Hi all,
 
Big ferrets are great!  Not only can you stroke them, but they are solid
enough to pat.  However, I don't much like the jowly look of some of the
big ferrets I've seen...just my personal preference.
 
Now to my questions.  I have two young ferrets, a brother and sister.
Both will be 16wks old on 9/25/99.  The boy (Boris) is big.  He doubled
in weight from 8 to 12 wks (1.1 to 2.2 lbs) and he may have doubled again
by 16wks (BTW, I still await more guesses for Balsac's challenge).  Oh and
he is deaf and just about the biggest lap teddy bear ferret around (can't
figure out where the deafness came from - none of the standard color
markings that go with deafness - neither parent is deaf - and from what I
can tell from the breeder, none of his sibs are deaf).  He is also much
calmer than his sister since he doesn't spook at odd noises.
 
His sister (Natasha) is petite and a hellion (although also sweet and
loving when she feels like it).  I'm guessing that she still weighs in at
less than 2lbs.  Same food (he eats more), same exercise....I tell you
folks, genetics is powerful!
 
Anyway, Boris and Natasha haven't been neutered yet - want to let them grow
up first.  Boris has just exhibited his first hob behavior.  He likes to
grab his sister by the scruff and lay on her.  She resists this and since
she is faster, I don't often have to rescue her.  Last night Boris
discovered that stuffed toys are much more cooperative.  He had the fuzzy
stuffed ferret by the nap of the neck and the rest tucked up under his
body.  He looked absolutely mesmerized.  Isn't this a bit young to be
starting with this behavior?  Heavens, his testis are still pretty small!
Is this just a hormone surge or is this the way he'll be until he gets
fixed?  I don't remeber how it was with my only other unneutered male
(been 16 years ago!).
 
Oh and one more question (although I don't have much hope for an answer but
sympathy would be nice!).  I wake up at 5am to get ready to go to work at
6am.  The ferrets get fed and get to play for awhile between 5am and 6am.
My ferrets are pushing this envelope by waking up at 4am and making loud
barrier banging noises.  Help!  They sleep in the big master bath (off of
our bedrom) at night, have the run of the bathroom and bedroom all day, and
the whole house in the evening when we are home.  I have no place else to
put them at night.  They (mostly Natasha) have figured out that if they
drive me out of bed earlier, they get to run around the house that much
more in the morning.  I usually get up and let them out so as to not make
both my husband and I suffer (he usually gets to sleep in until 6am).  They
have me over a barrel!  What we are trying is my husband is sleeping in the
computer/guest room for a few days.  I am letting them bang at the barrier
without letting them out - hardening my heart and deafening my ears!
Hopefully if the behavior goes unrewarded for long enough, it will
extinguish itself.  I'm also looking for less noisy barrier ideas.
Currently I have an expandable kid gate with the netting replaced by
plexiglass.  It rattles something terrrible.  I guess I should be
grateful that they go to sleep at a reasonable time at night.
 
Oh the trials of juvenile ferrets. Its a good thing they are cute!!!
 
Max
[Posted in FML issue 2806]