Hi, all.
 
As some of you may recall, I'm a graduate student in university housing
that disallows pets, so my three fuzzies have to stay behind with my mother
when I'm at school.  Well, I've been back at school for almost two weeks
now (still trying to catch up with all the FML's as well as trying to get
my apartment in some type of order) and my daughter and I noticed that
several people in the apartments were breaking the no-pets rule.  My
daughter talked to a neighbor in our building, and she said that the
manager is actually pretty cool about pets, just as long as they're quiet
and kept out of sight if the university handyman is around.  Sooooooo...
 
Yes, we acquired a new ferret, an albino boy we've named Fezzik, after the
character Andre the Giant played in The Princess Bride.  We'll be taking
him home when we leave for Christmas break, introduce him to Zorro,
Claudia, and Loki, and bring them all back with us when we return.  So now,
I'd like to ask some advice from those of you who live in California, as
well as those who, like us, are keeping ferrets in apartments where they're
officially not allowed.  My main concern is keeping the smell down.
Although I freely admit to being one of those people who loves to bury my
nose in ferret fur and inhale deeply, I know that some people don't like
the smell as much as I do, and that a ferrety scent coming from our
apartment could be a dead giveaway.  I've already told my daughter that
we're going to have to keep Fezzik's cage scrupulously clean...no skipping
a day of litter scooping because her friends want to go somewhere, and the
bedding has to be washed on a regular basis.
 
I recall seeing on the FML that some foods cause their poop to smell worse
than others.  Could someone recommend some good non-smelly foods?  And what
about potpourri scents?  Are they effective in covering the scent?  And are
some more effective than others?  Can any of you who also have contraband
ferrets think of anything I might need to know?  Any help would be greatly
appreciated.
 
Dooks,
Lisa
Mom of Zorro, Claudia, Loki, and now Fezzik
[Posted in FML issue 2415]