Just wanted to share a few thoughts on having 10 ferrets in my kitchen.
Four ferrets of my own, two up for adoption (just got adopted!!! YAY...
holding on to them until the end of the month though...) and four in for
boarding. Everyone is in good health, everyone is relatively friendly, so
may as well let them play together, right???
Before I let the ferrets out I close the kitchen window (no screen).
My boyfriend asks why, since everybody know that ferrets don't climb or jump
(he only knows my ancient ferrets). I tell him "wait and see". Inside of
30 seconds, Kali (boarder) bounds onto dog bed, onto antique chair (shhh
don't tell my roommate!) and *poof* on the table heading straight for the
window. She looks dissapointed that I was smart enough to close it.
Something bites my foot *HARD*. Reflex jump sends my own Joopie
flying through the air. He lands safely on the mat by the sink and gives me
an insulted look and scurries into the tube. Ashley (mine)is already in
said tube...there is a standoff and Joopie appears backwards, dragging
Ashley by the face. As is my job, I seperate them.
I put Ashley down on the floor, far away from Joop. BooBoo (mine)
and Calvin (not mine) hurry across the room to see if she might *possibly*
be a raisin. I feel desperate paws on my leg and the BooBoo/Calvin act is
pleading with me for a piece of banana, a slice of watermelon...anything!!
I have a bag of cosmic catnip treats handy, so I give them each one. It does
the trick. Off I run with a baggie and a litter spoon to clean out the
litter boxes before they clue in and try to play in the dirty litter. The
litterboxes are zap-strapped to the cage so I have to climb right in
there...I almost squash the ancient Fang (mine) to death since he's sleeping
under the covers. Some ferret Mom I am...
My boyfriend discovers a new game...put a ferret in the cardboard
tube then yank it backward real hard. The ferret in the tube slides out and
across the floor on it's stomach. Oddly, every single one comes leaping and
dooking back for more. My boyfriend gets all the ferrets riled up then gets
bored and leaves. I run away from a gang of 7 ferrets for the next 10 minute.
After a few hours of pulling ferrets off counters and out of
shelves, I decide playtime is over for the day (my nerves are frazzled).
Start retreiving ferrets from various hiding spots. Try to distract BooBoo
from his quest to dislodge his teddy from between the stove and the
cupboard, since with each ticked-off yank he bangs his head on the underside
of the stove. I gently lob his wriggling squirming body into the cage. I
swear he falls asleep before he hits the blankets.
The hardest to catch is Hobbes (not mine) who spent 4 months in a
pet store and now fears handling like nothing I have ever seen. Every
attempt to pick him up is rewarded with a nasty bite on the hands. Finally
distract him with the linatone bottle long enough to scruff him and put him
in his cage. He's scared to death of hands reaching for him...(any
suggestions on how to lessen this fear?? I always stroke him and talk to
him and give him little treats when I pick him up to show him it's fun to be
held. He's cool with that, it's the actual idea of being picked up that
frightens him so much).
So...some people have this many ferrets everyday all the time???
Wow, I admire you. Frankly, I'm losing my mind. More afraid of losing a
ferret though...
Someone posted someting a while back that said which issue had a
post about different ferret colours. I have misplaced that issue, could
someone please let me know what it was again? I'd like to have a
comprehensive picture since 'round these parts, everyone has a different
name for every colour.
Oh and something else that comes to mind...l just wanted to remind
people that during hot weather it is way kinder for your ferret to put
sheets instead of towels/blankets in the cage. Much cooler for the little
guys in their fur coats.
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Ferrets & Friends Club & Rescue e-mail [log in to unmask]
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[Posted in FML issue 1282]
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