Hello there.  Am a newbie on the list.  Am hoping someone out there can
give me advice.  I have only one ferret, a male chocolate sable, named
Bandit.  He will be 2 yrs old in June.  He is definately a handful.  Many
times I had wanted to get him a furry friend, but would come home and see
his room a mess, and would quickly change my mind.  I had bought him at 4
or 5 wks old.
 
I had him litter trained for about 2 days.  Now I am satisfied if he goes
in his cage and not on my hardwood floor.  He has his own 3 story cage,
complete with just about every ferret toy that I can find at the pet
stores, a whole army of stuffed animals, and all the bouncy balls
imaginable.  And yet he has managed to take over my room.  All my shelves
(movie stands, entertainment centers, etc) can not have anything on the
bottom shelf.  If there is something there he will knock it off and sit
there as if to say that this is his space.  I am getting used to that.
 
The things that are bothering me are
1) why does he scratch on the bottom of my doors, and on the sides of my
wooden shelves?  It is the most annoying sound ever.  I pick him up and
tell him no and put him in his cage for time out, but he doesn't take the
hint that that is wrong.
 
2) do ferrets have a hidden sense that tells them when you are about to
drift off to sleep?  This is when Bandit climbs his way up on my bed,
creeps his way under my covers, and attacks my unsuspecting feet, jolting
me awake, causing me to jerk my legs, which then spurs him on as if saying
"Oh, play time!!  Start scratching her legs!!"  After about the third time
of grabbing and dropping him over the edge of the bed (pillows are lined
up all around my bed, in case he falls, or is tossed off of the bed, so
he doesn't hurt himself) he finally gets the hint and go to bed himself.
 
3) I have read that ferrets are supposed to be clean animals, if so then I
must have the oddest one of all.  I have 5 litter boxes in his cage in
hopes he would remember to go in the box instead of next to it.  (The only
time he goes in the litter box is when I put him in there myself).  He has
2 food dishes, 1 outside of his cage, the other on the 1st floor of his
cage.  Both are on blankets of his so he would have something soft to sit
on.  Every now and then, when he is especially upset w/me (probably for
scolding him) he goes into his cage and poops on his blanket next to his
food dish.  What is up w/that?
 
4) why do ferrets dig in there food?  I learned to put only a dab of dry
food in his dish (less is wasted then) and whenever I do this, he goes
over and digs in the bowl, spilling most of it on the floor, then goes on
eating what is left in the dish.
 
I don't know if it is b/c I have an abnormal ferret or if he just likes to
be his own self, but there are days when I feel like pulling out my hair.
Then he gets in one of his moods and rolls over on his back, with his front
paws curved, looking at me as if to say, "I'm sorry, mom, I love you." Then
my heart melts and I can't resist to gathering him up and trying to hug his
squeeming body.
 
Sorry I rambled on, but if anyone has any advice for me please e-mail me at
[log in to unmask]  Bandid and I would greatly appreciate it.
 
Bandit Boo and his sleep deprived mom, Teri
[Posted in FML issue 3351]