Dooks, evry'body!
 
Well, he's home.  Beautiful badger face, white boots (not socks, boots),
white belly, coat is dark reddish brown, tail is dark half way with the
other half white.  And he's huge!  He makes Socks, who's almost 4, look
like a baby.  Adorable, but I'm so angry.
 
This is the first from a pet store for us--Socks came to us from a private
owner, and the other babies came from the feed/pet store (ok,
technicality-pet store), but they weren't there long.  However, Mookie has
been at Pass Pets since before Christmas.  Kept in one of the large glass
"tanks", and of course there's nothing for them to climb on.  This baby is
so big, and had no room to run, he has no muscle tone whatsoever in his
hindquarters!  He could hardly stand and walk last night.  He has no
concept of hammocks, ferret sleep houses, climbing ladders, anything!  He
can wardance-I swear that has to be a natural born instinct.
 
Of course, last night, all the others just had to meet him, so they were
all together from the get-go.  No fights, they all meshed right off the
bat.  When they were up for the night, Mookie just couldn't believe his
freedom.  He kept eating and drinking, and when he finally went to sleep,
he had curled up in the tiny litter pan I keep beside the big one to stop
them from pooping in that area.
 
This morning everybody was raring to go except Mookie, he was passed out.
I petted and talked to him, and he was up and going.  Walking better today.
Calvin was wrestling with him, and I had to crack up.  Here's little
Calvin, oh, close to 9-10 weeks old, all over this big 4mo.  ferret, just
harrassing and wrestling with him like a bandit!  Pretty soon Mookie was
into it to, and wrestling just as hard.  Larry said give him a week and
he'll be a blur of fur with the rest of the group.
 
I guess I'm one of the uneducated that doesn't realize how the muscle tone
doesn't develop, even though they have that big 'tank' they're in.  Is
there anyway to educate these people.
 
Also-problem.  Scully, our gentle baby, has taken to attacking our daughter.
She comes from nowhere and strikes, and she draws blood.  Our niece was
sitting on the floor last week, Suzy was playing in Heather's hair, and the
girl was laughing, and wham!  Scully came from under the bed, attacked her
ankle.  She tore Heather's hose and drew blood, backed off and took the
other ankle!  Scully hasn't done this to Larry or me.  Sara is so scared of
her she asks that I either be there or put Scully up before she goes to see
the babies.
 
I have a theory that at one time Sara would squeak like a mouse, which
drove Scully mad.  She'd attack anybody nearby.  When she's attacked Sara
and Heather, they've been laughing rather high pitched-or giggling.  Could
it be a trigger on her?
 
Thanks!
 
Rebecca
 
=======================
Rebecca McFarlane
Secretary
Basic Medical Sciences
School Veterinary Medicine
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN  47907-1246
Phone:   765-494-8632
Fax:     765-494-0781
"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste
good with ketchup"
[Posted in FML issue 2585]