Hello again folks.  It's time for Auntie Anastasia to put forth a new
question for discussion.  The shampoo one didn't fly so well.  Hopefully
this one will go over better.  Let me begin with a simple definition first.
 
scritch- 1.  verb, to scratch another person or a pet for the purpose of
giving pleasure.  ie: I picked up my ferret and scritched his ears.  2.
noun, the pleasurable scratching itself.  ie: My ferret hopped into my lap
and asked for a scritch.  {This is entirely made up.  I did not get this
from a dictionary.  Scritch is the word that my circle of people have
always used.  I don't even know if the word is real!}
 
With that out of the way, I put forth the question ' Where do your ferrets
like to be scritched?'.
 
I have found that those of my ferrets that will actually sit still for
cuddling like to be scritched between their shoulder blades.  They arch
their backs and stand on their tip-toes and push up against my fingers.
Demetri is so appreciative that he's occasionally fallen over from trying
to push up as hard as he can.  His front feet actually leave the ground and
he ends up losing his balance.  Java lays on his side and presses against
the cage or my leg or whatever to get harder scritches.  I love the way
their little faces melt in bliss, their eyes close and their toes splay.
 
I've also found that none of my ferrets like to be scritched under the chin
like a cat or dog might.  Trying to scritch the chin might actually get you
nibbled on in my house.
 
Conversely, scritching the tummy is a cause of great hilarity.  Sam
especially is very very ticklish and will huff and chuff and squirm like
mad when tickled on his ribs.
 
So tell us, folks, where do you scritch?
 
Anastasia Kidd
Plainfield, New Jersey, USA
home email: [log in to unmask]
 
PS: Thanks to the person who pointed out the website talking about
'designer ferrets' and color inheritance and gene mapping.  I've been
wondering about that myself and am highly curious if anyone of the folks
here who breed has been keeping good records of the colors of the ferrets
they breed and the colors of the resulting kits.  Are the colors in a
litter always a surprise every time?  Is advertising one's ability to breed
someone's dream ferret simply hubris on the breeder's part?  Would any
breeders care to comment?  Note: I'm going to cover my butt here and say
that I am not out to hurt breeders by asking this.  I am merely a very
curious, biology oriented person.  I know how some folks can be sensitive
so I want to let them know right off that I am not being spiteful or
hateful or mean.  Thanks.
[Posted in FML issue 2968]