>Any ideas?  Any in-depth understandings of ferret psychology? ... Any
>good suggestions on how to boost Noodle's mood?
 
You know, this is interesting.  I thought I was nuts at the time, but when I
brought Bumper home, Cal (my calico-colored, plum-eyed fiend) was literally
astonished.  He took one look at him and climbed into my lap!  Now, Cal at
this time was only around 9 months old himself, and certainly not into
cuddling for longer than 30 seconds at a time.  He *stayed* in my arms,
watching Bumper (who was 7 months old) walk around on the floor for a LONG
time.  Like 10 minutes or so.  The look on his face was astonished
disbelief.  Like he couldn't *believe* I would betray him by bringing in a
new baby!  HE was the baby, HE was the fair-haired child.  Finally, he
jumped down off my lap and purposefully strode over to Bumper and bit his
ears viciously.  He continued to abuse the poor thing on and off for
*months*.  I had to keep Bumper in a separate cage for 2 months.  He still
(about 5 months later) will attack Bumper and viciously abuse the poor
thing's ears occasionally.  Oddly enough, all the things I've tried (giving
Cal more attention, scruffing, twacking, scolding, putting Bitter Apple on
Bumper's ears) don't do much.  Letting it go didn't do much either.  All
that's worked has been pinching Cal's ear (which I have a hard time doing,
since I feel awful doing it) or literally biting Cal's scruff and shaking
him!  O_O *I* didn't come up with that last one, my stepson did, but he
stopped biting Bumper's ears immediately and didn't do it again for DAYS.
Go figure.  Ferrets is weally weird.
 
--Barb--
-=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=-
Barbara Carlson                   Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA
[log in to unmask]                                      (412) 481-5927
 http://www.gsia.cmu.edu/andrew/bcarlson/home.html (under construction)
Thought for the day:
    If "boring women have immaculate homes," I must be very interesting!
-=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=-
[Posted in FML issue 1717]