ICER(BABY GIRL) Icer, our first Albino ferret, and one we received from a pet store as they felt she was UN sellable. Many have posted Bad things about Pet Stores on the FML, Well due to comments made I will Give the Name of this Pet Store it is Pet Co. We complained to the manager the first day we went due to small area s seen in most pet stores. The Manager, did not care what we we re saying and advising him of a few changes we thought was necessary. So my State laws regulations and AFA suggested listing I carry with me at all times on index cards, I started reading and pointing to my areas of complaint, still he acknowledged, but was not convinced so I took him to the book he had for sale in the book section and there too in every book was the same thing. (This was a litter issue, Minor problem but wanted to share my knowledge) So then He said okay, you convinced me, then asked more on my knowledge and I got to inform that we are a rescue/shelter for ferrets and built what today is the top relationship with any of our pet stores we deal with. A couple of months past and when we came in the Manager, seen us, and told us about Icer, that they said she bites hard, is real small and no one seems to want to buy her, so he asked us would we take her. We said sure, he filled our surrender application gave our 35.00 surrender fee, told us come back on Monday I have food I will give you then when it is in. Took Icer with us that day. When I went back on Monday to receive the food, what a supprise! Due to the help and free advice we gave their customers, and employees that store location jointly put together a donation that well one of the store clerks had to drive it in his pick up and break it out of a pallet of things. Here s what one store of Pet Co. Gave us : 36 bags of feline pine littler, 35 lbs of marshall ferret food, one case of ferrivite, two cases of ferribites chicken flavor, four cat plush beds, two cat crawler stands which is perfect for the ferrets, two cubed hammocks, three large hang hammocks, and 12 water b ottles and crock bowls. It was because the questions we answered and information we gave them, they have had more better decisions for them to advise their customers, and on ones that wated to return but could not they called us, we rescued them and their customers was taken cared for. Currently now that same store, yes their numbers have dropped a little on selling ferrets, but they are more informative and took our advice that then made their store better with lesser returns, and complaints dealing with ferrets. Now back to ICER, We or I should say Myself, dealt with interaction and trying to get more relaxed bites and not vicious or hard bites from her while playing, and getting more people interactivity with her. She is tiny in size but full of love, Attitude, and interactivity. It s been two years now that we have had her, but in that time she no longer bites vicously, or hard. She also has become a trained ferret mostly by observing, but also my constant interaction with her. But she has an extreme protection attitude. Cause with other people she still depending on approach or action may bite hard. She s a picky ferret when it comes to treats. There are only two treats she ever wants one is ferrivite which is the major and preferred one. But second, well I m embarrassed to say it as I m being cautious and do not recommend every one to do this. But this one was by accident and not expected. During the evening out time, from time to time I ll have a vanilla ice cream cone, every time all the ferrets would want to come and see what it was, all rejected it and did not care for it. One day Breyers came out with their extra creamy vanilla ice cream, and I wanted to try it as it was new, well once again all the ferrets did not want it except one, ICER! She loved it and amazingly fought tooth and nail to get it. Well, since she was a picky ferret and really no choice of treats other than ferrivte, I asked our vet. She was against it as sugar and insulinoma by far would lead to her. So, I re-tried again asking for advisal and not giving too much. Well she said it still is not advised but no more than half a teaspoon. And not everyday. Well, I been giving her half a teaspoon every 10 days, she wants it more but still I spread it out every ten days. Now also during the time we have her so far, she is also a big helper and trained quite well, besides training myself when it comes to cleaning the cage. When her cage is cleaned, well we are getting the poop out she starts getting the fresh litter that replaces the old. Yes it is a lengthily time but we just wanted to see how she likes her litter. Then also the albino likes to place bowls, toys and whatever else in her cage we put wrong. For instance we put a water bottle and water bowl inside all cages, Icer Baby girl preferred the bottle on top level and bowl on bottom, we only learned this by her trying to move the bowl or constantly pulling the bowl down the steps to the bottom. She strangely likes to rotate the corners of her litter box. Every cleaning it is rotated with the three sides it is able to go. Her soft rattle balls must always be placed inside the cube hanging hammock. (She does not like to be watched when playing with her toys. Squeak toys are never a toy or do we want to use around her. W hy? Well when the squeak sounds happens, she ll have a straight serious and stress look. She also hums and shakes at the same time. Then if she is immediately around when the squeak sound happens watch out she is out for blood! At bite chomp I never experienced and she frantically grips and bites as hard as she can with shaking her head back and forth. Had a bite that well needed two band aids. Why she do this? Well she is female and well I tried once just jokingly to squeak the toy she came running, the next squeak sound she heard was from one of our other ferrets playing with another, well she went to that play fight and boy went on an attack mode, I quickly had to separate them calm Icer down and that settled it. So we use no squeaky toys cause Icer likes to play mommy ferret and if a squeaky comes out she thinks it is a distress signal. Every morning I get up about 4 am. And I get out Icer only not waking the others as she is awake and awaiting me every morning, we go into the kitchen, I start my coffee m aker, put out two bowls one for me and one for icer. I pour cheerios into the two bowls and a tad of milk in Icers and then my usual in mine. We both eat cheerios together every morning. Up, the gurgling sound of just finish coffee is heard and Icer stops eating goes to where my equal packets and spoon is and brings them to my seat as I get my cup of coffee. Once I put my equal and stir up my cup I cannot sip it yet why. Icer loves to raise her chin up and nose and smell the coffee. No sips or touching just smelling it. Then I can take my first sip. Then I retrieve the newspaper out side and it s on the table with Icer and Me, When I read the paper I take the circular or section I do not read and place it as Icers section to read. (Read no she tears, rolls, and plays with it) Then by this time it s time to wake mommy and the other ferrets for morning playtime. So Icer will then when I open the bottom door go in and wake the ferrets and signal to playtime. And well daddy does not like to wake mommy because she is not a morning person so Weasel and Buster are the ones that wake mommy every morning by licking her face and rubbing their chin on her. So Icer and I have a special bond, and she is very smart, as well as makes my morning better with her wanting to be with me. So if you are at a pet store and your buying a ferret, don t miss or pass up on every tiny, or biter ferret. Cause Icer has been a joy and glad we obtained her, and didn t have to pay for her. With gaining a good relationship with one of our Pet stores in our area. [Posted in FML issue 4331]