Dooks to everyone. I have to sit down and teach all my fuzzies the Christmas carols. Well, as of yesterday, my Crew of Merry Mayhem numbers 8 ferrets no longer. Really was a weird day. Was walking down the hall here in the vet school, look over on the wall, there's a notice "Need home immediately for two female ferrets. Potty trained, will walk on leash." So I call the number. Girl has two females, 2 & 3 years old. She's only had them one week and can't keep where she lives. Before they came to her they were with a student for one semester, then he had to find them a home because of where he lived. Before that they belonged to a friend of his. So, I call Larry, he says go for it, I call her back. She's not sure what color they are "they have a mask", doesn't know if they're Marshall ferrets or what, no vaccination history, etc. So we meet her out at the Pet Hotel she boarded them at over the weekend. She also gave us their 4 story high condo cage (which the rest of the troop took over in nothing flat). So anyway, here comes this huge cage with two little girls in it. One, the three year old, is a silver mitt with a blaze on her head. The other is a sable-this one is a MF ferret-the silver isn't. Both coats are terribly dry and rough. They've always eaten Meow Mix, use clay litter. I was good---none of this was the girl who was giving them to us fault. It was the previous owners. So one the way home I have Alys & Bailey in the carrier and I'm talking to them. They're diggning on themselves, and I noticed Bailey's tail looks like Kits-sort of bare. So, they stay downstairs in the carrier, Larry gets the big cage upstairs and the Crew takes over. Jennifer went up to see ours and of course they looked at her but didn't really approach. After she left I got the Hexadene medicated shampoo & the Resichlor spray and bathed and sprayed the girls. We had them separated for a while, but finally turned all loose to play. Calvin had Alys pinned for a while, but let go. By 11pm I had 4 hammocks hanging in the condo and 10 ferrets passed out in various areas. This morning Alys hadn't eaten anything yet, so called my vet and he told me how to break them into the new food (the others just have always latched onto it). So right now Alys and Bailey are in the smaller cage and the other 8 have taken over the condo. Dr. K said to keep Alys and Bailey separate for about 3 weeks to get them to eat properly, but I figure I'll let them all out to play together in the evenings. Larry called me this morning ready to take Alys to the vet. Said she wasn't walking right, was just laying there. I told him it's probably depression. Think on it-4 homes in the three years of her little life and she never knows when that will change. She was last one up this morning, so I held her, cuddled her, told her no more home changes, where she is now she stays. I figure if she's not acting better tomorrow she'll see Dr. K. I want him to exam her anyway and see if he can tell if she's been spayed. She's my first non-MF. I do have the number of the fellow who had the girls before Jennifer, and as he was a friend of the original owner, so am going to try to find out vaccinations, how the names are spelled (if her name is Alice, I'm spelling it Alys) and if she's been spayed. Hopefully before long they'll be on the chicken gravy and up and bopping with the rest. Sorry this is so long, but had to introduce you to the newest members. Of course the original 8 are like little kids afraid of losing their spot in mom's heart, which I'm being extremely careful in letting them know they're all loved, just as they always have been. Last night Kit showed off by hiding in a box, then when I was coaxing her out, she'd turn sidways, inch out, sneak back in, finally coming out all the way and dropping into my hands as if to say "See, see?" and at the same time having Suzy Derkins climbing up my sweatpants leg almost yelling "Look at me, no, look at me" Ah, the fuzzy children. Gotta love em. Rebecca & the other two human slaves The now stronger Crew of Merry Mayhem of 10 ferrets The 4 cats who want to know what the hell happened! ======================= Rebecca McFarlane Secretary Basic Medical Sciences School Veterinary Medicine Purdue University West Lafayette, IN 47907-1246 Phone: 765-494-8632 Fax: 765-494-0781 "Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup" [Posted in FML issue 2799]