Dear Ferret Folks-

Caff-Pow is apparently very attached to his poo, more so than any other
ferret I have ever met. Mind you, they discard it casually all over
the place, but go to pick it up? This is apparently a violation of
boundaries for many ferrets. Most ferrets that I have had will try and
climb *into* a bag that I discard waste into while I am gathering the
worst of it. Why? I cannot say. But it is important to them. I usually
keep a closed door between me and my ferrets when I do a quick cage
clean, lest we have a struggle over custody of the poo.

Well, I started a cage clean today and Caff-Pow was very interested, so
was Todd. But after a minute, Caff-Pow began to sob, broken-heartedly.
Have you ever heard a kit sob? The sound will rip your heart right out
of your chest. It's sort of like a goose honking. Here is an example.
Apparently, this was the little guy's first day home, and he's sad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5wpGWF816Q

Caff-Pow also cried on his first day here, until we put his personal
from home bedding into the cage he shares with Todd. The sobbing wasn't
as bad as the *last* time I scooped poop, but it was enough to make
*me* tear up. I found myself trying to console Caff-Pow and gather up
his poop and keep him out of the waste bag simultaneously. Todd was
very interested, but he wasn't going to cry over poop. He did groom
Caff-Pow during the height of his honking, I think it was an attempt
at consolation.

Was the honking designed to make me feel like a soul-less axe murderer?
It worked. I left all of the soiled bedding (soiled by fur, not waste)
in place inside the cage for fear of more honking. I will have to find
a time and an opportunity to sneak it out of there and into the clothes
washer.

Alexandra in MA

Todd:"It worked, Buddy. She's a puddle!" 
Caff-Pow:"Honk-Honk-Honk!" (Snicker!) 

[Posted in FML 6348]