First of all, thanks to all the wonderful suggestions people had for us
regarding Jasper and our recliner couch.  Here's what ended up happening.
As many people feared, he did regain his interest in climbing around
underneath and scratching the foam rubber.  Soooooo 3,000 gallons of pet
repellent, 25 bottles of bitterapple, 200 battles with the squirt gun later,
we now have a futon!  The recliner has been moved (after redoing our whole
apt) to a room inaccessable to Jasper.  The futon seems to be the miracle
solution.  We have to be careful when repositioning it, but thats much
easier than that *&@#&)#&@!!  recliner.
 
The only problem we have found with the futon is since Jasper can't climb in
it, he has taken to flight from it!  The kitchen table is on one side, and
an end table is on the other.  In front is a coffee table.  All three are
frequent stops for "Air-Jasper" flights.  AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!  Any other Royal
Ferret Airforce members out there?!?!
 
We thought all of our problems were solved until...... Jasper suddenly all
but stopped eating and pooping.  I panicked!!  Got him to the vet ASAP to
make a long story short, he has some sort of giardia!  We have no idea how
he could have picked it up while he has been with us.  We suspect he had it
when we got him, but didn't show symptoms till recently.  So now for the
next week (at least) we have to get three and a half cc's of Metronidazole
down his throat twice a day.  The stuff is supposedly almost tasteless, so
he looses interest quickly.  By intermixing a little nutri-cal, we manage,
but it is a real chore.  If that were not enough, he also has a build up of
wax (yeast infection) in his ears, so we also have to get drops of Tresaderm
in each ear once a day.  That is a major ordeal!!!!!
 
Jasper is still as spry as ever, and is starting to eat a little more, so we
think we may be out of the woods.... What a scare!  This is the first ferret
that we have had, so these things really frighten us.  I was so scared the
day I found out about the giardia, I spent the whole night out on the couch
with him.  We knocked off a couple of times, but sleeping with a ferret is
not something I would like to do every night!  I finally settled down, my
wife and vet got a good laugh, but hey, he's my little buddy!
 
Someone a while back was inquiring about travel to or through Montana with
ferrets.  With all the rabies talk, I checked it out with my vet.  He said
Montana generally recognizes rabies vaccinations, but does reserve the right
to sieze the animal and test them in the event of a bite.  He said he can't
remember a single time this has happened in Montana, but did advise caution.
So I guess no problem coming through, just don't let the little fuzbuts bite
anyone.
 
Brett & Missy Lapham
   and Jasper tooooooooo  dook!
[Posted in FML issue 1611]