ICER(BABY GIRL)
 
Icer, our first Albino ferret, and one we received from a pet store as
they felt she was UN sellable.  Many have posted Bad things about Pet
Stores on the FML, Well due to comments made I will Give the Name of this
Pet Store it is Pet Co.  We complained to the manager the first day we
went due to small area s seen in most pet stores.  The Manager, did not
care what we we re saying and advising him of a few changes we thought
was necessary.  So my State laws regulations and AFA suggested listing I
carry with me at all times on index cards, I started reading and pointing
to my areas of complaint, still he acknowledged, but was not convinced
so I took him to the book he had for sale in the book section and there
too in every book was the same thing.  (This was a litter issue, Minor
problem but wanted to share my knowledge)  So then He said okay, you
convinced me, then asked more on my knowledge and I got to inform that
we are a rescue/shelter for ferrets and built what today is the top
relationship with any of our pet stores we deal with.  A couple of months
past and when we came in the Manager, seen us, and told us about Icer,
that they said she bites hard, is real small and no one seems to want to
buy her, so he asked us would we take her.  We said sure, he filled our
surrender application gave our 35.00 surrender fee, told us come back on
Monday I have food I will give you then when it is in.  Took Icer with us
that day.  When I went back on Monday to receive the food, what a
supprise!  Due to the help and free advice we gave their customers, and
employees that store location jointly put together a donation that well
one of the store clerks had to drive it in his pick up and break it out
of a pallet of things.  Here s what one store of Pet Co.  Gave us : 36
bags of feline pine littler, 35 lbs of marshall ferret food, one case of
ferrivite, two cases of ferribites chicken flavor, four cat plush beds,
two cat crawler stands which is perfect for the ferrets, two cubed
hammocks, three large hang hammocks, and 12 water b ottles and crock
bowls.  It was because the questions we answered and information we gave
them, they have had more better decisions for them to advise their
customers, and on ones that wated to return but could not they called
us, we rescued them and their customers was taken cared for.  Currently
now that same store, yes their numbers have dropped a little on selling
ferrets, but they are more informative and took our advice that then
made their store better with lesser returns, and complaints dealing with
ferrets.
 
Now back to ICER, We or I should say Myself, dealt with interaction and
trying to get more relaxed bites and not vicious or hard bites from her
while playing, and getting more people interactivity with her.  She is
tiny in size but full of love, Attitude, and interactivity.  It s been
two years now that we have had her, but in that time she no longer bites
vicously, or hard.  She also has become a trained ferret mostly by
observing, but also my constant interaction with her.  But she has an
extreme protection attitude.  Cause with other people she still depending
on approach or action may bite hard.
 
She s a picky ferret when it comes to treats.  There are only two treats
she ever wants one is ferrivite which is the major and preferred one.
But second, well I m embarrassed to say it as I m being cautious and do
not recommend every one to do this.  But this one was by accident and not
expected.  During the evening out time, from time to time I ll have a
vanilla ice cream cone, every time all the ferrets would want to come
and see what it was, all rejected it and did not care for it.  One day
Breyers came out with their extra creamy vanilla ice cream, and I wanted
to try it as it was new, well once again all the ferrets did not want it
except one, ICER!  She loved it and amazingly fought tooth and nail to
get it.  Well, since she was a picky ferret and really no choice of
treats other than ferrivte, I asked our vet.  She was against it as sugar
and insulinoma by far would lead to her.  So, I re-tried again asking
for advisal and not giving too much.  Well she said it still is not
advised but no more than half a teaspoon.  And not everyday.  Well, I
been giving her half a teaspoon every 10 days, she wants it more but
still I spread it out every ten days.
 
Now also during the time we have her so far, she is also a big helper and
trained quite well, besides training myself when it comes to cleaning the
cage.  When her cage is cleaned, well we are getting the poop out she
starts getting the fresh litter that replaces the old.  Yes it is a
lengthily time but we just wanted to see how she likes her litter.
 
Then also the albino likes to place bowls, toys and whatever else in her
cage we put wrong.  For instance we put a water bottle and water bowl
inside all cages, Icer Baby girl preferred the bottle on top level and
bowl on bottom, we only learned this by her trying to move the bowl or
constantly pulling the bowl down the steps to the bottom.  She strangely
likes to rotate the corners of her litter box.  Every cleaning it is
rotated with the three sides it is able to go.  Her soft rattle balls
must always be placed inside the cube hanging hammock.  (She does not
like to be watched when playing with her toys.  Squeak toys are never a
toy or do we want to use around her.  W hy?  Well when the squeak sounds
happens, she ll have a straight serious and stress look.  She also hums
and shakes at the same time.  Then if she is immediately around when the
squeak sound happens watch out she is out for blood!  At bite chomp I
never experienced and she frantically grips and bites as hard as she can
with shaking her head back and forth.  Had a bite that well needed two
band aids.  Why she do this?  Well she is female and well I tried once
just jokingly to squeak the toy she came running, the next squeak sound
she heard was from one of our other ferrets playing with another, well
she went to that play fight and boy went on an attack mode, I quickly had
to separate them calm Icer down and that settled it.  So we use no
squeaky toys cause Icer likes to play mommy ferret and if a squeaky comes
out she thinks it is a distress signal.
 
Every morning I get up about 4 am.  And I get out Icer only not waking
the others as she is awake and awaiting me every morning, we go into the
kitchen, I start my coffee m aker, put out two bowls one for me and one
for icer.  I pour cheerios into the two bowls and a tad of milk in Icers
and then my usual in mine.  We both eat cheerios together every morning.
Up, the gurgling sound of just finish coffee is heard and Icer stops
eating goes to where my equal packets and spoon is and brings them to my
seat as I get my cup of coffee.  Once I put my equal and stir up my cup
I cannot sip it yet why.  Icer loves to raise her chin up and nose and
smell the coffee.  No sips or touching just smelling it.  Then I can take
my first sip.  Then I retrieve the newspaper out side and it s on the
table with Icer and Me, When I read the paper I take the circular or
section I do not read and place it as Icers section to read.  (Read no
she tears, rolls, and plays with it)  Then by this time it s time to wake
mommy and the other ferrets for morning playtime.  So Icer will then when
I open the bottom door go in and wake the ferrets and signal to playtime.
And well daddy does not like to wake mommy because she is not a morning
person so Weasel and Buster are the ones that wake mommy every morning
by licking her face and rubbing their chin on her.  So Icer and I have a
special bond, and she is very smart, as well as makes my morning better
with her wanting to be with me.
 
So if you are at a pet store and your buying a ferret, don t miss or pass
up on every tiny, or biter ferret.  Cause Icer has been a joy and glad we
obtained her, and didn t have to pay for her.  With gaining a good
relationship with one of our Pet stores in our area.
[Posted in FML issue 4331]