Hey all!
 
I've been lurking for some time and want to say just how wonderful this
list is!  I've already learned a tremendous amount and can't help but cry
every time I read about someone losing their baby, my deepest sympathies to
all who has lost their fuzzies recently!  I've been owned by ferts for
about 10 years now, and this list is invaluable!  Anyway, I have a couple
of questions I'd only trust you "experts" to answer, there's some
background, so bear with me.  We (my husband and I) have two ferts right
now, a boy (3 1/2 years) and a girl (2 years) which we've had since they
were tiny.  The boy was an only fert for 1/1/2 and is therefore VERY bonded
to us (He'll fall asleep in our laps!) and almost completely ignores our
little girl.  She is much more of a ferrets ferret and would MUCH rather
play with him than us.  When we try, she'll play for a bit, but then lay in
the middle of the floor and sigh.  We're afraid she's depressed and bored
much of the time.  I've finally convinced my husband that maybe we should
get h er a friend about her age and here's where we get to my questions.
 
1. Does this sound like a good solution?
2. I've heard a lot about quarantinning a newbie, but I've also heard that
you should take your fert to "pick out" their new friend?  We'd like to do
the latter, but don't want to risk our babies health.
3. Will our little boy resent the new one, would a boy or girl be better,
or is this a 'personality of the ferret' thing?
 
Here's another thing...neither of our kids have gotten their shots.  Before
you flame, it was on recommendation of our vet who was recommended to us by
our local ferret shelter and DOES know his ferrets.  Since they NEVER come
into contact with other animals or go outside (they just don't seem too
interested) and we very rarely have people over, the vet said the risks are
so low, he'd recommend against the shots.  I feel a bit wary about this,
but...This, of course, is a big concern when you start thinking about
introducing a newbie.
 
That's where I stand, any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!  THANKS and
great job with the list BIG!
 
Dooks to all!
   -Liz in Denver
[Posted in FML issue 2791]