okay, I've heard it in rec.pets, and I think a mention here in the FML, but
each time someone mentioned a rodent I just brushed it off.  Just a week or
so after I adopted my new ferret Daphne my housemate spotted a tiny field
mouse.  I'll bet it's from the elementary school right out our back yard
since we're in Colorado and it's been snowing and getting cold.
 
Anyway, what's to do?  I recall ferret droppings, but my housemate seems kind
of against it.  (She's nice enough not to say NO, but hasn't acknowledged it
as a good idea).  In fact, she's strong on poison.  She even went out and
bought some.  Daphne doesn't hang around much in the kitchen or the 1st level,
she and I live in the basement, but I'm wondering if I can't pursuade the
poison-happy person who owns the place to NOT lay the stuff down can I still
let Daph near the kitchen?
 
Please give me advice, I don't know what I can do to rid the mouse, keep the
ferret, and please my housemate.  (she's not too keen about the ferret, but
will stop at nothing to remove the mouse)
 
 
And speaking of cold and snow, I dragged Daphne outside the other day to
"play" in the snow and she just started shivvering and wanted down REAL bad.
I figured maybe she got excited and wanted to play, but she hid under my car
in the driveway for a long time, then when she had the chance she bailed out
towards the house.  If I hadn't dove in the snow to catch her I don't think
I would have ever got her back.  I've only had her a fer weeks and I would
hate myself if I made her run away so soon!
 
What do you guys do to let your pets play in the snow?  Do they really like
it?  Daph was cold and scared the whole time.  I had to bring her in, wrap
her in a warm towel (15secs in the microwave does wonders to a towel) and
try to calm her down.  It seemed like such a natural thing to do when you
all mention it so often, but she's not to happy about it.
 
One thing she DOES like, though, is a remote controlled car I dug up.  It's
a rather large car, almost as long as her, about 3 times as wide, and twice
as tall.  I figured it would be something to make her hyper and excited, maybe
scared of (chase the ferret... :) but when I drove it towards her I got a huge
surprise.  She jumped higher than I had ever seen her jump (even higher than
when I catch her in the trash and she knows from numerous talkings-to that
she's not supposed to be in there) and stared at the car.  The surprising
thing was, she attacked it!  Now it's no fun!  She comes running at it full
speed no matter what direction it's going, grabs it by a tire and starts to
drag it to the nearest hiding spot!  This car is HUGE compared to her!
 
I have never seen her apply such a death grip to anything either.  When I
tried to pick up the car, she came right with it.  I didn't pick her up off
the ground by her teeth, but her front half was a couple of inches off before
I decided she'd rather hurt herself than let go of this new toy.
 
Now all I have to do is set the car down on the ground and, if she spots it,
it will only be a matter of seconds before she pounces on it and drags it
under the couch.
 
 
About the raisin limit (2/day) I guess I should slow down.  I sometimes give
her up to 4, but I skip a day or two also.  She really likes them.  She also
loves banannas, just a chunk, and not peeled.  She'll gobble the whole thing.
I have a blue-fronted amazon parrot too, and he likes banannas too, but he
won't hold them.  Stuck up bird doesn't want to mess up his feet (though he
doesn't mind pasta sauce - the feathered garbage disposal LOVES italian food)
 
 
Anyway, guess I'm done with this post.  Hope everyone had a merry christmas.
 
John
(and Daphne, the hairy hot dog)
 
[Posted in FML issue 0680]