It's amazing just how smart these ferrets are.  All of the work our
parents do, our teachers, our employers.to try to train us to be
responsible adults.  Yet none of them can train us as well as our
ferrets!
 
Think I'm kidding?  Think about all you do for them every day.  How they
can just glance at you and you are at their beck-n-call.  Whether it's
treats, loves, playtime, food, soup..  It doesn't matter.  they train us
to handle it all.  And I might add.  that they do it so well that we
actually ENJOY it!  How can that be?  How can we love being trained by
our ferrets?  It just doesn't make sense.  but then again.  ferrets don't
normally make sense.
 
Sometimes we think we train them..  But really we don't.  Here's and
example.  We have this game chair in the living room.  We put it between
two cages when we are not using it.  Well the ferrets decided that it was
a perfect place to go potty behind.  So, we put a little bed back there.
oh now they love it for sleeping in.  We think we trained them right?
Sounds logical right?  Well in a sense we have.  BUT.  of course theirs a
BUT.  now.  since they all love sleeping back there we have to move the
chair each time to put them to bed.  AND now we see that they cannot all
be comfortable sleeping there on that small bed.  so off to the store we
run to buy a bigger bed to put back there to make sure they all can fit
and they all are happy..  So you see.  they just turned it around and
trained us!  Smart kids aren't they?
 
In my room my bed sits pretty high.  Has drawers underneath.  Because of
this they can't get on my bed.  Which was fine when we had Maggie cause
she liked to bite my feet (just mine!).  Well now with 4 free roam
ferrets in the bedrooms things have changed.  (Maggie passed away) Baby
is able to get up to my bed anyways, and the worry of her falling made me
have to change some things.  So.  one piece of board - staple shag carpet
onto it - bolt it to the end of my bed as a ramp.  now they have access
to my bed.  So.  last night.  our sick boy Harley decided to sleep with
me.  It's been awhile since a ferret has slept with me at night (Abby was
the last).  He stayed for awhile until his sister Sandy came up to visit
and then it was all play time!  So.  3 am and I've got ferrets bouncing
on my bed.  of course.  I had to join in~
 
We've learned to accept that you can't stand near the cabinet unless you
plan on giving treats out.  We've learned that if you sit on the futon
couch and eat something that you must share, or at least allow them the
opportunity to smell what you are eating.  We've learned that our dining
room chairs must be moved away from the table or they can get up there.
We've learned that the water bowl in their cage must be changed daily,
not because it gets dirty or they drink it all, but because they have
found it to be a great indoor swimming pool.  We've even learned that
after soup they like to rub their faces on our clothing that we are
wearing.  it is their way of saying THANK YOU.
 
The best thing I've learned about ferrets is that I can't live without
them..  I don't mind being trained by each and everyone of them.
 
Joanne Ruffner
Ferret Corner Shelter
www.geocities.com/ferretcorneraz
[Posted in FML issue 4896]