Hello to one and all!
 
We've discovered a treat our business just can't resist.  Peanut butter!
They all like nothing as well as as well as peanut butter on the finger.
When they get their nails clipped, a dab of peanut butter on a pinky-tip
keeps them quietly preoccupied as long as there's the slightest taste
remaining.  They look like sea otters holding onto your pinky with their
hands and licking away.  Need to get a ferret's complete attention and
cooperation?  Peanut butter!  When they get a Really Large bite, they grin
*really* big until they lick it off.  Even Tyler likes this nutty treat!
Well, GT is "showing his age" (6+ yrs.) quite a bit.  He's scrawny (I used
to call him "Fat Boy" for his huge belly) and he sleeps a *lot*, even for a
ferret.  The other day, we thought he was done.  He wouldn't drink, wouldn't
hold his head up, give his favorite nose-kisses or anything.  After a
worried hour of syringes-full of water (no needle!) injected into the side
of his mouth 'til he swallowed some, we tried the ol' standby, peanut
butter!  A dab of peanut butter mixed with some honey and *lots* of water,
and off he went lapping away.  Before too long, he was drinking the mixture
greedily, and by bedtime he seemed a *whole* lot happier.  I don't know how
to subcutaneously inject water into a ferret, so I was *really* worried
there.  Especially with Peeper's recent "departure" weighing so heavily on
my mind...  Now the business gets a large daily ration of peanut butter, a
taste of honey, softened kibble (to remind them it's not for playing in<G>)
and lots of water.  Of course, GT gets dibs, but we make sure there's plenty
to go around.
Little Bonnie is so cute!  She'll drink 'til her little tummy bulges so
you'd think she'd pop!  This stuff is like "Ferret Cocaine".
Question:  What are the ramifications of this treat/treatment?  I believe
peanut butter has lots of protein (vegetable, I know) and fat, so I don't
think it can't hurt them, but then, I thought Peeper would recover, too, so
what do I know?
 
If you are, or know, a fisher(wo)man, see if you can find a left-over
fishing rod tip lying around.  I mean the whole end, with several eyes
attached, or reattached.  I take some heavy fishing line, feed it through
the eyes, tie it to the base, and cut off about 15 feet.  To the end, I tie
a knotted sock or a jingly-soft toy.  The technique is like casting a
flyrod; I pull slack into the base end 'til the sock dangles a foot or so
from the rod tip, then fling the sock (it helps a lot to keep it close to
the floor where the fuzzies can see it) across in front of someone, who
invariably gives chase.  When <whoever> catches the sock, we start a game of
tug-of-war until (s)he gets bored, and by then another one is ready to play.
This also has the benefit of improving one's casting technique, plus it's
fun at parties!
 
Scooter's adopted father came up with a nifty ferret castle and a good way
to recycle, too.  In the computer repair business, we go through shiploads
of cardboard boxes.  He taped a few together creatively with 100mph tape,
cut some access holes for himself *and* Scooter, and just threw in a toy to
show her what the new place was for.  She loves the hiding-and-exploring
place, and after a month or so the boxes are ready for the mulch pile!
Obviously, it's a Good Idea to *lose the foam* :o(
 
Sorry about the long post.  Thanks for reading it this far.
 
Jimbo...
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The Family:
Bonnie: "There's a dance or two in the old gal yet, tojours gai, tojours gai!"
Peeper: What a noise for a name!  Perfect Professional Pet.  I'll miss you,
girl.
Ferret GT: The Geriatric Terrorist, Fast and Sporty with "four-on-the-floor"!
Cody: Ferret Aviator and bon vivant, leaping into the void for fun.
Birch: "Handsome Handful of Dancin' White Devil at your Service!"
Frank: "I Gotta nose like a possum but I'm 100% Lovable Ferret Boy!"
Tyler: "I've been good!  Make them stop following me!"
P-Nut & Jimbo: "Thank you, Peter Pan!!"
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[Posted in FML issue 1273]