A recent poster criticized me for not taking Scooter to the vet
immediately when he displayed a strange urinary behavior, and asking the
list instead.  Although it may have looked like I was being lazy or cheap
at the expense of my ferret's health, I want to emphatically deny any such
impression anyone may have.
 
Scooter did something weird, but I suspected it was behavioral.
Therefore, I sought the advice of other ferret owners about whether they
had observed a similar behavior in other whole males (they had).  That
question being answered, Scooter would have been rushed to the vet if the
answer had given me reason to be concerned; Scooter did not ever seem to
not make it to the box; he just dribbled a lot and started peeing on the
furniture.  This struck me as being behavioral; a "marking my territory"
kind of thing.  Other ferret owners confirmed that their whole males had
done the same thing.
 
If I rushed to the vet every time Scooter did something odd, I would soon
be broke and unable to pay for actually-needed treatment should a true
problem arise.  By the same token, if I became truly worried about
Scooter, we'd be at the vet in no time flat.
 
I love my ferret dearly.  He's the focal point of much of my life, and one
of my closest friends.  I would never neglect his health, either out of
laziness or cheapness.   To do so would be to betray the trust he has
placed in me as his provider and caretaker.
 
Chris von Seggern
Bellingham, WA
 
        I am Ferret of Borg
                Bitter Apple is Irrelevant
                        Litterboxes are Irrelevant
                                Your Socks will be Assimilated
 
[Posted in FML issue 0883]