I live above a warehouse, and in that warehouse, furniture is made.
Unfortunately, that tends to mean that around this time every year, the
person making the furniture has a heap of work to do, and very little time.
Therefore, he sprays varnish on his furniture inside the warehouse 16 - 18
hours in a day.  The varnish smell/fumes are actually worse inside the
house than they are in the warehouse because we're above it.
 
Needless to say, this means the ferrets get moved at this time of year.
Baby and her litter of kits have been moved into the office where I work
(since I work from home) since that room is the least affected by the
varnish.  At eight days of age, they're proper little terrors.  Baby's nest
box has her teeth marks around the openings (the 'roof' opens and closes to
allow for easy access but still some privacy for the mama and kits, and the
'door' is permanently open)  Since the nestbox is made of cardboard (I throw
it away once they're finished with it) the door and top section of the
front wall are riddled with holes.
 
Because she's in my office (next to my desk) I get to see whenever the kits
start 'acting up' as all kits, regardless of age, are prone to doing.  Poor
Baby has her paws full with these guys.  Seven kits, all blindly but
energetically going their own way.  They love to climb by her head, which
considering she often hangs her head out the box, means they fall out of
the box.  Once they're out, they squeak for mama to get them back in <G> If
mama comes out for a drink or some food, she tends to drag half of them to
the door as she goes through it.  Before she gets a chance to even get her
back legs out of the box, there are babies demanding to be placed back in
the box.
 
Despite their eyes being firmly shut, the babies all know exactly where the
'door' is to the box, and unerringly crawl to the opening if their mama is
out.  Or in for that matter.  They just love that door.  As I've been
typing, Baby has pulled babies in that door to their 'nest' at the back of
the box at least six times.  Poor lass has her paws full for sure!!
 
When they're quiet, all is peaceful, Baby gets to have a nap and sometimes
prefers to take it separate from the kits, when they're awake though...
heaven forbid mama ferret wants some time away!  The 24 food station needs
to be made available!!  Baby has taken this in her stride, and is by far
more patient with this litter than she was with her last.  Hopefully these
little fellas turn out as nicely as her last litter.
 
I've taken some photos last night and this morning, but since it's a
weekend, and a small town in a small country... I have to wait until Monday
before I can get the photos back and I can dare to put them on a website.
 
Hugs to the furkids out there.
 
Sam
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To see some awesome ferret cards, drop in on
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~fanmail/cards/ferretcard.htm
[Posted in FML issue 2523]