Firstly, our sympathies to those who've lost a friend (by whatever means...
it is still a loss!)....I'm sure there are some we've not personally
emailed....and it is but an oversight, not a slight by any means!
 
It did get us to thinking about 'ferretproofing' tho, as today we've been
moving (from 1 side of the room to the other) a King sized 4 poster
waterbed (also known as an ALL DAY AFFAIR!).  This bed has had a 'dead
space' at the top end of it.  This space is just PERFECT for ferrets, and
almost inaccessable to humans (hence the perfectness for ferrets!) We had
taken to making the bedroom 'off limits' because we worried that the
ferrets would get into some kind of trouble.....(No, could it be??)....in
that inaccessable space, and we would be helpless to retrieve them!  We had
one episode with them (the ferrets.....the Yakimaniacs to be specific) all
in that 'dead space' with their stash of toothpicks/empty bottles/squeak
toys...(and, yes, we know what are and are not appropriate toys....just
tell that to the ferrets!!!) and us lying in bed reading, when suddenly
comes the most horrible banging/scratching sound you can imagine!!!!  First
thought is, a ferret is having a seizure!  Second thought is, what are we
going to do/how are we going to reach them????
 
Luckily, it turned out to be one of the 'Maniacs' crawling up the headboard
with her back pressed to the wall... Well, we got to thinking about
ferretproofing the bed on it's move!  Now, if we (Ok.......me...) were
handy with tools, this might not be such an affair, but I chose a field
that did not encourage tool use, so application of saw and hammer (ouch!)
are 'big deals'.
 
We got some lumber, and got it cut to size to occlude the head of the
waterbed (from the floor anyway......)
 
We then realized that those decorative cutouts in the headboard would be
pretty darn interesting.....if we were a ferret......and with the floor
blocked, would be absolutely inaccessable (if a ferret were to fall
thru)..........so (now we disassemble bed), and get more lumber to nail to
the back of headboard...thereby occluding the cutouts!
 
It is now 4pm, and we are 10 hours into this bed thing.......and it's still
filling.......
 
We still have the (over the headboard leap) we suppose one of them could
make.....but none of them ever have before, (or shown an inclination to)
and since we cannot think of a way to occlude that, we will just have to
watch them!!
 
We did settle on names for the 2 new ones......
The albino female is now Lily
The black sable male is now Joker
 
All are well, with the exception of the dominate male, our silver mitt
Tavi...... when out of the cage, he is like a homing torpedo.....
single-minded purpose is to thrash Joker....then Lily!  We've finally taken
to rubbing the 2 new ones with bitter apple to reduce the attacks.....but
Tavi isn't deterred for long!  This is the hardest introduction we've had!
9 days, and no resolution yet!  Joker has 'punctures' Tavi isn't kidding!
 
Now that it's cooler, we've been taking them out for evening
walks/drags....emphasis on the latter!
 
Ol' Joker took off running (I had to jog to keep up!) on the way back last
nite (a complete reversal of the trip out!)........and made a correct turn
into the driveway, and a beeline to the front door!  It was something to
see!
 
We'll stop now...........(thank you, thank you)
 
Debra & Richard & 10 Yakimaniacs
Riki Tiki Tavi Chuckles Pansy Clover Rose Jester Joker and Lily
[Posted in FML issue 2440]