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Ferret math strikes again

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B. Smith

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Feb 1, 2002, 1:23:16 PM2/1/02
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OK, I've been thinking about adding another ferret to our menagerie. I was
thinking this because I am just not sure how happy Gator is with Sunshine
playing so rough with her. Sunshine *loves* to grab her by the neck and
just *hold* her. Poor baby just lays there waiting for her to let go
sometimes. She's smaller than Sunshine so she's an easy mark. If I
intervene, Sunshine just latches on and refuses to let go.

So I've been thinking that another ferret might help the situation, either
by having a willingness to play with Sunshine the way she wants to play,
thus leaving Gator more free from harrassment, or perhaps a ferret that
would prefer to explore and play gently as Gator prefers to do. I just get
the feeling that even though they do love each other and will cuddle and
snuggle together, playtime is just not a very equal proposition around here.
This has been bothering me for a while. Sometimes they play together just
fine, and lately Gator will occasionally even initiate play, but too often
it's Gator running behind a dresser to hide, and Sunshine right behind her
trying to wrestle her into submission. There has never been any flying poop
or blood, so it isn't that bad, but it's just a feeling I have that Gator
would be happier if Sunshine would just leave her alone more often.
Sunshine isn't an aggressive ferret, she just plays like a normal ferret
does, it's more like Gator is just kind of a wimp. Which is fine with me,
she can be as wimpy as she wants to be.

So I have been looking for ferrets that need homes in my area. There seems
to be needy ferrets everywhere but here. But I didn't want to get another
kit, and I just *knew* that something would turn up for me. It has. I
opened my FML today and lo and behold, a woman not too far from me has *two*
ferrets that need a home.

So I have already emailed her and am awaiting her response. I just need to
hear from someone that has done this. I know about basic introductions, and
I can easily keep them all segregated if necessary and deal with that, but I
want to know if there's anything I might have overlooked about going from
two to four ferrets. I realize it's double the food, double the vet bills,
double the poop and all that. I am fine with that. I'm just worried that
there's something I am missing. I've thought about my travel situation, we
travel about 400 miles (one way) 2 or 3 times a year, usually we stay at a
ferret friendly (or at least tolerant) relative's home while we are gone.
My "travel" cage (a four story super pet starter home) would probably be
fine for the actual trip with 4 ferrets in it, since they all just sleep
anyway, but I would hate to keep four in there while we are at the
relative's house. This seems to be solved already, as the woman is also
giving away a regular cage plus a collapsible cage. The collapsible cage
could go with us and then be set up at our destination (or a regular cage
could be toted in the bed of the truck and then set up, either way, it's no
more hassle than the cage we already bring).

So I would like it if those in the know could kind of go over the pros and
cons and inform me of anything that I might not be thinking about. I wasn't
really thinking about a pair when I decided I wanted another ferret, but if
it's a pair that's in need, then so be it. I just want to be ABSOLUTELY
SURE *before* I commit myself to this that I have all the pertinent
information I need. I can easily deal with my two, but since having two is
so different than having one, I thought that maybe four might be quite
different than having two.

All responses are appreciated by me, my ferrets, and my prospective future
ferrets.


--

B. Smith - who is pretty sure that "four" is the magic number around here,
unless it turns out to be "six", even though I *thought* it was "three".
Where's my #$%!&*$^% calculator????

Remove your hat to reply.


Ruth

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Feb 1, 2002, 5:16:38 PM2/1/02
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Four is a good number. Everybody has someone to play with. You'd be getting
a bonded pair, so you know they like each other. ; ) Just twice as much
poop! Plus after you get used to four, six isn't that big of a step! <g>
Speaking from experience, of course.
Ruth

"B. Smith" <badlilkit...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:a3em8u$djo$1...@iac5.navix.net... >snipped<

B. Smith

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Feb 2, 2002, 2:20:02 PM2/2/02
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"B. Smith" wrote

>
> So I have been looking for ferrets that need homes in my area. There
seems
> to be needy ferrets everywhere but here. But I didn't want to get another
> kit, and I just *knew* that something would turn up for me. It has. I
> opened my FML today and lo and behold, a woman not too far from me has
*two*
> ferrets that need a home.


Well... I am going to pick up my newest babies in three hours! I just got
off the phone with the lady, and I still can't believe it. The new girls
sound gorgeous and sweet, and one of them dooks- something that mine have
never done.

The only catch is that for my two new ferrets, my husband gets a Harley
Davidson. We picked it up yesterday, and he's off on it right now. He's
happy, I'm happy- sounds fair to me!


