is such
a little brat.  I didn't do any of the things people recommend doing
(bathing them, smearing ferretone on their necks etc).  I just let them go
at it and they were fine.
 
The funny thing about these two is that they are sooo different.  LouLou
loves all the toys that I had bought for Casey which she ignores.  She hides
all my stuffed animals, and she has this one little stuffed doll with wooden
hands and head which she carries around all the time.  Casey likes to pull
the phone off the hook and drag it across the room under the futon.  LouLou
could care less.  And Casey taught LouLou how to get into the bathtub.  Now
whenever they hear the fan go on, or the hairdryer, they come running.
LouLou also stays up longer than Casey, but she doesn't play as "hard" as
Casey, so it makes sense.
 
Thanks for all your advice everyone.  I've really gotten some great ideas
from you all.  I cry everytime I hear about the sick fuzzies or those who
have passed on.  I treasure the time I have with my babies.
 
- Adrienne, Casey, and LouLou
[Posted in FML issue 1738]