Hello!
 
I really don't post much.  I joined this ML a bit before adopting my
ferrets so I could get a feel for the community.  I had already read
all of the ferret books, back issues of the Ferret magazine & on-line
articles that I could find.  I basically started buying supplies, toys &
parts for my cage about 2 months before I decided to adopt.
 
On October 30th I adopted 2 ferrets (from a set of 5
http://ryen.net/ferrets/photo05.jpg)
from the Ferrets R #1 Ferret Shelter & Rescue in Northern Virginia.  They
were all about 3 years old & had apparently been neglected a bit.
 
Due to Faith Hood & the care that the ferrets received at the shelter,
they were super affectionate, very sweet & simply everything that a
ferret should be :)  Because I was not able to adopt them all at that
time, I adopted Princess (the silver mitt in front) and Mary Jane (the
sable on the far left).  Buddy (the large sable 2nd in from the left)
could adopted with Blaze (the Blaze ferret :) and Baby Jake (the
champagne) could be adopted on his own.
 
Baby Jake was adopted late November (and is doing just great with his new
sibling & home) & I was able to adopt Buddy & Blaze.  They both needed
adrenal surgery (Jan 5th), so I was able to adopt them on the 15th!  My
Mary Jane had adrenal on the 9th & all three ferrets are doing just
super.
 
I was really pleased with all the helpful emails I received with advice
on how to give the Baytril to MJ (she had an URI that needed to be
cleared up before she could have surgery & she was given amoxy & then
later baytril) and I thought I would press my luck further!
 
The first question / problem / situation : Princess (who will need
adrenal surgery, but the doctor doesn't think she needs the operation
now) has been sort of lethargic.  She has perked up a bit since Buddy &
Blaze came home a week ago, but she is still having the "symptoms".
Basically, she seems to tire really fast.  Mary Jane will be running
around and Princess will end up going to the cage & going back to sleep
within a half hour or so of being let out.  Now, the ferrets were
neglected for 3 years & their muscles had atrophied, so when I first got
MJ & Princess they could only romp for about 15 minutes or so before
falling asleep.  This has gradually built up & MJ can now go on for what
seems like forever :D But Princess is still rather sleepy.  The other
three will play & she will curl up in a sleep sack or bed outside of the
cage, but she still goes to sleep & doesn't seem to have that much
energy.  It is like someone pulled her plug.
 
Princess has been taken to the vets countless times & had tests for
everything the doctor could think of.  While MJ was having her adrenal
surgery, Princess had her glucose tested for Insulinoma throughout the
day.  She even had an 83.00$ panel test that would definitely rule it out
& she came out negative.  She has had several full examinations & has had
her heart tested.  The doctor said there is nothing else he can think to
test her for.  She is drinking well, she eats Totally Ferret, is given
Ferretone, treats.  She has more toys than I had as a child :)  I had
to start rotating them because between the playground, tunnel, busy
blankets. etc, there was no room for them to run around!
 
She seems to have no trouble going to the bathroom (other than refusing
to use the litterbox but I really don't see that as a problem) & her
poops are firm & normal.  Has anyone else had this situation?  It is
driving me insane.  She lets me hold her a bit longer now than when I
first adopted her, but I can't really get a feel for what is wrong with
her.  Is she bored?  Is she just really tired and needs to sleep?  Am I
doing something wrong?  She used to play with me a lot when I first got
her, but now she doesn't really seem interested.  Even the towel game
doesn't interest her.  I don't know if it is a phase or not, but if there
is something I can do to help her, I want to do it.
 
The second question / problem / situation (did you get this far?  Sorry
it is so long!) : Blaze is a biter.  A really really bad one.  In her
papers (the previous owner wrote little notes about them), Blaze is
referred to as the "bitchy" one.  Blaze is one of the sweetest ferrets &
very playful, so the only thing I can think of that the remark is
referring to is her biting.  She will come up & start licking me & then
she will chomp.  Hard.  She doesn't draw blood usually, but these bites
hurt more than the bloody ones I get while playing with Princess
(Princess has gotten better with the rough-housing & she rarely bites me
too hard now!).
 
Blaze just bites & sort of chews progressively until I want to roll my
eyes back in my head.  The main problem I am having with her is that she
is deaf.  With Princess, I would scruff her & say "no" & "owie that
hurts" & Princess almost never lapses now.  With Blaze I scruff her & say
"no" while shaking my head.  Nothing.  I also tried waving my finger in
front of her in the "no-no" sign, while saying no & shaking my head.
Nothing.  As soon as I set her down, she will start licking me & biting
me again!  And it is no one place.  Thighs, arms, legs, neck (when she
was sitting on my shoulder), feet, hands, it doesn't seem to matter.  I
tried wearing long sleeve shirts, pants, socks & shoes & I sprayed my
hands with the bitter apple (and later with Nature's Miracle deterrent
spray).  This had no affect.  She didn't go anywhere near my hands, but
bit through my clothes.
 
I honestly don't know what to do.  I know she doesn't mean to hurt me,
she is in all other aspects one the sweetest ferrets.  She loves to lick,
but usually ends in a bit.  She is letting me hold her longer & longer
each day, but she hasn't let up on the biting.
 
Some of the books & articles I've read even suggest tapping the nose, but
I don't want to do that.  She might think it was a game & it I tapped her
hard enough to hurt her, then it was definitely too hard, so I see no
sense in even trying that.
 
Does anyone have any ideas on how I can handle her?  Since clapping,
saying "no" loudly & all other auditory reprimands have no effect, I am
sort of out of ideas.  Scruffing doesn't work.  I've even dragged her a
bit (on the bed or blanket) while scruffing because I read that mother
ferrets do that when their kits misbehave.  Please email me with any &
all advice.  As long as it doesn't hurt me or them I'll try it!  (And I
will never give her up, I'd just like to try to correct this one
behaviour).
 
Well, I am so sorry this is so long!  I hope it isn't too long to make it
into the digest!
 
Thanks so much!
Anna [log in to unmask]
Ryen's Ferrets - http://ryen.net/ferrets/
[Posted in FML issue 4408]