I never, never thought I'd have any problems.  I mean my ferrets are really
well socialized, they go to ferret frolics and meet other ferrets and
friends with ferrets come here and all the ferrets have fun!
 
Little did I know....
 
Sophie, our little shelter girl joined us on November 8.  Sluggo the Teenage
Hob, came to the shelter to meet her as an emissary of the fab 4.  He was
friendly and interested.  She followed him around but discouraged him from
entering her cage.
 
day one: Sophie is housed in an extra large dog carrier with all the
comforts of home, hamock, food, litter box and water.  We do a bedding
switch.  Everyone investigates.  New smells!
 
day two: Sophie gets to explore ferret room while the fab 4 watch from the
safety of their cage.  Sophie enjoys accomodations, ferret toys and dances.
First face to face meeting with the women of the fab 4.  Sophie makes
amazing noises when approached by the girls, but no contact is allowed.
Sluggo decides that her crate has better food.
 
day three: Everyone decides her food is more interesting.  Sophie continues
to yell when approached.
 
day four through six: The fab 4 is not descented.  Interestingly enough,
ferrets that spray several times a day decrease in potency.  Or my nose is
getting used to it.  1/2 of the fab 4, The Evil Cinnamon Sprites appear to
be out for blood.  Fara Shimbo's A Tao Full of Detours (great book!) talks a
lot about ferret body language.  I now have the joy of recognising many
aggressive poses that I've only read about.  I'm not working right now, so I
have time to run several shifts of ferret play and plenty of time to wash
fear poop off the floors.  Panicked, I call Alicia from Ferretwise who
reassures me that they will work it out.
 
day seven: Some friends come for dinner with their two ferrets, Elmer and
Thelma.  Sophie and Thelma buddy up until Thelma tries to get in Sophie's
temporary home then Sophie throws her out.  Elmer opens every cabinet in my
kitchen while I cover my ferret's eyes "don't watch!" Thelma and Sophie fall
asleep in Thelma's carrier while we drink wine and watch the rest run around
happily.  At least Sophie does not hate all ferrets, just the ones that live
with her.
 
day eight: The worst conflicts seem to occur in Sophie's temporary home.  So
during integration periods, her carrier is off limits and they get the run
of the first floor.  Sophie gets lots of excersise fleeing up the stairs
with another ferret in pursuit.  Luckily the lure of the bathroom ususally
distracts the pursuer.  "Ooooo the BATHMAT!"
 
day nine: My son - who is in line for Sainthood, at least with animals but
not for remembering homework, gets Sophie and Sluggo to fall asleep together
in a hammock in the big cage.  Are we making progress?  I clean Sophie's
ears, having given her a break from the weekly grooming the others get.
Something is growing there cause it takes 9 q-tips and the others, maybe 2 a
peice.
 
day ten: I have a great job interview.  Chances are I'm going to get this
job which means I won't be home to switch ferrets for run time.  They are
going to have to learn to get along soon.
 
day eleven: Sophie goes to the vet and gets some tresaderm for ears as well
as a rabies shot.  Maybe her mood will improve once her ears are better.
She sort of plays with Iodine (who has been described as spastic as she war
dances at the least opportunity) who is hiding under the TV stand.
 
day twelve: All of Sophie's hair falls out.  Well, not all, but I brush and
brush and stuff her with Laxatone.  The Evil Cinnamon Sprites are often left
with mouthfulls of hair during supervised "playtime." Sophie fights back
now, not just yells.  I'm reassured by Alicia that the hairloss is normal
because when she got fixed and taken out of heat, (she was a partial spay)
her body thought she got pregnant, not spayed.  40 days or so after her
surgery her body figured it had to grow a nice short coat to keep kits warm
so she is dropping this one.
 
day thirteen: I e-mail Bob Church who responds, amazingly, THAT DAY.  I
figure, well Bob has a lot of ferrets and they all get along so he should
know how to do this.  During an evening integration session, Sophie goes for
the Cinnamon I'm scruffing and ends up hanging from my sleeve - by her
teeth.  I'm glad my sleeve was there.  She also thinks seriously about
attacking my other hand, but ends up hiding in my hair instead.  No one
sprayed today though.
 
day fourteen: I let everyone out.  Sophie is playing in a paper bag full of
newspaper in the kitchen and Iodine tries to join her.  She can't resist the
motion and rattling.  Sophie panics.  Many small conflicts this morning, one
spray in the kitchen.  Sophie looses her carrier and actually crashes out on
the small lower level hammock in the cage.  I'm happy to know she has
mastered the ramp.  She also gets grooming time this morning with the rest
of them, nails and ears.  Her ears look better and there appears to be new
hair growing in.  All the brushing seems to help her dandruff and her skin
looks much better.  I don't normally wash ferrets very often, but poor
Sophie reeks of spray.  It is a thought since today is a clean bedding day.
I'll wash the cinnamons too.  Everyone is so happy after baths!
 
Hopefully things will continue to progress.  At this moment Sophie is comfy
in a hammock in the community cage, the cinnamons are leaving her alone.  I
hope to report that all are happy pretty quick - I have a second interview
on Monday!  Hopefully the next post will feature a cesstation of aggression
and the beginnings of a friendship!
 
Ann
[Posted in FML issue 2132]