Well, Ferret Math has struck at my home. I now have five of the little
fur-weasels and I am loving it.
Here is the story of how the two new ones came to be here with me------
There was a pet store that opened here about three months ago. We
haven't had a "pet store" in town in the 25+ years that I have lived
here, so naturally I had to go by. She had two ferrets, a girl and a boy
I was told, in a small cage marked $300.00. I asked about them and was
told that a friend of hers had ask her to sell them as she had just
gotten married and found out that she was pregnant. ( I have a slight
problem with someone letting go of one baby, because of another baby on
the way. But that's another time). I looked at them and thought that
they looked healthy and happy and would probably be snapped up in no
time. Besides, I already had three and they were my limit,or so I
thought.
Skip ahead almost two months....
I had gone into the store several times and looked at the ferrets. They
always came to the side of the cage and poked their noses through and I
would pet them as best I could through the wire. They slowly stole my
heart, but I was on a tight budget and so I left them. I talked to a
friend that has ferrets and told her about them. She goes to the pet
store and says that she will take the ferrets, but that she has no need
for the cage. She is told that the sale will be all or nothing!! That
the cage is taking up space and that if she doesn't take the cage, she
can't have the ferrets!! My friend lets her temper get the better of
her and leaves the store without the ferrets.
I go by about two weeks after my friend has gone by and there are the two
ferrets. Now they are pushed off into a corner, they seem to have lost
some weight and who knows when was the last time they were let out for
play time. Their hammie is in need of washing and the litter box needs
to be cleaned. I get the attention of the owner and try to talk to her
about them. She has come down on the price as much as she is willing.
She would love to "get rid of them", because "they stink" and "they look
like giant rats". Well needless to say that does it for me. I get
together with my daughters and the ferrets are now mine.
When I went to get them, the girl opened the cage and took out their food
bowl, their water bottle, and the litter pan. I thought she was removing
them so that there wouldn't be a mess when we started to load them into
my Jeep. Oh no....."those don't go with them". Well alrighty then.
As I am leaving the store, the owner takes what was their food bowl and
pours the remaining food into a small pen with puppies in it. She has
been feeding them dog food for the last three months!!!! No wonder they
seem so small. When I get them home I realize they are both girls. They
both have nipping issues and they are both under weight.Other than that
they are wonderful. They are eating and enjoying their new freedom.
I kept them quarantined for a week before I let them in with my other
ferrets and even then I waited a day and a half before I opened the cage
and let them loose. The only problem now seems to be with Jill, the
female I already had. She is very aggressive with both of them but I
believe it is just her establishing her dominance. They are both very
lovey and like to give kisses, but they will nip every now and then too.
The darker of the two has brought blood on me twice now, but she will get
better with time I am sure. They other one is very withdrawn and stays
in the tubes most of the time.
I will let the list know when they tell me what their names should be and
in the mean time I will enjoy the new additions. My husband asked if I
was through getting ferrets now? My answer, "Sure.....Until the next one
finds me!!!!"
Suzanne with Veesie, Jack, Jill and the two that as yet are un-named.
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving
safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in
broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming:
WOW....What a ride!!!
[Posted in FML issue 4687]
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