Condolences to those wtih lost, sick, or angeled Jingle Bell Run
participants...
 
(I've got the cat's Jingle Ball--run!  [He's got the cat's Jingle Ball!
Get him!!!])
 
I don't have any squeaky toys, per se...well, OK, I do, but they are the
self-propelled kind, in the exact shape of a ferret.  Uh...OK...so they
*are* ferrets!  I have several ferrets that, when played with, squeak
quite loudly.  This, however, does NOT seem to precipitate any particular
reaction by any other ferret in my bunch.
 
My squeakest ferret seems to be Add-A-Kiss.  She uses the squeak as a
weapon when Spazzy and Dancer start teasing her.  I'm not certain of
this, but I *think* I've even seen that squeak of hers move objects a
short distance!
 
Jessica also has one heck of a squeak to her, when she wants to keep
another ferret from getting too close.  She never uses it against Ghost
any more, as he is just too huge to be a threat to her.  However, when
she used to play with Taz, she would scamper by him and give him a squeak
that stopped him in his tracks!
 
In the "kids" play group (second shift), both Chewy (who is about 4 now)
and Sundance (who is about a year--or will be soon) will squeak when
playing.  I can tell by the volume of the squeak if they are having a
problem or not.  However, unless they are really getting a thrashing
(which never really happens), I don't interfere--I just watch to be
sure everyone is following the rules (no double head locks, now hammer
throws, etc.).
 
I also noticed that, when one of the ferts grabs a jingle ball, *all* of
the ferrets that are out playing--even the sleeping ones!--will chase
after them.  Since the offending ferret usually is tossing their head
back and forth, trying to see who is in pursuit, this makes the bell
inside the ball jingle even more, which gets everyone that much more
excited.  Once the offender is caught, it isn't *them* that gets the
attention...its the ball!  In that case, they don't attack the ball,
either.  Rather, they just try to swipe it from whomever has it, so
they can run with it themselves...must be foot ball season! :)
 
Todd and the Fuzzbutt Rodeo Clowns!
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[Posted in FML issue 4379]