I'm fortunate to be in a building that unofficially allows small pets, like
ferrets or cats.  I know of at least 3 cats on my floor of 7 apartments,
and then I have my three fuzzies.  I made sure the manager knew before I
moved in that I had ferrets, which he said was fine.  As a matter of fact,
he thinks they're kind of cute.  It's the owners of the building who aren't
as enthusiastic...
 
I've been letting my fuzzies out late at night to cavort down my apartment
hallway.  They get very excited and sniff at every door; the weasel war
dances, wrestling and general frenzy is quite funny to watch.  Craig and I
drag blankets dutifully up and down the hall for the ferrets to ride on,
jump on, and slide off of whenever something more interesting catches their
nose.
 
One evening, when we first began this ritual, the ferrets were eagerly
crowded at one of the doors.  About five minutes later, the lady in the
apartment opened it up while I snatched the fuzzies before they could FLO
her home.  She explained her cats had been sitting by the door very
intently and she couldn't figure out why- now she knew!!!  All the people
on my floor know my ferrets now, and even like them.  My fuzzies are very
good ferret ambassadors.
 
The only problem is that the ferrets have figured out that when I pick up
my car keys, it means I'm opening the door to the hallway.  No matter where
I am they beeline straight to the door and sit there, looking up at the
doorknob like it will magically open up and set them free.  They've since
learned that opening the closet to get my shoes is an earlier step in the
process; no longer do they crowd at my feet, waiting for a chance to enter
shoe-leather paradise.  It makes me thankful that when they manage to slip
between my feet into the hall and war dance their liberation there is still
a few more doors between them and the big bad world.  My neighbors must
wonder at the sight of me trying to round up three dooking ferrets and
tossing them into my home while trying to close the door. :-)
 
Ariel
Jasper, Baxter & Kayla, the hallway hustlers
[Posted in FML issue 2492]