Hey Guys!
 
I've been meaning to post about this for a little while but just havent
had the chance.
 
If it were my choice, all five of my guys would run willy nilly thru my
apartment all the day and night long.  They have so much fun when they
are out.
 
Of course, it's not my choice.  My Dante, my big mushy baby albino male,
is also my only climber.  If there's any way to climb something, Dante
will climb to the very tipitty top.  He is the only one who can get up
high for some reason.  The others (thank god) have not followed suit.
He'd taught them how to open the kitchen cabinets (wonder how I am going
to explain the magnetic childproof locks to my landlord LOL) but not how
to climb.  I can't believe the places this guy has found to climb to.
 
Well, one lazy Saturday afternoon I was all curled up on my couch under my
blanket watching Dirty Dancing on DVD (child of the 80's here) for about
the millionth time, and my guys were all out (my general rule of thumb has
always been that if I am home, they are out).  I dozed off about halfway
thru the movie and all of a sudden I heard one of my guys screaming their
bloody head off.  Oh, my god, it was the worst noise I ever heard....the
noise that a couple of them make when they are hung up in something they
can't get out of.  I woke up with my heart in my chest and I couldn't find
where the noise was coming from.  I ran from one end of my apartment to
the other.  No ferret making noises.
 
I go to one end of my living room where the cage is.  I had hand built a
cage this summer; my intention was to make a cage that looked like a piece
of furniture.  It does and it's still functional.  However, Dante can
climb right to the top of this; no matter how I try to ferret proof the
outside, I can't do a thing about it.  Well, apparently Dante had climed
up when I was snoozing, and there he was, hanging by a paw in the hinge of
the door.  He'd slipped or something on the way down and by chance his paw
had caught.
 
He was still screaming when I found him.  I have the hinges for the door
on the outside and somehow there was just enough space for him to get his
paw caught.  I couldn't get him loose.  I was sitting there bawling my
eyes out and trying not to freak Dante out anymore than he already was,
but it wasn't working very good.  He finally shook himself loose and there
was blood EVERYWHERE.  There, in the hinge of the door, were two claws.
Not attached to Dante.  In the hinge.  I had to take Dante with me, in my
coat pocket (no small feat but he was dazed enough so it worked) to my
local CVS for a stypic pencil and some hydrogen peroxide.  I thought I
had some in the apartment but didn't.  I bought some and got the bleeding
to stop in the car .  Boy oh boy, was that ever scary.  I've never seen so
much blood.  I had it from one end of my jeans to the other.  Has anyone
ever trimmed their ferrets nails and gone a bit too far and it bleeds
forever because of it?  That's what it was like then.
 
So, needless to say, I still let them out when I am home.  But I make sure
I am awake and aware of things.  If i feel like I am going to be sleepy,
into the cage they go.  Dante is really still the only one I have to worry
about.  Man, did that ever scare me.  He's fine, by the way, I watched his
claws that got pulled out and he limped for a little while but is back to
his trouble making self.  He he he, he is so damned cute though...I can
never stay mad at him for long.
 
So that's why I don't let mine free roam all the time.  The others would
be ok if I did.  No problem.  But Dante needs a careful eye sometimes.
 
Second, I just wanted to throw in my two cents' worth on the litter
product issue.  As you guys know, I have five ferrets; four boys and one
little itty bitty Cinnamon girl with ruby eyes who is just georgous...and
gives the boys a run for their money!  LOL.
 
I tried everything.  It seems no matter what I use, with five furkids
there will be some odor.  Not as much as other times, of course, but
still some odor.  I have always used Yesterday's News for ferrets (they
have some for cats and the ferret brand seems like it's made a bit
differently).  When all the talk came out about Wood Stove Pellets, I
thought, jeez, for five bucks a bag I'll give it a shot.  I think if I
didn't have five guys who seem to be poop machines (LOL, not really, but
you get the idea) the wood stove pellets would be wonderful.  However,
for my guys they seem to disintigrate into sawdust after they use their
litterbox, and that makes it difficult to scoop out their poop.  I just
clean the whole box now, rather than take out a scoop at a time.  The
Yesterday's News seems to control odor a whole lot better and is easier to
clean up.  It's a little more expensive but still a pretty decent product.
But, I realize just because it works for me doesn't mean it will work for
everyone else.  I just wanted to throw my opinion out there.
 
Anyway, I better get going....I've been trying to sleep and am so excited
between Thanksgiving and moving downstairs I couldn't so I figured I'd
finally get a chance to write in.  Thanks for letting me babble guys  :)
 
Sue
Dante - Ma! Froot Loops! Now!
Toby - Can't hang Mom, too much to do and too much to check out!
Paul - I'm OLD?  I'm DEAF?  I'm BLIND TOO?  I don't believe it...and I'm
       gonna kick Dante and Toby's butt to prove it!
Templeton - I was almost named Fatty Boombalaty I'm so fat! (4.25 pounds)
and Widdle Girl - I Pinned Ya and Now I'm gonna drag ya by the ear!
[Posted in FML issue 3609]