ONE CAN WONDER

All is quiet on the ferret front. My foster girl, Misty, seems to have stepped in and made herself right at home. She has become George's friend and my special little buddy. She seems to have adopted us, if that makes any sense. I never expected it...it just has happened that way. She's so happy romping with the boys (she's a tomboy ferret), and hates having to stay in the foster room.

It seems natural that we become her forever home, but I don't know what Dana will say. I called and left a message telling her I want to talk to her about Misty. We shall see what she says.

Dave is loving the fact that he is getting Duck Soup two times a day now, with his prednisone. He thinks he's died and gone to heaven! George manages to sneak in a few licks from Dave's bowl, too.

Well, that's all going on at the moment. Until next time....
Dooks and Dances!

STOLEN: ANOTHER PIECE OF MY HEART

Misty, one of my fosters, has made herself right at home and is hanging out with the Friskies. Notably, Ziggy (the business' Chief Bodyguard) is beginning to accept her in without too much puff tail and hiss. Besides, I think Zigs has met his match with Misty. She gets right back in his face, no problem.

Yesterday evening there was quite a chase-and-pounce scene, with Misty running with a Walmart sack and Rocky and Milo chasing after her. Made me laugh out loud. Later, I found Misty curled up in the Sock Nest with George.

It's almost as if she knows we lost Snow and is stepping in to comfort us. What a beauty. Sometimes a sideways glance will fool me and I will call her "Snow"...

She still has her moments where she will bite, but it isn't as hard and I honestly think it's out of orneriness and play.

A couple of evenings ago I learned why you don't put your hand in during a squabble between two ferts. I got the bageezus bit out of my hand. No one meant to do it - it was my bad for being so careless. I got lots of kisses afterwards and learned a lesson.

BOYS vs. GIRLS

Sunny asked me if I notice a difference between the personalities of my boy ferrets and girls ferrets. Definitely! The boys are either "down to business" or just plain silly. They tend to prank one another by stealing and hiding each other's toys or pouncing a sleeping victim, waking him up and then running away. They like to romp and rough-house...their play is all boy.

The girls (for the most part) are more mellow and chill. They are quite assertive and tend to get their way. They play more gently and their games are not the rough and tumble fare that the boys like.

Of course, the similarities tend to outweigh the differences. Some love to be held and doted over. Others are always squirming the get down and look for an adventure. Some enjoy sleeping the day away in a favorite snuggle spot. Others take short naps and come out to investigate regularly. I have a girl who digs her food something awful and a boy who (loves it) digs his water. A couple of my boys are organized and neat-niks (a place for every toy and every toy in it's place, thankyouverymuch) and I have some really messy girls.

So, now that I think about it, perhaps it really isn't a difference in gender, but just a personality thing. I love that everyone of my fuzzkids is different.

In health news:

Snow is doing so well -- the medicine for his heart seems to be working great. He bounces and weasle dances all over the place and has a good appetite. This makes me so happy. He and Ziggy are learning to tolerate one another...the squirmishes between them occur less frequently, thank goodness.

I took Baby (foster girl) in to see Dr. Dori last week because she seemed a bit depressed, had some diarrhea and wasn't eating good. She was given Tylan for a GI infection and it was also discovered that she had an abcess around one of her grooming teeth. She ended up having two teeth and the abcess removed and she is doing much better. Poor Baby Girl.

Smokey is struggling with a mast cell tumor on his head. I get it almost cleared up and he goes and scratches it and makes it bleed. Ugh. He has also been threatened with a vet visit if he doesn't leave it alone! Either that, or an Elizabethian collar! (I may have to make one out of a plastic cup! LOL!) He's also shedding something terrific. Not sure what that is about, unless his little body rhythm is off. Hmm. Note to self: A check up may be in order for Smokey Bear....

My little adrenal foster, Angel (I call her Thumballenia), is just doing great. She is so mellow and gets along with everyone. Besides her fish (that is her fish, now. If she is ever adopted, the fish has to go with her), she will dig down into the shredded paper box and nap. One almost can't find her in there!

Everyone else is doing great. No more slick escapes or major dramas (this is a good thing). Now mommy jsut needs to get some sleep...but that's a whole different blog.

DESIRES VS. PRIORITES

OK. Sometimes I just get lost in my desires and lose sight of priorities. Like I desire to make sure little homeless ferrets get a forever home (a loving one) --- so I tend to have a soft spot in my heart for those who are less "adoptable" for whatever reason. I love the cute baby ferrets with all the bounce and spunk. So does everyone else, so adopting those guys out will never be a problem.

