Hi all--
 
Well, when I got my first ferret, I got Chuck and Fox Morton's book at the
same time, and had to giggle at the section that said, "You'll have to
decide whether you want one ferret, a pair, or a group of ferrets." I
remember thinking, "Good Lord, who in their right mind would *want* a group
of ferrets?" Ha-ha.  Sunday I had two ferrets.  Monday I picked up two more.
Now *I* have a group of ferrets, and it's very fun!  Of my 4 ferrets, 3 were
rescues, given to me at no charge on the promise that I would take care of
them.  1 I bought myself for Christmas last season.  2 MF, 2 with no
markings.  Funny, the two with no tattooes are both marked DEW, and their
faces are almost identical.
 
The new ones were originally rescued by Dawn in Minneapolis--thanks, Dawn!
They brought with them a 4 (count them, 4) level cage that's 4 ft high and 3
feet wide!  (But only 14 inches deep--tucks agains a wall near a doorway
perfect.  Let's say I had to wheel and deal and get my dad to drive me to
the Cities with his truck.  Pepper and Mort have slept in a medium sized dog
kennel for all this time (with lots and lots of run time) and they tell me
that this new cage is a ferret mansion, and they couldn't be happier unless
I could find them a bigger hammock and position it so there's less of a drop
beneath it.  (Today's agenda--pillowcase hammock in the making.)
 
I brought one of Pepper and Mort's dirty blankies with me, so the new babies
were familiar with their scent after the 2.5 hour drive.  Everybody got
along great right from the start, aside from Pepper asserting his dominance
and dragging the new ferrets under the couch by the scruff a few times.
They got about an hour to acquaint themselves, while I set up the new cage
with hammocks, food dishes, and litter pan.  Then I housed them all together
the very first night.  In the morning I found 4 (count them, 4) ferrets all
stuffed into the pocket of the "flying hammock"--snug and happy.  And that
is where all of them sleep, all the time.
 
New babies ... the male is tentatively named Uno, because he amuses himself
for the longest time playing with ping-pong balls, all alone, long after the
other's have gone to sleep.  He's a four-pounder, I'd guess, because that's
what Pepper weiged in at a couple of weeks ago, and they're very much the
same size.  He's a marked DEW.
 
The female is teeny-tiny, either the runt of the litter, or a still a baby
herself.  She's the size Mort was when we got him at 9 wks.  She's
weightless.  I keep expecting gravity to lose its hold on her, because
there's nothing to her.  She's thin as a rail--I can make a circle of my
thumb and middle finger around her body--and I'm a very small woman.  She's
MF, and a light sable, but not the reddish brown color I've seen--she's more
like taupe, if you know what I mean.  Very sweet, gentle, and pretty.  Her
name is tentatively Princess Sparrow Feather (Feather, for short).  She's
very delicate-looking.  Poor thing, has 3 boys to deal with all the time.
They dote on her, though ... so much that yesterday I was thinking her name
should be Geisha!  (Dave ruled "no way" on that one, and suggested
Princess.)
 
Our dog, Harley, is beside herself.  She just can't decide if two more
ferrets are a good thing or a terrible thing.  She's jealous because these
new babies weren't handled or allowed any free run in their previous home,
so they're attention starved--and both LOVE to cuddle.  They seem to crave
the contact.
 
All four go into the cage when they get tired, even though Pepper and Mort
have always napped under the couch.  Now they want to be with the new babies
for nap time.
 
The new babies didn't have a litter box at all at their previous home.  Dawn
tells me the corner was pile high with doo--even with a tray underneath to
catch any misses.  Poor babies.  But they're learning, so far.  I haven't
had to clean up nearly as many messes as I thought I'd have to.
 
Well, all right, I'll stop babbling.  I got a new program for the computer
yesterday that I haven't had time to play with yet--Dramatica, The Writer's
DreamKit.  Wow!  Exciting!
 
Take care.
 
--Sheri and Pepper and Mort and Uno and Feather.  Oh, and Harley and Dave,
too.
 
"Until our paths find us together
        may you forever
            go in peace."
 
--Mike Rayburn (comic entertainer and folk artist)
[Posted in FML issue 1998]