Before I get into today's chapter, I would like to make a request.  Does
anyone out there know or could provide me with an easy way to administer
Prednisone?  I have tried putting it in food, whipped creme, karo syrup, and
by itself.  Gis does not care for Ferretone.  He puts up a battle every time
I have to give it to him.  The easiest method that I have found so far is to
mix it with soft food in a feeding syringe, but I am afraid that it is not
being fully absorbed.
 
Thank you for any and all suggestions.
Margaret A
 
The Dynamic Trio--1990-1992
 
Precious lived up to his name almost from day one.  He followed me from one
end of the house to the other.  If he wasn't laying across my feet, he was
usually curled up in my lap, or scratching on my leg to be picked up.  Early
in 1990, Precious began to wheeze, walk a short distance and lay flat
against the floor.  He visited the vet.  X-rays were taken and an
electrocardiogram run.  We discovered through the x-rays that he had an
enlarged heart.  This was confirmed when the results of the EKG came in.
For several months, he had to be in a room in which a warm humidifier was
running.  He was placed on medication for fluid retention and for his heart.
He eventually reached the point where he had to be forced fed.  He fought
hard and was a sweetie until he went on.  I was devastated.
 
In May, I visited one of the local pet stores in order to purchase birthday
gifts for the babies.  They had a group of kits in a wire display cage.
Being kits, they were excited to see someone walk by their cage.  I began
to play with them and as I started to walk away, one followed me as far as
the cage would allow.  I turned to go to the toys--he turned and again
followed as far as he could .  I decided that I would walk completely
around the cage and watch to see what he would do.  Again, he repeated my
actions.  I placed my hand into the cage and he immediately stood up and
wrapped his arms around my wrist so that he could be picked up.  I put him
back into the cage, walked to opposite end of the cage and again placed my
hand into the cage.  He ran to where I was at and pushed his litter mates
out of the way to get to my  hand.  Buddy had a new home.
 
Yogi and the twins did not care for the new addition.  This was the first
time that I had encountered any type of antagonism between ferrets.
 
A young woman called later that summer because she had heard that I had
ferrets and inquired about the possibility of using one of my males for stud
service.  I told her that Buddy was the only unaltered male that I owned and
I wasn't sure if he was old enough.  She said she would be willing to allow
me to keep her jill for a week to see if they would mate.  They tried really
hard but no kits were conceived.  Later in the year, she contacted me again
and asked if I would be willing to take possession of the little female.
Her husband did not like the way the ferret smelled.  Mean-ness became a
member of our household.
 
Mean-ness did not seem to be such a great name for such a pretty little
girl, she was renamed Princess.  Princess was a live wire.  She was not
accustomed to having so much freedom.  She was also a biter.  She loved to
sneak up behind people and either chomp on the back their heels or back of
their calf.  As with Rascal, we held her alot, gave her alot of attention
and care and was very patient.  All the care and attention paid off, she
finally quit biting and learned to cuddle.  She also learned how to get her
humans to pick her up really quickly, all she had to do was to place a light
nip on the top of her pet's foot.
 
Buddy and Princess became pals and united against the others.  Competition
continued between these two groups.  Buddy & Princess would steal the toys
of Yogi, Widget and Bookem.  Yogi and the twins would return the favor.
 
In late spring of 1992, I purchased a seven week old kit from a local
back-yard hobby breeder.  Gismo was the most vocal of all the kits and this
was the primary reason I wanted him.  He was so small that he would fit into
the palm of my hand.  He was taken to his new home and introduced to the
rest of the family.  Yogi and the girls were not impressed.  Yogi bit the
new baby on the nose through Gismo's cage and I had to take Gis to the vet
for treatment.  Buddy and Princess adopted the youngster and the Dynamic
Trio evolved.
 
The Dynamic Trio and Yogi and Company continued to harass each other.  Gismo
became a permanent resident of our bedroom due to the aggression that Yogi
displayed toward him.  It became necessary to schedule shifts for out-time
in order that each group be allowed out with us humans for play and
attention.
 
Tomorrow, the new kids arrive on  the scene.
 
Margaret, Coco, Merlin, Rusty, Fancy, Princess, Gismo, Harley and Scooter
        (and Scott:  "I know that I left my sneakers by the bed!"
[Posted in FML issue 1703]