Terrie and I were privileged to be allowed to adopt one of the rescued
London ferrets.  After a weekend of playing with them at the Pet Smart store
right after their rescue on New Years Day, and a few days of contacting vets
for free spays and neuters, driving all over the place dropping them off and
picking them up (not nearly as much work as Randy did, though, by a long
shot), we finally got our new baby, Gromit, home officially last Friday.
He's been here since last Tuesday, along with two brothers, resting after
surgery, but we took them all back to Randy's on Friday, and she gave us the
OK to take him home.  Now he's an official part of our little family.
 
Gromit is an exceptionally cute, chunky little sable, black nose and all.
He's really cuddly, likes to kiss and to wrestle, and already has his
favorite toy, the Cheweasel on a string tied to a fishing rod.  He's still a
bit skittish.  Sudden sounds or movements send him scurrying under the
nearest piece of furniture, but he sticks his nose out right away, and will
come out if you put your hand down.  He stinks something fierce, and we
can't wait to bathe him after the stitches come out.
 
We already have 5 others.  Ferret Math Strikes Again!!!  (Three was going to
be our absolute limit...).  Four of them had their own room, but Stash, the
newest, just wasn't accepted by the others, so he lives in the rest of the
house with us.  Now he has a little playmate.  They're still getting used to
each other, and there's an occasional screaming match when Stash decides
he's not yet sure what this new thing is, but it's getting better day by
day, and they should be sharing a sleeping basket soon.
 
We didn't get Gromit descented, since he has had his teeth cut out by the
...person... who had them before the rescue, so we decided not to descent
him so he still had some defense, and it paid off.  Yesterday Stash tried to
get a bit more agressive, and Gromit poofed him one.  You never saw a
squabble end so quickly!  Terrie hadn't experienced a ferret poof before, so
it came as quite a shock to her.  She looked in my direction first, but I
wasn't responsible (at least for THAT one!)
 
Right now Gromit's just completed his bombing around the basement where I'm
writing this.  He's finished tugging at my bathrobe, and he's pushed boxes
away from the walls, dragged socks under the futon, run through all the
ferret tubing, generally done all the regular ferret stuff, and now he's
speed-bumping in the middle of the floor.  Time for bed for him, and the
start of another day for us.  Mookie and the back-room boys are scratching
to get their playtime.  Stash has already done his duty and woken us up at
5:30, and 6:30, and 7:30, and now he's snoozing under the bed.
 
We're lucky to have this new guy.  I know the other 22 have all had their
neuters/spays done or arranged, thanks to many Toronto area vets who donated
their services either free or at big discounts, and many are already adopted
out or have their new homes arranged.  If the're anything close to Gromit in
personality, I know there will be a lot of happy new ferret homes, and a lot
of happy ferrets.
 
<-------Stan Siatkowski------<<<        Stan & Terrie in Toronto with
<---Toronto Archery Supply---<<<      Mookie,Cecil,Psycho,Cocoa,Stash
                                                and GROMIT!
[Posted in FML issue 2194]