Hi all--
 
My boyfriend and I got our first christmas tree last night--this is our 5th
Christmas together and we've never had a tree!  (Well--1st we lived out of
town and came hundreds of miles home for Christmas, then the next 2 years our
apt was too small for one, and last year we couldn't get our hands on a
tree-stand, and I was graduating from college and too busy to worry about it
anyway . . . )
 
Anyway, I asked the "tree-guy" is there was something I could use instead of
tree-preservative in the water, that I needed something "pet safe." He told
me that trees thrive when fed 7-Up.  I thought that was terrific.  My fert,
Pepper, *hates* carbonation and won't go near it after the first *zing*.
And it worked really great last night.  BUT--this morning the 7-Up was flat
so Pepper proceeded to dive right into the tree stand and go for a nice
dunk.  Tree sap?  Forget it--Pepper is a sticky mess of 7-Up.  Oh, dear, I'm
off to buy some screen.  Then it'll be bath time.  Little Schitt.
 
He hasn't climbed the tree yet, but I could see that he was thinking about
it.  Our dog thinks we're nuts, and was very anxious to get outside to make
sure that *her* shelter tree was still in it's proper place.  (It was :-)
 
Pepper's first reaction to the tree was to sniff at it, then puff out all
over and run away from it, very alarmed.  Then check it out again, puff up,
run away etc.  So cute!
 
Pepper is a shoe-stealer.  Couldn't care less about socks, but give him a
Sorrel boot (size 11!) and he'll drag it away with possessive glee.  Or a
tennis shoe, or slippers, or dress shoes .  .  .  we can pick him up and
he'll maintain his grip on whatever shoe he has (we haven't done this with
the Sorrels for fear of the weight of it snapping his little neck).  We've
had visitors innocently sitting on the couch start with alarm as their shoes
get dragged across the floor in a flash of white lightening and disappear
under the couch.
 
Pepper picnics from the dog's dish.  Makes the dog absolutely irate.  Harley
is part of a test group right now for a new Science Diet dog food (oral
care--and she loves it)--they sent us 17# free!  The survey group I belong
to is called National Family Opinion, completely voluntary etc . . .  if
anyone here wants the # to join, e-mail me and I'll send info.  It's not
just pet stuff--it's other foods and household products, too.  Oh, er . . .
you don't get paid or anything, either.  <g> Anyway, Pepper also *loves*
this food, and steals it from the dog every chance he gets.  I'll have to
tell them that when they call, tho' the first two ingred.  are brewers rice
and ground corn--so it's not a good fert food.
 
One funny thing he does while eating: His cage is a Vari-Kennel with food
and water dishes attached to the door.  When the door is open, he'll drape
himself across the water dish to reach the food dish so he doesn't have to
get out of the cage to eat.  It's too funny!  Especially since he knows how
to pull the door shut from inside, and does so when he's ready to curl up in
there to sleep.  Perhaps he just doesn't think of it when he's hungry?  His
favorite is to eat while curled up in his beddy-bye blankets, and when he
wants to do that he makes himself a little pile of easy-to-reach food in the
corner.  Silly fert.
 
To the person who lost 3 ferts outside--my prayers are with you to find the
3rd fuzzy alive and healthy.  I was so sad to hear about the fuzz-butt found
dead, but happy one came home alive and well.  Have you put up notices at
grocery stores or anything?  Someone might have taken him in and doesn't
know how to find you.
 
This *almost* happened to me.  My Smokey ripped through a window screen one
night while we were sleeping.  Somehow in my sleep I noted that her bell was
sounding fainter and fainter, and then the dog started barking and
completely woke me up.  The dog was at the window having a comlete fit, and
I could still hear the ferret's bell, faintly, outside.  So I let Harley out
and she led me right to Smokey, absolutely incensed that the ferret was
*allowed* to run loose outside!  Harley just *knew* the fert was somehow
getting in trouble.
 
We've never skimped on collars and bells since then, because it was so
helpful in finding Smokey.
 
One more item of interest: I got something called a "THE FINDER" at
Walgreens last night--it's a remote control with a transmitter and a
receiver.  You attach the receiver to something you lose often, then push
the "finder" button and the receiver beebs.  I bought it because the fert
hides the TV remote control all the time.  I really wish the receiver was
small enough to attach to a ferret collar!  Make 'em easier to find when
they go to sleep somewhere weird.  It's only got a 40 ft range, but it's a
neat idea.
 
Ta-ta,
 
--Sherri
Harley-dog (whew, it's *not* my tree from the backyard--but why the heck
would these weirdo's bring a tree in here anyway?)
Pepper (Hmm--I can climb that and get those yummy-smellng candy canes--just
as soon as I'm done swimming in this sweet water)
[Posted in FML issue 1783]