I really don't want to write this post.  I have a baby boy whom I'll call
Slick (because he's named after a very nice person, and I feel that it would
be slander to call him by that name publicly).  Slick is gorgegous.  He's a
cinnamon sable, approximately 5 months old, and could be the poster ferret
for the CA DF&G, he's so vicious.  He shows great promise of becoming a HUGE
ferret, His feet are bigger than our current biggest boy, Moby, who weighs
about 5 lb.
 
Slick came to live with us because he was living alone in a pet supply store
where I was buying ferret food last fall.  He was very young, so I don't
believe that he had been subjected to any long term abuse.  He was
well-muscled and energetic.  I believe that he is a Path Valley ferret,
although he could well be from Marshall Farms.  He appeared to be sweet, and
affectionate in the store.  However his personality completely changed upon
arriving home.  He became a set of motorized teeth and claws.
 
Naturally, I thought that this was because he was just a very young kit.
Another of our males, Tuggle, had been a handful at first, but after a month
or so, he had settled down, although he had never been aggressive to the
extent that Slick is.  With Tuggle, it was mostly a matter of playful
aggression.  I felt that once Slick became accustomed to his surroundings,
and had been shown love and affection that he would "mellow-out" too.
 
Slick, instead of mellowing-out, appears to be becoming significantly worse.
He is constantly attacking the other ferrets, the cat, or the idiot humans
or absolutely destroying anything he can find.  He now draws blood when he
attacks.  It doesn't appear that he is being playful in the least, he
obviously means business.  His behavior seems to have profoundly influenced
the personalities of the other frits.  Tuggle (1 year old) has reverted to
his old biting ways, Mugsy, our beautiful tiny 2 year old girl, has begun
biting, and Moby, our sweet, bashful, 9 month old giant, finds a hidey hole
(behind my bedroom dresser) and only comes out to poop or to eat, looking
around nervously as he does so.
 
Slick rarely gets to run free for more than an hour at a time.  He's back in
time out right now for making my thumb bleed.  You can almost hear the
communal mustelid (not to mention feline) sighs of relief when Slick gets
quarantined.  Tuggle has also been returned to his own quarters for biting
me on the leg; he has recently started taking those tiny, pinching bites
that sting like the dickens, but at least there's no loss of bodily fluid.
 
I'm beginning to think that Slick is never going to settle down, and that
he's causing considerable harm to the well-being and happiness of the other
3 fuzzies, not to mention 1 long-suffering cat, and 2 humans.  Suggestions,
anyone?
 
Diane Vitro
[Posted in FML issue 1829]