HOWDY ALL!  SPANKY HERE, PLUS THE GIRLS, CLAUDIA & SCARLET O'FERRET.  SORRY
IT HAS TAKEN US SO LONG TO ANSWER THE MESSAGE ABOUT KITTEN & FERRET FIGHTING
(PLAYING), BUT WE HAVE BEEN SO WORRIED ABOUT KODO AND THE ASSEMBLY PEOPLE
THAT IT HAS BEEN OVER A WEEK.  ANYWAYS, JUST TO GET YOU ALL CAUGHT UP ON US,
HERE IT GOES.
 
I, SPANKY, AND MY BROTHER JACK-POT (WE CAME FROM A VERY GOOD FEED STORE IN
NEEDLES, ARIZ) CAME TO LIVE HERE IN "F F CA" (FERRET FREE CALIFORNIA), IN
FEB 97.  WE WERE ABOUT A 6 WEEKS OLD.  ME, OUR 2 LEGGED PET, FINALLY GOT HER
LITTLE PRAYERS AND HEART DESIRE ANSWERS, I CAME TO LIVE WITH HER ON A
THURSDAY NIGHT.  SHE HAD A 6 MONTHS OLD SIAMESE KITTEN, "DARA NIN" (STAR
SAPPHIRE) AND A 2 1/2 YEAR OLD LONG HAIRDO CHIHUAHUA/PIT MIX "TAZ".  WELL,
THE 1ST NIGHT I CAME HOME I WAS PROUDLY INTRODUCED TO THE TWO LADIES.  IT
WAS A "FREE FOR ALL" ROMP, AFTER FORMAL INTRODUCTION WERE FINISHED.  SINCE I
WAS ONLY 6 WEEKS OLD I NEEDED NAPS, BUT I KNEW AS SOON AS I WOKE THEY WERE
TELLING MOMMY, "ME" I NEEDED TO COME OUT AND PLAY.  I WAS VERY LITTLE, BUT
IT WAS an EVEN MATCH.  WE PLAY A GAME, THAT ME SAYS LOOKS LIKE A COMBO OF
KITTEN/PUPPY/FERRET PLAY.  NO TEETH BARRED.  SOMETIMES I GET A LUCKY NIP IN.
NOT REALLY MEANING TO HURT THEM.  I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY YELP, IT
DOESN'T HURT ME.  ME WATCHED US PLAY AND NOTICED THAT WE WERE PLAYING NOT
REALLY FIGHTING.  BUT SHE DOES WATCH TO MAKE SURE I DON'T GET TO WORKED UP
AND HURT THEM.  SOMETIMES, I GET THE EAR OR LIP.  THEY ARE SO MUCH FUN TO
PLAY WITH.  I AM ABOUT 4 MONTHS OLD AND WEIGH OVER 3 LB.  MY BROTHER
JACK-POT (LOVINGLY REFERRED TO AS CRACK-POT) WEIGHS ABOUT 1/3 LB.  MORE.
 
4 DAYS AFTER I CAME TO LIVE WITH ME & DADDY, ME, RESCUED 2 SABLE GIRLS AND
BROUGHT THEM HOME TO LIVE.  CLAUDIA IS 5 YEARS OLD AND THE VET THINKS SHE
HAS INSOLOMA.  SHE IS SO SWEET, VERY THIN, UNDER 1/2 LB, SHE IS VERY SMART,
BUT NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO PLAY AT MY LEVEL.  I FORGET HOW FRAIL SHE IS, HER
BACK LEGS DON'T ALWAYS WORK RIGHT, AND ME HAS TO COME IN AND SHE PUTS ME IN
"TIME OUT." DOES ANYONE OUT THERE, KNOW OF SOME TYPE OF MEDICINE THAT HAS
LESS SIDE EFFECTS THAN LIQUID PREDISONE?  OUR VET SAID THERE IS ONE, BUT NOT
AVAILABLE HERE IN F F CA (FERRET FREE CALIFORNIA).  A PLACE WE CAN GET IT?
 
SCARLET O'FERRET, IS 4 YEARS OLD AND SHE IS FUN.  SHE IS NOW 3 MONTHS LATER,
STARTING TO PLAY WITH DARA NIN.  SHE DOESN'T PLAY THE WAY I DO, SHE NEVER
NIPS.  SHE LOVES TO PLAY IN OUR CLEAR PLASTIC TUBE.  ME OR DARA NIN (WHO
CAN'T GET INSIDE, SHE TRIED, I ALMOST FEEL OVER LAUGHING) TICKLING ON THE
OUTSIDE.  BUT OF COURSE I OUT WEIGH HER TOO.  SO FAR I HAVE ONLY SEEN 1
OTHER FERRET (BESIDE MY BROTHER) WHO IS MY SIZE.  SO I MUST ALSO BE WATCH
HOW ROUGH I PLAY WITH HER.
 
NOW IT'S THE DOG & CAT TURN TO TAKE BREAKS, THEN I'M OFF TO FIND DADDY
SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR OR ME AND ATTACK.  ME IS TRYING TO TEACH ME NOT TO
NIP, TO BE A GOOD BOY, NO BITE, EVEN LOVINGLY NIP.  I'M TRYING, BUT IT'S NOT
EASY, I'M JUST A BABY.
 
ANYWAYS, DON'T WORRY, JUST SUPERVISE YOUR KITTEN & FERRET PLAY.  YOU'LL
LEARN WHAT IS PLAY AND WHAT IS FIGHTING.  VOCALLY, REALLY DIFFERENT FOR BOTH
CRITTERS.  HOPE ALL IS WORKING OUT FINE.  ENJOY.
 
SORRY THIS IS SO LONG AND LATE.  WE ARE STILL SAYING OUR PRAYERS FOR YOU,
KODO & YOUR 2 LEGGED PETS.  WE ALSO SEND OUR SYMPATHY TO BOB CHURCH, ON HIS
FATHER'S PASSING.  WE HOPE YOU WILL STOP BY & SEE US ALL HERE IN F F CA
(FERRET FREE CALIFORNIA).
 
SPANKY, CLAUDIA & SCARLET O'FERRET, PLUS ME
OH YEA, DARA NIN (CAT) & TAZ (DOG)
[Posted in FML issue 1944]