Bill Pelfrey writes:
>Subject: A few Questions
 
First of all Bill, welcome to the wacky wonderful world of ferret ownership.
I hope you have a long and succesful career as the slave to a ferret.
 
First of all, you need to cover the wire on the bottom of the cage and
put a litter pan there instead. Bare wire can be a hazard to ferrets,
getting feet stuck and such. Plus covering it will make it easier for
them to walk on.
 
As for litter training-this I am not an expert in.  I only have about a 50%
hit rate, and this is all my fault.  Essentially, training ferrets is
supposed to be like training cats.  You keep them confined in a small area
until they use the litter box 100% and then slowly increased the area they
are in.  IOW- start out with a cage, and when they use the box in the cage
all the time, move them to a slightly bigger area and so forth.  Now, I have
never done this with mine and thus my problem.  But that is the theory.  ;-)
 
I know the sound you are talking about, kind of a ha ha ha sound.  Mine do
this when they are really happy and wound up to play.  I do it back and they
get even crazier.  Dooking kinda sounds like a chimp going oo oo oo.
Hissing sounds like air being sucked between teeth.  You will know the happy
dance when you see it.  And laugh.
 
I play very rough with my gang.  I roll them on their backs, waggle their
hind feet around, tickle their tummies, pinch them like I was biting them,
and yes, I will bite them too.  I throw them several feet across to land on
my bed.  I cover them up and "attack" them.  I run from them, I chase them,
I lay on the floor and let them climb all over me.  I run my hand around
like a spider and grab them and let myself get bitten.  I make lots of
noises.  I also use cat teasers to play with them, by all kinds of baby
stuffed toys, socks, rattles and stuff to play tug o war with them.  I
generally just agitate the hell out of them whenever I can.
 
I also make sure I pick each one up everyday and cuddle them, go nose to
nose with them and tell them I love them and how special they are to me.
Yes folks, all 19.  And even when I am not actively playing with them, I
talk to them, ask them what they are doing, how they are doing and let them
climb all over me while I study, or take a bath or shower, or let them play
in the dirty cloths when I do laundry.  And for all of this, I have the
cleanest ears in Mid Missouri, the cleanest feet and more scratches and play
marks on me than anyone else.  I also have very clean eyelids and eyebrows.
And lots of bruises.  But it is worth every mark I have for all the love I
get from this gang of idiots that run my life.
 
Good luck with your new ones!
 
Maggie Mae and the Mirthful Mid Missourians
[Posted in FML issue 1965]