My Grape Events seem to happen late at night.  For example, you might
remember the story of Robert and the Dishwasher (when he got his urethra
or penile sheath hooked on one of the spokes of the dishwasher as I was
emptying out the clean dishes.  Poor Robert, though no actual harm was
done.)
 
Well that seems long long ago when I had only my first two ferrets and
was just getting the hang of ferret proofing, but it was only about 15
months ago.
 
Very late one night a couple of months ago, as "one last thing" before
going to bed, I decided to clip my 7 ferts' 140 claws.  Oh, hubris -- I
did it in their play area while we were all in there together.
 
My technique is to put a fert belly-side up, tail toward me, on my lap,
put the Ferretone nipple to his/her mouth, and then draw the bottle down,
dribbling onto their chest and belly.  If all goes well, the fert lick
lick licks through the entire clipping, which starts with the back feet
and finishes with the front paws.  I'm kind of stingy with the Ferretone
most other times -- I want it to be a very special treat when I really
need ferret cooperation.
 
Well, that night was pretty chaotic.  Why didn't I foresee it?  Who
knows.  Let's say sleep deprivation.
 
I started with Artie (The Enormous Ferret).  As soon as the Ferretone
was out, the six others came running.  <Clip clip clip, little nail
fragments flying and falling>.  Ferts climbed each of my legs <clip
clip>, were on my knees and lap <clip clip>, others came up behind me
<clip> and went up my back <clip clip>.  A couple got onto my head
<clip> for a moment <clip> slide <clip>, and plenty on my shoulders
<clllllliiiiP..  There were ferrets climbing along my arms <clip clip
clip> and starting onto my hands <clip>, heading for the clippers.  Uh
oh.  <clip clip>
 
Oddly enough there was not much climbing onto Artie, though lots of
tongues joined his licking his chest and belly.
 
By the third fert's time, there was Tone everywhere.  For example, my
fingers, the fert paws, and the clippers were covered with it, making
the clipping tricky.  And little tongues everywhere.  Ooooo, CAUTION!
But we finished up with no disasters or even mishaps.
 
Too much fun.  But since then, I do one fert at a time, with all the
others in their cage.
[Posted in FML issue 5250]