Remember a few months ago I told you all about a ferret down the street
which needed rescueing, but the owner's didn't want to give him up.  Monday
around 4:30 the neighbors daughter comes over asking me if I still wanted
Pokey.  I said "yes but had to ask the family who were not home."  I had
talked to a shelter about him back in the summer and they would take him.
This shelter plus other's we do support.  So the family said "this would be
fine and we could have him go to a shelter which could take time since it's
far away."  Within less then an hour the ferret is here, with No Food and
the owner doesn't know what she was feeding him.  He is 5+ years old and
you know how they don't change foods at this point.  They called back and
said "it was a bag they bought at this store which they tore opened and
put in a plastic bag."  Also, they would have to go to the store to get the
name.  (no one ever told me the name of the food) Told them the ferret will
stop eating unless I feed it what it is used to.  Called the store and they
have 5 foods in a bag.  We had two of them here so gave him this.  He only
had one diarrhea, but is doing fine.  He likes the two foods we put in his
cage.  In fact, he ate three times during the night and kept me up.  Only
got maybe 4 hours sleep.  They had a hugh oil can in the cage and boy did
it smell real bad.  He didn't smell very good either, but I already knew
this.  From what the whole family told me (in the summer) he rarely if
ever let out of the cage in 3 1/2 years, never any ear cleaning or nails
trimmed.  His nails were curved over.  The only thing in his cage was
water/food/oil can and one small mouse.  Oh, they had one of the two litter
boxes in there we had given them in the summer.  He is thankfully using the
square box with put in with him for potty.  Unfortunately, he is showing
his bones/ribs.  Since he was not let out of the cage in 3 1/2 years, does
this mean he is skinny because of this or lack of food?  .  He smells alot
better then yesterday.  My son and mom wants to keep him, but not sure this
will be possible.  Him being an only ferret for 5+ years, not being let out
of the cage, probably won't work well with our 5 youngins.  I'm feeling
like a retard (no pun intended).  Not sure how to play with him.  You would
think I would with having five.  I'm trying not to scare him since he
probably has not played in so many years.  He's walking around pretty fast
for an old fella,hehe.  He got out of the bedroom twice now,hehehe.  He
gave me kisses this morning.  We put a few more toys in the bedroom.  He
likes to follow me around so I have been walking around, clapping my hands.
Not sure how these shelter's do this playing thing when they don't even
have a history of the ferret.  I'm still being cautious tho.  So far no
nipping or biting yet.  Today I let two at a time smell him thru the cage.
Because if he stresses out, I rather get it over with quick into the
quarantine period.  Feel confident in the story of his history, otherwise,
I would have waited longer for them to see each other.
 
Not sure how quickly I should introduce since he is older and never been
around other ferret's.  We did let a few walk near him and only had one nip
play with the two.
 
He did slip a few times on the kitchen floor.  This could be because he is
not used to walking with small nails and his back part is skinny.  Hope my
story made sense.
 
He is being spunky which is nice to see.
 
Debbie
[Posted in FML issue 2884]