Hello, everyone!
 
First, I want to congratulate all fuzzies that found new parents that will
love them all their days and the lucky humans they chose!
 
Second, I want to send my condolences and concern for all the parents of
sick and lost fuzzies (both kinds).  I know how we suffer over these
darling creatures.
 
Third, Shiloh and Amadeus had their day in the snow at long last.  At first
neither of them wanted anything to do w/ it.  After I put them down a
number of times (after they'd crawled up my pant leg!) Shiloh discovered
the joys of playing snow plow.  Amadeus, however, persued me relentlessly,
and I finally just left him crawl under my shirt and into my sleeve, where
he shuddered until I took them both back inside.  To warm them quickly I
let them hang out on the toweling I placed on the radiator.  Within minutes
they were warm and dry.
 
Fourth, one day I noticed Amadeus laying flat out on the floor w/o moving.
I lay down on the floor to check him out.  As soon as I got down he lifted
his head.  He enjoyed a little petting but soon got up...isn't that just
like a ferret?  But, to my surprise, he only got as far as my side, where
he jumped up on the small of my back and fell asleep.  Within a minute or
two Shiloh strolled over and collapsed on the floor near my head, using my
hand as a pillow.  I lay there, enjoying my family for 20-30 minutes...
until I got so drowsy I feared I'd fall asleep.  So I gently picked them up
and placed them in their hammock.  Something tells me they played harder
than I'd thought that morning!  Egad, do I love these little critters!
 
Fifith, Shiloh's birthday was on the 20th. I threw several pieces of ferret
treat and yogurt drops on the coffee table and showed them to her (and her
brother, of course!) all the while singing happy birthday. The yogurt drops
went first, then w/ obvious disappointment they moved on to the healthier
treats.  By the end of the party Amadeus was moving the leftovers to his
hidey hole.
 
Sixth, for those people w/ ant problems... I had problems w/ them
congregating around Tess's food and water bowl in the kitchen this summer.
If I forgot to pick up her food bowl and put it in the sink right after she
ate I found ants in it. Yuck.
 
Now this is going to sound really wierd, but all I did was move the bowls
to my studio (where I dining room should be, but I eat in front of the
television to drive Amadeus nuts, anyway, so why waste the space?) and the
problem stopped!
 
I know w/ caged animals it's a lot more difficult to move food bowls, but
maybe move the cage?  I know from my readings that ants frequently follow
their trails back to food sources.  If you move the food to another spot
that they haven't been to previously there is a chance that they won't find
it.  Give it a try, it's certainly cheap enough!
 
In case you are wondering, I only moved Tess's bowls about 10 feet...
 
Pat (lucky mommy)
Tess (canine neighborhood welcome wagon and ferret poop eater)
Shiloh (what do you mean that birthdays only come once a year? I could
        really get used to unlimited treats!)
Amadeus (well, if you hadn't been greedy and ate all yours at once you'd
         have some left, too!)
[Posted in FML issue 2564]