>In the beginning I thought this was strange as I was told ferrets don't
>like water, but Ollie says different.
 
Oh, ferrets like water fine, it's just that many don't like to get their
bums wet.
 
They LOVE to drag water dishes backward in linoleum (in the same way that
BFFs have been filmed dragging excess stones from prairie dog burrows
they take over) and find it a great game.  Fish-fish is loved game, too,
when they stick their heads under water and search for something.  Be
sure to watch it through a glass bowl.
 
Water bottles and attachable bowls that lock to the side of the cage are
useful things for water and for food.  We've found them many places, but
the best selection we've found so far has been at
http://www.theferretstore.com .
 
Do remember that the larger the water bottle, the greater the chance of
it leaking.  We learned about that the hard way but the manufacturers
clarified.  Also, they leak more if not fully filled before hanging.
Better quality ones leak the least.
 
It can be hard to find hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and it's early
symptoms and its imaging from x-ray can be confusing.  Ultrasound can be
helpful when that possibility is even considered.  For the one sweetheart
here years ago weight loss without obvious cause was her only symptoms
till it got advanced.  We thought that she might have pancreatic problems
at first but it turned out to entirely be her heart and once she was on
heart meds her body responded properly to food.  What happened was that
the cause wasn't know so we just plain had her entire body ultrasounded
and found it that way.  I since have heard of several others like this.
Unlike the dilated (hyperplastic) form, it sadly is not at all unusual
to not find the hypertrophic form of cardiomyopathy till after death.
[Posted in FML issue 4064]