I am in New Zealand.  I have four ferrets, two castrated males and two
speyed females.  None of them have been descented.  The males are eight
and nine years old; the eight year old had surgery for an intestinal
blockage this year - polystyrene, my fault - and had an uneventful
recovery.  The nine year old had most of his lower back molars removed on
one side last year - gingivitis; and the teeth themselves black and
rotten.  This seemed to come on suddenly within a few months, but there
must have been something "brewing" for a while.
 
Other than that they are both crazy, mad ferts who play and wardance and
get up to the usual mischief.  They have slowed down a little bit in the
past year and the nine year old had hardly any hair on his tail in summer,
but it's growing back now.  The two females are 5 years and 18 months old.
The youngest is bigger than either of my hobs and has more energy than she
knows what to do with.  The older one is very tiny and she can and does
bite males ( both human and ferret) HARD and nastily, but has never bitten
a female since I have had her.  She has had a mild recurrent eye infection
for the past few months which flares up and subsides.  I and my dog are
also irritated by a recurrent eye infection.  Doc and Vet are now working
together to solve the problem.
 
So I think they are a healthy bunch in general.  All are sable except for
the older female who is albino.
 
I have four ferrets which is not strictly legal under New Zealand law.  I
need a ferret farm licence even though they are all neutered.  However I
tell outsiders that I have two and my boyfriend has two ... no-one can
prove otherwise but in the current climate I'd rather not say "who" I am.
 
[EC]
[Posted in FML issue 3744]