hi all...
to echo michael the woozledad...i also just sent in my buck-a-month....
did you???  it's the easiest thing in the world to do, and i'm sure it
will save some little furry lives along the way.
 
by the by, before firing up my computer this morning i released the
naughties from their cage after a long night's sleep.  they have since
spent all that pent-up energy getting into everything, beating each other
up and dooking like there's no tomorrow.  they have now dooked themselves
into such a lather that they all have hiccups.  is there anything funnier
than five ferrets scrambling around my feet right this minute going
"dookdookdookdook HUP!!!  dookdookdookdookdook HUP!!!!
dookdookdook...."??  i think not...
 
i also wanted to thank sandee for checking up on zeus...upon reading the
post on the FML, i immediately forwarded the list to about ten people with
the subject of "Urgent!!!  News On Zeus from the Rainbow Bridge!!".  they
mostly now think i'm certifiably insane...oh well.  glad to hear zeus is
living the life i tried to give him in the short time we were together in
this vale.  thank you again sandee...
 
as for what my ferrets have....
 
1. Ferret - 3 year old marshall farms sable, family rescue; perfectly
healthy as of vet checkup in 2-02.  when i received her & her partner
spencer from a family member who no longer wanted them in august 2001,
both were severely malnourished & had urine-burned foot pads from living
in a poop-filled cage.  both have recovered splendidly & are presently
trying to steal the socks off my feet.
 
2. spencer - 3-4 year old marshall farms silver mitt, family rescue; had
a scare with a heart arrythmia in february 2002; turned out to be nothing.
thanks again to all who sent me encouraging & fact-filled emails during
this time!
 
3. diamond - 6-7 year old marshall farms blaze, permanent foster kid;
adrenal as long as i've had her.  having the time of her life rooting
around in one of my boyfriend's sweatshirts & dooking to beat all.
 
4. tigger - 7-8 year old marshall farms sable, permanent foster kid;
healthy with the exception of some rather nasty teeth.  spent the early
morning doing the 90-mph nascar dryer tube marathon with style & aplomb.
 
5.  chloe - 6-7 year old marshall farms DEW, permanent foser kid; adrenal
as long as i've had her.  chloe received lupron early on, so she's not an
e.t.-lookalike balding mess like diamond is.
 
*notice that all my ferrets are MF frets?  since the issue of marshall
farms has apparently been beaten to death on this list, i will not insert
my anti-MF comment here...except to say i will never buy MF ferrets or
products; i will just be a member of the army of people who are trying to
clean up the mess created by MF & their cruel, irresponsible breeding &
sales practices.  that's all for now...
 
as far as biting ferrets, i've only had one real bad one so far...my
solution was to scruff her, get about an inch from her face & say loudly &
firmly "NO, NO; BAD FERRET" and then give her a good shake.  i know this
isn't a one-size fits all solution, but it worked for me after just a few
tries.  tigger now gives kisses instead of tearing flesh.  :-> hopefully
as a result of discipline & training, not Shaken Ferret Syndrome.
 
to valerie; as recommended by a vet-tech friend of mine, i treated a nasty
flea infestation with revolution for kittens; half of a tube for each
ferret, dropped in between the ferret equivalent of their shoulder blades.
worked for me!!
 
on the great litter debate; as recommended by my shelter mom, i just put
newspaper circulars in the bottom of my cage; such easy cleanup!!  i
change it once a day, & once a week i wash the bottom of the cage with a
weak solution of vinegar & hot water.
 
p.s.  - i just got the super pet mulit-floor ferret cage from
theferretstore.com for my birthday in feb.; can i just say, AWESOME
CAGE!!!  if you are on the market for a cage & you don't mind one that
will dwarf you even in platform shoes, this is the one for you.  easy
cleanup, easy on the back, easy access to all levels, lots of room for
toys & hammocks...check it out!  and last, but not least; thanks & dooks
to all who wrote with pro & con cryosurgery stories, tips & referrals.
as usual, i am a more informed fert mom thanks to you!  i will post to
tell stories of my own once my adrenal frets go through the surgery.
have a great weekend everyone...i'll be hangin with the naughties, as
usual!!
 
TTFN,
jessica.
 
 
jessica l. manson
whimsy creative photography!
28 stafford st.
plymouth, ma 02360
(508) 747-5505
[log in to unmask]
www.whimsyphoto.com
[Posted in FML issue 3745]