Hello Everyone.  I have been lurking for the past two weeks and have got
some marvelous information and appreciated having this list so much.
Thanks to you all.
 
My name is Victoria.  I am an animal lover and have a house full.  I have
four cats (indoor), two ferral cats that we have built shelters for and
feed but I have only been able to get near one of them.  My bunnies, Hannah
and Josie, Two adorable G.  Pigs, Hootie and Freddie, A raccoon who I call
Precious and a family of skunks who live under our deck.
 
Two weeks ago I went to the feed store to get hay and saw an adorable
little white ferret in a dirty cage.  The girl told me that she was blind
and a runt and if I would take her they would give her to me for cost!!!!
I took "her" because I wanted to get her to a safer place.  I bought her a
four story Condo, food, toys, and we came home.  She is named Pasha.  We
recently found out that "she" is a "he" but he is still named Pasha and we
don't think she is blind at all.  Today I went and got Pasha a friend.  She
is a tiny adorable Bandit-Looking fuzz butt.  Very sweet but somewhat
nippy.  (BTW, they are both Marshal Ferrets and they don't have a bad
disposition at all.  They are both very loveable and sweet).  We have not
decided on a name yet.
 
We are not able to let our fuzzies have the run of the house.  Betweeen
other animals and a house full of antiques it would not be safe for the
little fuzz butts.  I have two cats that might hurt them.  And my Ginea
Pigs live in an open cage.  The Ferrets have a big cage and I have been
playing with them twice a day in a locked bedroom where they can run and
play.  I also put them in the bathroom for playtime.  I liked one ladies
idea on the 50 pounds of rice in a sterilite container so I bought the
stuff and Pasha especially loves the rice.  I hide raisins in it and she
really roots arounds and plays.  Do you think my ferrets will have happy
lives under the circumstances?  I have thought and thought about how I
could let them run loose and it just isn't possible.
 
I get in the floor and rough house with them in mock combat.  They bite and
kick and attack my hands.  They are both gentle and if they bite too hard I
just say "No" firmly.  Is this an acceptable practice?  It is something we
love to do.  My husband joins us and we get all wore out and so do the
babies.  They generally go right to sleep when we put them back in the
cage.  When we put them in their cage I always give them treats so they
don't think the cage is a punishing place to be.  I filled the "basement"
of their cage with leaves and they love to scoot thru them.  I also cut a
doorway in a hat box and filled that with leaves and papers and placed in
on the 2nd floor.  They also have other toys in their cage.
 
They are pooping everywhere.  I keep putting them in their litter box but
so far they just seem to go whereever.  This is fine in the bathroom play
area and I don't mind cleaning their cage everyday but I am concerned about
the carpet in our bedroom.  Does anyone have a good idea for litterbox
training?  I am trying to be consistant about putting them in the litterbox
but it is usually too late.
 
Well thanks for reading all this.  Any and all advice will be much
appreciated.  Being a new fuzz butt Mom is exciting and I love them
already!!!!!!!!  Victoria
[Posted in FML issue 2468]