>With all the discussion on how smart our ferrets are, I think it would
>be intresting to bring up the issue of mentally challenged ferrets.
 
My first ferret was retarded.  She caught the flu as a kit and since I was a
new ferret owner with no info at all, she got a fever of *over* 110 (the
vet's thermometer just shut itself off, so it was higher).
 
Her name was Skittles, and she's dead now, but she lived a happy full life
until she succumbed quietly in her sleep at age 7-1/2.  She didn't play with
things like the other ferrets did, but she had one toy she loved.  She
ignored everything else.  Occasionally she'd grab a sock, but everything
else was safe.  She didn't climb onto things (my table was safe in those
days), didn't drag off my purse or shoes (although she dug in them!).  She
never ever ever bit, not even as a baby.  She was utterly safe.  I could
hand her to any small child or adult and not worry about her.  Her muscle
tone wasn't as good as other ferrets, but she didn't get sick any more than
my other ferret did, who was normal.
 
She was a sweet, gentle little ferret who delighted in riding my shoulder
all over the place.  We'd go to science fiction conventions and the worst
she'd do is climb down my shirt (or anyone else's shirt).  She was the
catalyst that brought at least one couple together who eventually married.
She's fallen asleep in hats, laps, bags, arms ... anyone and anything.
She's had her picture taken with C.J.  Cherryh (one of my favorite authors),
and several other authors whose names I can't recall right now.
 
She'd come if you squeaked the "treat squeaker" (My first two were trained
pretty well to come) but didn't seem to know her name.  She didn't give
kisses or eat any treat except Linatone or Ferretone.  She ate her ferret
food and that was it.  I think she'd drink a little iced tea occasionally,
but preferred plain water.
 
She wasn't terribly active and ran out of steam before any of the other
ferrets.  She'd play with her friends and run around just fine just never
got real creative.  She was a sweet, *safe* ferret.  She didn't try to get
out, she didn't eat dangerous things, she didn't bite or otherwise hurt
anyone or anything.  She wasn't real good at going back for the litter box,
but she was a tiny little thing, less than a pound, and I didn't mind
cleaning up her tiny little poops.
 
She was an unremarkable sable MF ferret who stole hearts by her gentleness
rather than her antics.  :)
 
--Barb--
 
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Barbara Carlson                   Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA
[log in to unmask]           Work: (412) 268-1342 Home: (412) 481-5927
 http://www.gsia.cmu.edu/andrew/bcarlson/home.html (under construction)
Thought for the day:
    If "boring women have immaculate homes," I must be very interesting!
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[Posted in FML issue 1869]