But something about those challenging ones: like Misty, who were are trying to teach not to bite, but just does. Getting a kiss from her is golden! Or, little Angel, who is so tiny and has lost the hair on her tail due to adrenal. She has no idea she is little and can outplay the best of em. And she loves, loves the fish. It's just her size. Can't find Angel? Look in the fish. Too sweet.

So, the thing I want to do is be on the list of potential adopters for Misty. And I want little Angel to get her surgery, and my desire is to help with that. Money is tight, so I have to prioritize. Right now, Misty is with me...they all are. Remind myself to be in the moment. Priority is to get some funds going for Angel. The rescue needs $350 for her surgery.

So, I decided to get my creative energies going. We've made this awesome calendar, which will be going to print very soon and we will sell to benefit Forever Home Wanted Ferret Rescue. Also, I have created these great photo greeting cards (blank inside) which I'm going to sell on ETSY and Facebook. Perhaps my own website eventually. Proceeds will go to funding my foster fuzzies and help provide the healthcare and supplies they need until they find their forever homes.

So two great projects that I am very excited about. As soon as I can get pics up of the calendar and the cards, I will. I've been working diligently on these. Seen too much of the world at 2 AM in the glow of a computer screen. But oh so worth it!!!

THERE AND BACK AGAIN

We adopted out two of my fosters, Vestia and Oreo, this past Saturday. They both went together to the same home, so that was really cool. And I brought home three more! These are a bonded triplicate: Smokey, Baby and Angel. They are all very sweet and mellow. (pics soon!)I think little Misty might be confused about where her girlfriends went, but I think she remembers the new three from the rescue. So it's good.

I ended up making two cages into one big one for the Three (I have this thing about spoiling them). And I moved Misty up to a top level from a bottom one, because she loves to dig her food and the top is easier to clean!

Today was long...Snow got his distemper shot (scarey) and them I took George, Rocky and Milo to a library program for kids with HAFA. Snow did fine with his shot and the library program was really fun. Cute kids and cute fuzzy animals just go together!

Kudos to my friends Jimi and Gail (left photo). They work so hard at these library programs. They pour their hearts into them! Very cool!

ADOPTION DAY!

It looks like we may be adopting out one of my foster fuzzies today. Of course, I have mixed emotions, right? Sad, because I love them so much and happy to see them get that forever home they deserve. It's a challenge being a foster mom to these babies.

It's a hard thing to let them go...but it's the right thing. I do get attached. And it is so cool how each individual ferret has it's own unique personality. I quickly learn what they like, what they don't like. Each of them has a unique noise they make, so I know who's talking even if I'm not in the same room.

Anyway, we will see who is chosen today. And perhaps there is another little ferret Dana would like me to foster. There's the silver lining!

IT'S A FERRET'S LIFE

All is quiet on the (south) western front. My days are packed with ferret play, ferret cleaning, ferret feeding, ferret squabbles, ferrets-being-adorable, ferret medicating, ferret calendar-making, ferret bedding sewing and washing........It's definitely become my life! And I'm having a great time!

I've made some very cool friends and I am learning so much. And I love being involved. A week from Monday, we are going to a local library to do a presentation about ferrets and I'm really looking forward to it. Usually I can't attend these library functions because they are during the day on the weekdays, so I am working. Luckily, Monday is my day off, so I can finally go!

Snow is becoming more and more social and his little personality is starting to peek through. Last night he decided he would stay under the bed and not come out for his Duck Soup and meds. Just like a two-year-old! I had to bribe him with the bowl of soup to get him out from under there.

He and Ziggy, unfortunately, are probably never going to be friends. It's a shame, but what do you do? I've come to accept the fact that, yes, there will be an occasional squabble between these two and I just do my best to diffuse the situation (meaning, Ziggy usually goes in ten-minute time outs). The time-outs are effective, by the way. Ziggy is smart enough to understand that he needs to behave and he does! So in that way, I'm proud of him. I'm trying to give him a few extra lovies, just to let him know he doesn't need to worry about anything. And, yes, Snow gets those extra lovies, too!

All the other furrkids are great. Milo, my little pet store rescue, who was way underweight and had coccidia when I brought him home is now a whopping 3.08 lbs.! Dave comes in second at 2 lbs - somethin' -- can't remember exactly.