--

B. Smith- who can't wait to meet the new kids :-)

Russell Prater

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Feb 2, 2002, 2:33:45 PM2/2/02
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"B. Smith" wrote:

> Well... I am going to pick up my newest babies in three hours! I just got
> off the phone with the lady, and I still can't believe it. The new girls
> sound gorgeous and sweet, and one of them dooks- something that mine have
> never done.

Congratulation on the new kids. It's wonderful that you found some in
need of a new home right near you.

--
Russ, Booger, Bonnie & Clyde
russel...@worldnet.att.net

URA Redneck if you video tape fishing shows.

scoiveg

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Feb 2, 2002, 9:03:42 PM2/2/02
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"B. Smith" <badlilkit...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:a3hdvg$bb3$1...@iac5.navix.net...

Congrats on both types of "babies" :)
Having a dooker is wonderful! It might
even spread to your other weasels - like
G.I.R's did :)
- scoiveg

B. Smith

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Feb 2, 2002, 9:48:27 PM2/2/02
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> "B. Smith" wrote

>
> Well... I am going to pick up my newest babies in three hours! I just
got
> off the phone with the lady, and I still can't believe it. The new girls
> sound gorgeous and sweet, and one of them dooks- something that mine have
> never done.


All four are now settled in. The new girls have chosen the bottom of my
cage to snooze in after exploring, wrestling, running around, eating,
drinking, and popping, roughly in that order. Gator and Sunshine are on the
verge of settling in for a nap but they are still kind of excited.

The introduction went perfectly. There wasn't a hiss or a bottlebrushed
tail to be found, they sniffed intimates for a bit and then acted like
they'd known each other forever. The lady sent an amazing array of stuff
with the girls, including a giant condo type cage. Tons of food, treats,
toys, toys, more toys, blankies, etc etc. My truck was full. She cried in
the parking lot, I held back tears myself. It was really hard for her to
give them up and hard for me to take them from someone who loved them, but
in the end, we got it over with. I will be sending pictures and she will be
able to come visit anytime.

As for the new girls now:
Ipo is a dark sable with a big full mask and a dark swipe between her eyes,
a bit of brown on her nose. She's sweet as sugar and cuddly, very tame.
She's quite small, I was surprised to find that both of them are smaller
than my Gator. It made me realize how well Gator has filled out. Ipo has
already shown me that it is very easy to climb straight up the side of a
cage tonight. Her name, I am told, means "sweet" in Hawaiin. She is aptly
named.

Niho is a silver roan with a bib, her paws aren't quite exactly mitted, they
are what I'd call roaned. She is quite an interesting looking girl, from
above, she looks like a sable, but from the front she looks like a silver.
Her mask is barely there. She's also easily handled, not nervous.
According to the lady that gave her to me, she had previously been in an
abusive home, had a dislike of men and a penchant for biting. She showed me
a scar on her arm where Niho had latched on to her at one time. Happily,
Niho has been cured of biting for a long time, and from what I've seen, she
is a very tame girl and has put her nippy past behind her. She is really a
sweetheart too, the lady told me that (and I have heard this before here)
Niho seems to be grateful to be out of the home she was abused in, she think
this is why she is so well behaved now. She didn't have any problem with my
husband, either, so maybe it was a particular man she didn't like.

Anyway, the room is all arranged for them, the ferrets are all snoozing, and
all is peaceful for the moment. Think I'll have a cup of coffee and enjoy.


--

B. Smith :-)

Patricia B Rubin

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Feb 2, 2002, 10:23:29 PM2/2/02
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Wow! You are so lucky! Four happy girls to dance in your house. Hope things
go as well for Gator and Sunshine as you hoped, now that they have new
playmates!

>From: "B. Smith" badlilkit...@hotmail.com


Patricia and the Dookie Dancers

Wobbely

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Feb 2, 2002, 10:50:33 PM2/2/02
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Congrats on the new babies. They sound like real sweethearts. Looking forward
to pics soon.

I ended up taking a little silver female biter from a nearby petstore a week
ago. Shes already made quite a bit of progress, I mean I did get my first kiss
instead of a nip just yesterday. I was so pleased.
She has her own cage and up until today hadn't come in contact with my other
two. But today I set up the guest room for her to have more time out of the
cage and little Riley was at the gate begging so pitifully to see her that I
finally gave in and introduced them. They had a blast. I hope I didn't make the
wrong move by introducing them so early. While they hadn't been allowed to be
in contact with each other they had been in the same room. But when he started
begging.....well I'm a sucker for a fuzzy smile.
Sorry for the long post.
Paula

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Jacquie Rodgers

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Feb 2, 2002, 11:21:04 PM2/2/02
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Awwwwwwww, that's GREAT! So happy for all of you! We're waiting for
pictures!!

jacquie & kylie


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