Hello all - The Millennium babies are a week and a half old.  I would like
to thank all who sent notes of congratulations, etc. about them - if I
have not responded to you yet, I will in the next day or so.  As far as I
know, these are the only Millennium kits as I have no report of any others.
 
Some wrote asking me if I had marked the baby straddling the last century
and the new one, and I did so.  But Lady Lark was offended and licked her
little one clean.  Before the mark was totally gone, I tried to mark again.
Lady Lark was offended and tried to remove my hand from my wrist.  I did
not try again.  But the whole litter was born going from one century to
another.  Some asked that I keep posting on the kits' progress, so here
begins a journal.
 
When I posted to the FML, I reported that we had 10.  Unfortunately, the
last one born was lost a few hours later.  He was born stained with
meconium (fetal fecal matter) which indicates stress.  It was a very fast
birth and perhaps he took first breaths before birth.  While I mourned the
loss of this perfect little boy, I was grateful for the 9 loud peepers who
battled their way to the "milk bar."
 
Newborn ferret kits are so very fragile appearing that I never cease to
marvel at their tenacity for survival.  They come into the world at about
the size of your pinkie finger and they look something like it too!  Born
a dusky pinkish-red with eyes a slit sealed shut and ears a small whirl
sealed as well; the babies have a nose to smell, a voice to yell, and an
ability to crawl.  Their first cries are little "eeeeeeee's" or like little
"peeps" and they start to crawl and search for a nipple.  How do they know
to do this?  - such a miracle.  They are born with a strong urge and
ability to suck.  They cry and crawl and seek, searching until they
accidentally latch on to - Eureka!  - a nipple!
 
I was awake all night after Lark's babies were born as I fretted over the
constant crying as the babies jockeyed with each other for one of her 5
nipples (plus a vestigial nipple now in service).  But each time I peeked,
Lark had things well in paws as she lay on her side with babies collected
between her front and back legs.  By New Year's Day morning, the babies
were starting to pink up nicely.  But the crying continued as the kits kept
up the scramble - nursing and being knocked off by a sibling in quest.
 
When a jill has more kits than she has nipples, she will usually rotate her
babies, giving all an adequate chance to nurse.  How they know to do this
is another one of nature's little miracles.  By the end of New Year's Day,
Lark would trade off holding the largest babies between her front paws.  By
the third day, the efficient little suckers and crawlers were placed behind
her since they had figured out how to scramble out from her front paws.
Because of this rotation, crying was fairly constant.  Not knowing who was
crying, I nevertheless began to recognize the cries of various kits.  Each
voice is different and each litter always has one kit that I dub "Old
Yeller" because he/she has a voice that will sometimes alarm the other
ferrets, not to mention break nearby glass!
 
During the first days, the kits all put up a loud cry when mama left the
nest for brief periods for necessary things such as the litter box and
stretching out a bit, By the fourth day or so, I note the babies were quiet
when mama goes out to "hunt."  However, when she returns, the babies sound
like a bunch of crickets and cicadas in chorus with each other.  Such a
cry.  Mama has been gone so long - minutes seem like hours, I am sure.
 
This is such a rapid growth period that each morning I can visibly see the
babies are larger then the night before.  Lark does not like me to touch
her babies, but she also likes clean bedding, and as I give her the "power"
drink from a large infant medicine dropper that she loves so much - she
pretends she does not notice my hand coming in behind her to pick her up
and make a fast nest change.  I do this once or twice a day - she lets me
know if she wants clean bedding at other times by tossing the cover over
the side.  Although I cannot weigh these babies because I like having my
fingers, I can tell they are thriving.
 
I also "sneak" a baby out here and there when I am giving Mom her drink to
make a quick check.  Now, I have got to tell you that nothing except a
human baby smells as wonderful as a ferret kit.  They are so soft and sweet
it is intoxicating.  Mama is totally infatuated, and if a drop from her
drink falls on a baby she will immediately clean the baby forgetting I am
there.  I give her a little tap and she turns to me with a dreamy look in
her eyes.  The other ferrets, especially the jills, love the smell too and
when I am changing nests someone or two or three are in the nest, rubbing
themselves or rolling over in the baby fragrant bedding.  (To be continued
tomorrow - cheers, Meg)
[Posted in FML issue 2926]