Dervish took a fall today.  We have a landing upstairs that overlooks the
living room, so it's up one floor.  I had it all blocked off and
ferret-proofed, but she managed to wiggle through somehow.  So she fell
from one floor up, onto a carpeted floor.
 
She landed on her feet, and stood there for a second, then crawled under
the sofa.  She seemed to be favoring her back legs.  I tried to call her
out, but she wouldn't come.  She finally responded a few minutes later when
I thumped an empty soda bottle (she can't resist them ... they're stashed
under every sofa and bed in the house).  To my amazement, she did her
begging trick (standing on her hind legs), then started jumping and dooking
around.  For the next 45 minutes, she was playful and completely happy.
And being her normal acrobatic self: jumping from chair to chair, chasing
the cat, the whole nine yards.  (After that, she fell asleep under the
dresser.)
 
I called the vet, who gave me a series of things to do to check for injury.
All her bones are fine, all her ribs are fine, her feet are fine, and she
doesn't show any pained response no matter where you touch her.  The vet
said to keep an eye on her and bring her in if there's any trouble at all,
but judging from her energy and antics, there probably was no damage done.
She isn't even limping or favoring her back legs or anything.  It's more
than 12 hours later now, and there's no sign of any damage.  Her poopies
are normal, no blood or tarriness or anything.  (In fact, since I sat down
to type this she's presented the corner with a fresh sample.  Yuck.)  She's
eating like normal, and hasn't been sleeping any more than usual.  The only
difference I can tell is that she's a bit friskier today than usual.
 
I'm completely amazed.  She's a little animal (about a pound), and the drop
was from a few feet higher than the average ceiling.  (Of course, I'm also
amazed she was able to get through the barricade I put up.) When it
happened, I was positive she'd have broken a bone, or worse.
 
Has anyone else experienced something like this?  I'm betting Skeeter at
the Rainbow Bridge had someone's fuzzy assigned to watch over my little
tummybear today.  (Thanks, Skeeter.)
 
As for me, I've got a bit of a limp these days.  When Dervish is loose, one
of the things she loves to do is play in the bathtub.  She loves to pull
the drain-cover out of the tub and scoot it around.  You know what that is:
the little round thing with prongs.
 
Anyway, I was totally beat from studying (it's finals time) last Tuesday
night.  I got home from a study group and decided to take a shower.  I
turned on the water and stepped in, half-asleep.  You better believe I woke
up fast when a terrible sharp pain shot up my foot.
 
You guessed it.  I stepped on the shower drain cover, PRONG SIDE UP, which
had *somehow* flipped over and migrated to the middle of the bathtub.  Two
of the prongs bent, the others all went right into my foot.  Yeeeee-ouch!
I sustained no real damage, just some pain and a temporary limp.
 
Of course, Dervish denies any involvement.
 
-(TX) Meghan and Dervish the WonderFerret ("Next time, I'll remember the
 bungee cord.")
 
p.s.  A big thank you to whoever suggested clear tape to protect the
carpet!  It works like a dream with my incorrigible digger!!
[Posted in FML issue 2678]