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.

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!!

MELTDOWNS BECOMING MORE COMMON

It's been a very emotional day. I got up this morning to find Cupid with poo all over him. He'd made it to the potty pad, but was too tired to get up, so he must've laid in it. So I had to give him a wash under the sink. He's getting a little congested now, and one side of his nose is irritated. I've been putting A & D Ointment on it.

I mentioned to Keith that perhaps it's time to think about putting him down. He disagrees with me on that. It's not that we got into a fight, but lots of feelings were coming up and it was very tense and there were a lot of tears and words. I was an hour late to work ~ came in with smeared makeup and swollen eyes from sobbing so much. I felt like such a bad guy, bringing it up. Like I was being heartless. But, no, that wasn't it at all. I'm not being heartless, I'm being heartbroken.

(I'm not feeling much empathy here at work- just from one person. Everyone else is just avoiding me. The don't get it and I guess I'm some kind of nut-so in their mind. I don't care, really.....well...maybe I do....)

Keith told me, "Look, you wanted a ferret. Now we have six. You are going to have to learn to deal with this part of having them, too!" And I said, "I am learning to deal with it! I've been learning since he got sick!" Geeze. It was just too intense; I am physically and mentally exhausted. I'm sure Keith is, as well.

I mean, everything is OK. We have diffferent ideas about what might be best for Cupid, that's all. Neither is wrong or right. We both love him dearly and want what's best for him. Bottom line, we won't put him down. He will stay with us for as long as he stays. The decision may change, depending on what happens.

Anyway, that's it. Better get myself back to work...

HANGING IN THERE

((sighing heavily))

Cupid is still hanging on, which, honestly, is amazing. He's having a hard time letting go, too, I guess. He can't walk at all, but insists on getting himself to the potty pad anyway. He deserves his dignity. He's taken to sleeping in plastic shopping bags, so Keith has him in his office with him right now, sleeping in a WalMart bag.

All my other guys are zonked out, except Milo, who is eating heartily. ((crunch crunch crunch)) It's so cute how they move their little heads from side to side when they eat...



It's all quiet on the Ferret Front.

LUMPS AND PSYCHICS

It has been a long week. I'm fighting a bug and am worn out. Little Cupid had a couple of "good" days and now he's not-so-good. I'm trying to get used to that and not freak out every time he's feeling bad. But it's really hard.

Yesterday I was scratching his tummy and felt a large lump on his left side. There's no sense in rushing him to Dr. Dori, though. He has an appointment one week from this Monday and she'll be repeating his x-rays then. Honestly, I'm preparing myself for the worst.

This is a weird thing, but sometimes I wish I could take Cupid to a pet psychic. He's always been such a serious and rather sad little dude. I'd like to know what is in his head. And I want him to know how deeply he is loved. Alas, we don't have the money to spend on such a thing! Guess I'll have to depend on my own intuition....

I need sleep....