Well, I finally found a playmate for Amelia at a price I can afford (free,
plus some money for his cage)!  He has a pretty sad story, but I hope he
will enjoy a happy life with us, once Amelia stops terrorizing him...  I
got him from a friend of a friend, who got him from her vet after her first
ferret died of back injuries.  He was at the vet because his first owner
dropped him off for shots, gave a dummy address and phone number, and never
came back.  Apparantly she was scared of him, and he almost never left his
cage for the first year or so of his life.  The woman who gave him to me
loves him very much, but her roommate is terrified of him (can you guess my
questions yet), and their Siamese was getting increasingly rough with him.
SO, we brought him home on SUnday, renamed him Cully (short for CuChulainn,
but I occasionally accidently call him Scully too!), and let the games
begin.
 
    Here's the first problem.  He really likes people; he'll follow me
around the apartment if Amelia is sleeping, he gives kisses, he can be a
very gentle ferret.  But the boy has a bite on him like a steel trap!  I
suppose he was never socialized out of it, so he bites like a young kit but
with the strength of an adult male.  You can tell when he's about to bite
hard because his paw grip on your hand or foot suddenly tightens (he's got
monster paws), and chomp, often drawing little blood spots.  I am leery of
putting Bitter Apple directly on my hands, because I don't want him to be
discouraged from licking.  So, my question, finally, has to do with the Qtip
method I have heard people mentioning here.  Do the Q tips have to be
freshly wet to work, or can you soak them in advance?  And I suppose
training sessions would be necessary, as opposed to just catching him in the
act, to really get the point across to him.  Any advice fervently
appreciated!
 
    Problem number two: he is deathly scared of Amelia, despite being
bigger, stronger, and three years to her one.  Ever see squirrels chasing
each other around in the srping?  That's these two.  Using Linatone or
Bitter Apple to affect their feelings for one another won't work, because
Cully will not stay still long enough to get bit, and he's just a little bit
faster than Amelia.  We've been keeping Cully in the bedroom with us at
night, or in his cage when we're out, but already somebody did get hurt.
Amelia cornered Cully in a cat carrier, and he bit her good and hard on the
foot.  She also somehow wound up with a nosebleed and a general disoriented
appearance.  We went to the vet; her foot wounds are not too deep, so we're
going with a surface disinfectant rather than a course of antibiotics.  Both
ferrets were really upset aftre the fight, but it was so hard for me to
comfort Cully, even tho it was really not his fault; Amelia's been asking
for it.  Things were a bit better last night; they were awake in the same
room together for a while.  Cully won't come within a foot of Amelia, but at
least she didn't chase him (to be honest tho, probably only because her foot
hurt).  I don't think I'm actually asking a question here; it seems like we
just have to wait all this out.  But Cully is so much stronger that I am
afraid that if he ever really fought back Amelia would be seriously injured.
Sigh.  Any words of encouragement, especially from those with dominant
female ferrets who haven't been murdered by subordinate males, would also be
really appreciated.
 
xxx Sorry this is so long, but hey, you could have guessed from the subject
heading, right?  I am so thrilled about the news from my home state Mass--
Amelia and Cully can't come home with me for Christmas, but Spring Break,
they'll be there!  Mom's greyhound should be quaking in her winter coat
already!  Also, congrats on the surgery Bob, and welcome back Meg, loved
your story!
 
Regina (come on guys, can't you just be friends?  You're so much alike)
Amelia (let me at him, I may be smaller but I am boss ferret here!) and
Cully (AIEEEEEEEE!)
[Posted in FML issue 1380]