Ferret math has struck. I was given a lively chocolate jill (I've called
her Baby) who was dumped in a nearby town. How anyone can dump their pet,
let alone a ferret (ferrets aren't pets, they're family members), is still
beyond my comprehension, but it means I've got a newcomer in the house. She
looks to be less than six months of age, and she's obviously healthy.
(Fatter than some of mine - and *they* haven't been living under someone's
house!) However, she has obviously never thought of biscuits as a possible
food source. She was terrified the first night I got her (my hand's still
telling me about it, and it's been over a day and a half), but she's
settling in well. I consider it a victory that she didn't bite yesterday,
and has yet to try today (nips don't count when she's trying to get food out
of my hand). Overall, she's eaten maybe a couple of Iams kitten biscuits in
desperation last night. I didn't give her any bribes after I went to bed,
and she seems to live in a constant state of hunger. She loves the roast
meat and steak I've hand fed her, but I want to keep hand feeding to a
minimum. So far, she's learned that human coming to the cage means pats,
cuddles and best of all - food! She's not really interested in the cuddles
or pats, but puts up with them so she can get the bribe. She's not silly!
Has anyone got any ideas on how to get her to eat the biscuits? I'm
planning to put her with my other jills once she's settled and no longer
scared of people, but they live on a main diet of biscuits, and I don't need
to be cooking roast especially for her! Right now, she's learned that
people sitting at the table means food time (I can't resist the look she
gives me from her cage - face it, I'm a sucker for a cute face). She's not
starving, I wish Guy was her size!, but in order to train her not to bite
and to trust me, I don't want her to go hungry. I think this is a Catch-22
situation. So far, Baby's been here less than two days, bitten several
holes in my hands (I didn't enjoy the tetanus shot, either), and wrapped me
around her little paws... <sigh> Typical fuzzy situation - they know when
they've got the upper hand. Okay, enough about that...
Now, Guy report. I haven't given you a report on my insulinoma ferret, Guy
for some time. His health has been improving slowly since the last report.
He's walking better. Although his back legs are still weak, the vet says
exercise will improve them (the muscles are slightly wasted from when he
couldn't walk). He had lost his fur through stress, but now most of it has
grown back, and he's definately more energetic. He's determined to make my
cat Mule (who earned his name) move from his favourite sleeping spot. Guy
doesn't want the spot, by the way, he just doesn't want Mule to have it.
He's still sleeping lots, but he keeps on changing his bed. Sleeping in his
little bag one night, my sleeping bag another, and sometimes the bean bag.
He *loves* the bean bag, although he has to beat it into submission before
he goes to sleep. Nice at three in the morning. He had a bad cough for
some time, but that's almost gone now, which means I sleep more at night as
he was waking me with his coughing and sneezing fits. Now, he has the run
of the house and does it silently, so I don't wake up. We have to close the
office areas off from his wanderings, but his favourite place to go is the
bottom of the stairs - it leads to the great outdoors. I think he's hoping
to figure out how to open that door... If he does, he'll have to get past
the other, locked, door after it. I say we're safe from escaping fuzzy
there. He's chomping down his biscuits well, another improvement, as he
couldn't eat anything except his 'duck soup' before. It may well be some
months yet before he's fit enough to stay full time with my sprites, but
he's happy when they get 'visiting priviledges'... Spoilt brat.
Anyway, that's it for now. I'll try to keep you all informed on Guys
progress, as well as Baby's.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions you may have.
Sam
[Posted in FML issue 1902]
|
