I introduced my SO to the nine ferret babies at the pet store Tuesday
afternoon.  Being no fool, I had coached them to all act their cutest, and
they cooperated.  With a vengence.  SO was coaxed into the store and sat
down in front of the cage (I only had to pat the floor twice).
 
Me: (pointing at the fat little fert I'd had my eye on for days) "Isn't
that the cutest little guy?"
Ferrets: (All crowding around the crate door, dooking and pouncing and
acting their most adorable): "Let us out, we love you!! Ohboyohboyohboy,
humans to play with us!!"
SO: "Uh, are you sure you should open that door?"
Me; "Hey, *no problem*, I'll just get this little guy out and ..."
(sneakily opening the ground floor door, thereby spilling nine hyper, happy
ferret babies, bouncing and dooking and kissing and nibbling, right into
SO's lap).
SO: "Oh geez, oh geez, they're all out, oh geez, well .. uh ..." (rest of
comment lost in orgy of kissing and cuddling).
Me: "Oh my, darn, they all got out. Whatever shall we do?"
 
Upshot of the event: SO fell in love.  After being trampled by the ferts
(and it's a pitiful sight to see a grown man brought nearly to tears by
rampaging baby ferret love) he agreed that when our two old guys leave for
the Rainbow Bridge we should perhaps-maybe adopt a baby ferret.  Which
means, heh, heh, <GGGGG> that I need to find a wad of cash and nothing else
better to do with it than bring home a baby ferret.  Or two ("remember," I
said, as we stuffed the last of the little fuzz-butts back into their crate,
"an only ferret is a *lonely* ferret.") So, hey, a new family is on the
horizon!
 
In other news,
<Steve Mcgrane asked "Are we all afraid of spanking?"
 
You bet I am!  One of my greatest regrets in life is having spanked my own
kids -- they're adults and I can see the results -- now they spank their
kids, and I hate it, as the kids feel so overpowered and vulnerable
(something I never saw when I was the mom).  Using violence to settle a
problem teaches that *power over* is the solution to everything.  Hence,
Bosnia and other similar confrontations.
 
I understand we can't verbally reason with ferrets (but can we with little
kids, either?).  Still, a gentle tap on the nose followed by NO!  and/or
quiet time should be sufficient ferret discipline.  If not, try finding out
what the underlying cause of the bad behavior is, and perhaps modify the
company, the furniture, the litter box or the situation.
 
<Pete Brown said: BTW, I picked up Ferretone, because I thought that would
have about the same effect/results, but they couldn't care less about it.
 
Same thing with my skinny little white guy.  My portly lady ferret (who
doesn't need a food supplement at all) loves it dearly.  But in a separate
dish, please, and not on her fur or food.
 
Rainey (the human that's always in trouble)
Stormin (the ferret-assaulted SO): Oh gawd, they're so cute.
Scooter (the elderly lady ferret): I have a few things to teach those
whippersnappers! Bring 'em on!!
Shredni (the middle-aged male ferret): Kids? Oh, gross!!
Cairbre (the grumpy male kitty): Please. Not more ferts. I'll leave, I
swear I will.
Angel (stuffy old lady kitty): More manners lessons to teach? How *could*
you do that to me?
[Posted in FML issue 1641]