Anyway, that's it....

SNOW WONDER

Snow went back to the vet yesterday to be rechecked - he's been on his medicines for about a week now. It was great news! He went down from a Stage 5 (Stage 6 is the worst) heart murmur to a Stage 2-3. So the meds seem to be working and he is being a bit more bouncy these past few days. A huge relief!

I also had Dave E. Bear and Snow's glucoses checked. They both read 71, which is in a gray area. Dr. Dori said we will watch it and to recheck in 6 weeks. Dave shows no symptoms of insulinoma. Snow is teeth grinding and itchy. And his breath is foul ! OMG.

I decided to keep Snow in his own "apartment" and let George share with him. Ziggy is much better around Snow, but every now and then still gets a wild hair and decides to go after him. I don't want Snow to be stressed out and unhappy, so keeping him in his own cage is the best solution. I'm putting George in with Snow because they seem to have bonded and I want Snow to have a BFFF (Best Forever Ferret Friend).

I also made one of our small travel/medical cages into Ziggy Jail. Instead of being put up in his regular cage when he misbehaves, he gets put in this cage for 10 minutes. Hopefully, it will help get the message across that picking on others is not OK!

My little foster girls are doing great and I'm crazy in love with them. I'm way overdue for posting pics. I'll get to it soon. Adoptions are slow, I guess due to the economy being bad. I'm in no hurry, though. They are just adorable!

IT'S NO HAIRBALL

Well...so much for writing everyday! Ah! Life is busy -- especially since I started fostering Misty, Oreo and Vestia. It is just like having a day care now, only with 9 ferrets! The boys want to play with the girls. The girls tease the boys through the gate. Somebody poops in this corner. I clean it up. Somebody digs ALL of their food out of their bowl, thereby carpeting their cage with kibble. I clean it up. Somebody poops in another corner. I clean it up. Somebody gets in a squabble. I break it up.

Then I'll get a big wet kiss or somebody will weasel dance me and it makes everything worth it, tenfold. I was created to be a ferret mom, that's for sure. I totally love this.

The situation between Snow and Ziggy is much improved. We still have moments of disapproval, but nothing like before. They are actually sharing the same cage now. Well...they were until a day ago.

This is where my drama with Snow continues. I've only had him, what, 6 weeks. He has been fine health-wise. I had an appointment for him to get his yearly rabies vaccination. The night before his appointment (this past Sunday) he began to have labored breathing and went "flat". And he kept trying to go to the potty pad over and over.

I thought he had a hairball, seriously. Dr. Dori checked him out yesterday and told me that he has a "really bad" heart murmur. So she put him on Lasix and Benazapril, which seems to have already improved his breathing.

I can't even find the words to explain how sad and devestated I feel around this. We only recently lost our Cupid to the same type of illness and it was hard. This feels downright unfair. The positive aspect of this (and I reaching here) is that little Snow is younger thn Cupid was and doesn't (at least I think) have any other illnesses, like insulinoma to further complicate the heart issue.

Honestly, I love the little DEW and albino ferrets. But I don't know if I ever own another one after this. It's too heartbreaking.

so there is happiness around the FriskyBiznus House of Ferret. And there is sadness and fear - a repeat of the slow loss we just went through with Cupid.

I will post some foster pics up soon. And if anyone ever misses me here on my blog, you can find me on Facebook! Feel free to friend me!

SOMETHING FERRET-ISH THIS WAY COMES....

There was no trouble between Snow and Ziggy yesterday, but I won't hold my breath just yet....

Snow is a night person (So was Cupid). He decides to get frisky and start being all cute on me at, like, midnight!! He helped me make the rice box for the rescue room last night and tried it out for me. Then he danced for me. What a doll. I'm just really glad we have him.

Tomorrow is my big day for the inspection. We have the rescue cages set up in our workout room. There's plenty of space for the rescue guys to play in there and I'll set up other places for them, too. The best purchase I've made is an 11-panel playpen -- very versatile!

Yesterday I went and bought stuff to make a rice box, a really cute cat tower with a tunnel attached, a kitty pirate ship (eeeeee!), and some little stuffed animals - one for each cage. Milo went through the sacks when I got home and stole a toy I bought. He loves, loves stuffed animals.

All of my guys are sensing something ferret-ish in the air and are all excited. It's going to be interesting to have two separate groups to deal with now, but I can't wait!!