Thanks to all for advice about the laxatives - Potpie's feces have been
normally sized, almost never runny, almost always regularly colored, but
i /KNOW/ she's eaten undigestable things that havent come out. Im going
to talk to my vet, try the Petromalt, and Be Prepared. Better sooner than
later, i think.
 
> The perfect number of ferrets to have is three, so maybe you should get two
> more and then not have to go through retraining a third time!  Or do what I
> do - give in and let them be happy doing it their way.
 
eeeeeee! hopefully when i get ferret #2 this weekend (I am SO exCITed!!!)
she'll be as litter-box-diligent as Potpie.
 
re: Moses' Big Day -
Ive been taking Potpie for walks every day for the past week or so and
/every/ person i see on the street, insist upon stopping us to grill me
about her. 'Is that a rat?' 'What does it eat?' 'OhmiGOD, she's so CUTE!!'
(Potpie gets this one a lot. There're benefits to being petite! :) She's
basically untrustable with fingers and knuckles, although she hasnt broken
skin, so when these curious onlookers try to pet her i advise, "She's
been a bit nippy lately - not bad, but I'd rather just be careful." Then
i point out that most ferrets are extremely gentle and (sigh) dont bite.
Either that, or i present her side for them to pet while holding her in
the Magic Ferret Grip. The Magic Ferret Grip involves one hand supporting
the rump and the other supporting the chest - fingers curled under the
chest and the ferret's front legs hanging down between the fingers. I
put my thumb alongside her head, 'petting' her firmly, so she cant sniff
the person...She never, /ever/ ATTEMPTS to bite someone by maneuvering so
her teeth are within reach; she only nips if presented with fingers,
knuckles, and an opportunity. My housemates and i have been successful
so far in preventing this behavior with them (she's never bitten me except
in play) by using the 'finger into throat' method - here, if you're going
to bite me, i'll give you even MORE of my finger to bite - ptooey! The
ferret spits the offending finger back out and doesnt reattempt.
 
Happy note: Potpie's never had a reaction to any of her vaccinations. She's
a Path Valley ferret, approximately 2.5 yrs of age.
 
To Jeanette and Bean:
Sounds like Potpie, who mercilessly harries feet and toes when they're
underneath blankets.  One way to sleep is to shove all the blankets/sheets
off the bed and sleep w/o covers; i've never managed to train Potpie (who
is a hyper non-lap ferret like Bean) not to bother me when im trying to
sleep if there're blankets, though.  One way to make her a lap ferret:
wait. Now that Potpie's 2.5, she's calmer, will rest in my arms cozily,
will curl up in my lap for longer, etc.  They mellow a bit :).
 
Anyway, back to work..
 
Potpie, 'Not biting, just .. /texture/ sampling.' and
Melissa, 'Nope, no lawsuits here, nope, nuh-HUH. Git.'
 
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      Melissa Litwicki         "It's big, sharp teeth and claws versus
      [log in to unmask]              a mind of questionable wit."
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[Posted in FML issue 1175]