On the subject of ferrets drinking out of toilets, a few years ago, one of
our most rambunctious and agile ferrets, Stitches, who has since passed over
the rainbow bridge (I still miss him), used to drink out of our toilet.  We
never thought much of it, until one night he got very sick, so sick that we
made an emergency trip to the vets at 11:00 at night.  He would not eat, he
was not even interested in Linatone.  He just kept trying to crawl into the
cage and sleep.  The vet ran a few tests, and gave him a laxative and some
antibiotics.  We never did figure out what it was for sure, after being on
the antibiotic for a few days, he started to get better, and after a week he
was back to normal.  After talking to the vet, we suspected that maybe he
had gotten sick off of the bacteria in the toilet, because no blockage was
ever found.  From then on, we left the toilet lid closed.
 
Shortly before that, another one of our ferrets thought he had to watch the
toilet flush each time.  Well, one of the times that he tried to jump up and
watch the toilet flush, he fell in, and I am afraid of what might have
happened if I had not been there.  He was still very young at the time, not
full sized, and what would have happened if he had not been able to get out
by himself?  Especially with the toilet water draining down the hole, he
might have tried to follow it, and gotten stuck.  Just something to think
about.  Our ferrets currently are not allowed in the bathrooms unless we are
in there to supervise them.
 
Dooks to all!
Shelley, Sasha, Seera, Spectre (but I like watching the water go down,
mom!), Target, Podo, Squirt (cat), Bones (cat), Jenna (dog), and hopefully
soon, Zefler and Jacob. :>
 
With loving memories of Stitches and Meesha, now playing with each other and
waiting for us over the rainbow bridge.
[Posted in FML issue 1642]