Hey everyone!  As some of you already know, I am a ferret breeder, and thus
have had my share raising them & training them.  I've been a breeder for
over ten years, and have seen many critters come and go, but never have I
seen so loyal and intelligent a ferret as my Tawn whom I have had the
opportunity to 'take care of'.
 
Tawnya arrived at a ferret shelter about an hour's drive away from my home
last November.  The shelter ops had received her from Animal Control and
after getting her spayed she was up for sale.  About three weeks later, I
stopped by because I had been told they had a Dew ferret (a rare coat; I
had never produced a Dew before) and went there to purchase it.  The Dew
was a massive neutered male I decided not to buy because he seemed a bit
nervous.  However, the silver blaze ferret they called Tawnya was a frisky
kit out of her cage for the afternoon.  She was sweet and playful, and
although I could not use her for breeding I bought her anyway.
 
I christened the blaze ferret Tawnya Lylah Mercury, keeping her first name.
Tawn was a fairly bright cutie who took to the litter pan easily.  I gave
her the run of the house and as she was a very social animal, she quickly
bonded with the other 'pet' ferrets.  When I am travelling around on
errands I take a few kits with me so they can become adapted to cars and
foreign territory.  As strangers often stop me to talk, the kits are able
to interact with humans and thus become more people-oriented.  I took
Tawnya with me on occasion, and when I found that she behaved she became
a regular hitchhiker in my purse/shoulder bag or on my shoulder.
 
In December, I discovered some mysterious lumps on Tawnya's belly and
scheduled her an appointment for the veterinarian's office to find out what
they were.  My vet was uncertain as well, so she took some blood samples
and said she would have the results within a week.  The next week, the vet
concluded that it was a reaction to Tawnya's distemper vaccinations and
might be nothing but I would be wise to have the lumps surgically removed.
I remembered that I had put Tawnya on FerVac (company name for ferret
vaccine) as oppose to the usual Galaxy (rival company name for ferret
vaccine).  I have heard of many ferrets having reactions to FerVac that
often result in a painful and slow death.  I cursed myself for my stupidity
and forgetfulness.
 
I arranged for Tawn to have the lumps removed the following Wednesday.  I
was paranoid, sure she would not last until then, but Tawn didn't seem to
know.  The lumps were just there; they did not affect her personality or
spunky, mischievous nature in the least.  If they were hurting her she
didn't let anyone know.  On Sunday, I went to look at her again, and
surprisingly, the lumps had decreased in size.  A few had disappeared
(there had been about five-six).  My spirits began to rise.
 
Wednesday rolled around.  The vet took a peek at Tawn; I suggested that
perhaps they were going away on their own and surgery was unnecessary.  She
agreed, and Tawn went home with me immediately.  After several more days,
the lumps had vanished altogether.  To this day I am still unsure of what
they were, and the vet who had been tending to her also thought it was
bizarre.  I don't know if they really were hurting her and Tawn simply
chose not to show it; it would indeed be very typical ferret behaviour.
 
I was so ecstatic that she had survived I began to pay more attention to
her, and came to recognize how very smart and willing she actually was.
Tawnya mastered the art of rolling over and sitting up in a couple of days,
and she learned to respond to her name and come when called.  Even outdoors
she would prance to my feet when I commanded her to.  She delighted in
showing off her tricks to guests.
 
She grew chubby and developed a full winter coat; her health obviously
improving with the best ferret diet available.  She loved to sit on my lap
and fall asleep, or curl up with one of the other ferrets.
 
In March, I began training her to the leash out of the house.  Earlier, it
had been too cold and snowy, but now I thought she would be okay.  Tawn
and I had been practicing in the house, but I was uncertain if she would be
willing to walk along the sidewalks with me.  It was a struggle at first,
she had curious nature and was prone to stopping and looking around, or
just dropping to her belly and watching something evidently more
interesting than her training.  But I told myself that practice would
make perfect, and did not give up.
 
It paid off, and Tawnya became so familiar with one particular route that
she could run along beside me naked of all harnesses and leashes (although
I always kept the harness on to hear the little bell attached ringing).
 
I trained her to run to the house on her own from a distance of about two
hundred meters (and direction).  It made my heart soar to see her paws
peddling as fast as she could make them go and to hear the bell ringing in
the distance.  Friends and family were astounded and impressed that a
ferret could pull this 'trick' off, but were dubious as to how it could
possess and value.
 
They found out just how very crucial it was for her survival one day in
June, when I had brought Tawnya along in a visit with the neighbors.  Their
child was handling Tawn, and apparently she did not enjoy being dumped in a
doll carriage and dashed away.  I was frantic and after hours of searching
for her, returned home tired and deprived of hope.  Runaway ferrets rarely
even last a week before they are dead; they are entirely domestic
creatures, having lost most of their instincts long ago.
 
Yet again, I had given up on her too soon: whom should I find but Tawnya
contentedly sitting on the porch with my Border Collie.  I was overjoyed
to find her there and praised myself for teaching her that trick.
 
So there she is: Tawnya, one of the most intelligent, loyal and friendly
animals I have had the opportunity to meet!  To this day she resides in
my home, pet and companion, not to mention sock-thief!
 
Cass, Tawn, and *all* the rest. LOL!
[Posted in FML issue 2739]