Favorite Ferret?
 
Hmmm...tough question...do I have a favorite ferret?  I think that I would
have to say that I do.  It's the ferret that I happen to be holding right
at that moment! :)  They are all so wonderfully cute when being held and I
couldn't imaging telling one that they were *not* my favorite ferret, or
putting one down to pick up another one, because I liked the second one
better.  I love them all!
 
Scooping Ferrets
 
I have ferrets of all different sizes and weights (they all weigh more than
a donut, though!).  Some are long, some are skinny, some or pudgy-soft,
some are muscular.  However, I find that I always pick them up with one
hand, then put them against my chest and support their hind end with the
other hand.  I admit that I like it when they put their little paws on the
tips of my fingers and I can feel those soft little pads there.  It would
seem that they feel totally safe to stand that way, because they know that
I won't drop them! :)
 
Holding On
 
I find that some of my ferrets are getting a bit spoiled with the amount
of time they get to spend outside of their cages.  In fact, when I attempt
to put them back in, they tends to use their back feet to grab on to any
portion of the cage door that they can, in an attempt to keep from going
back in.  Yet, once in the cage, they run up to the second level to get the
best sleeping spot!  Is this resistance to going back in the cage normal?
Do *all* ferret give up that quickly when they lose?
 
"Come On Out" tricks
 
I've been able to train all but two of my fuzzies to come out of hiding
with various tricks.  For instance, both Rusti and Ziggy will come running
if they hear me shake the treat box.  Baby Hershey (sorta like Baby Huey!)
and Stuffy will only come out if I turn everything off in the house that
makes noise.  Then they both get real curious and come out to see why it
got quiet so suddenly! :)  Fuzzer and Misti-Ferret will come out if I start
looking for them and calling their names (the only ones that will fall for
that old trick *every* time!) However, Add-A-Kiss and Smokey must be
*found* and picked up.  If you find them, but can't reach them, they will
just look at you and smile.  If you call them, try to entice them with
treats, shake toys in front of them, etc., they will ignore you completely.
They know you are going to put them in the cage and they refuse to make
your job any easier!  :)
 
Thief!
 
Yesterday, I had bought myself a 64 ounce slushy to cool down while I was
driving here and there.  By the time I had gotten home, it was all gone, so
I had put the huge plastic cup (with lid) on the coffee table to free up my
hands so I could unload some things from the car.  Well, when I got back in
the house, the cup was gone.  On the far side of the room, there it was,
bouncing toward a hidey-hole.  I rushed over to get it and found Add-A-Kiss
(who can easily hide behind a thumb tack!) dragging the cup off.  I got it
back from her, put it on the table again, only to hear it hit the ground
almost immediately.  There was Hershey, racing for an
easier-to-get-into-with-a-big-cup hidey-hole!  I just *barely* got it back
before he got it in there, only to have Fuzzer grab the thing while it was
still in my hand and try to drag it off!  All this work for an EMPTY slushy
cup!  What did they think was in there...Ferretone???  :)
 
Todd and the (It's not the heat...OH YES IT IS!) Fuzzbutt Rodeo Clowns!
 
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[Posted in FML issue 2731]