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The ferrets of my life

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wezl

Sprinting down the street
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Decatur GA
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Carla Rae
I currently have Alice, a DEW sprite. She's about 2.5 yo. She is everything ferret! It's the first time in about 15 years that I brought home a baby, and longer than that since I've only had one, except when Epoch died, we had Bouncy for almost a year before he passed. Everyone I had, except my original three, were ferrets with insulinoma. I did hospice care and had the opportunity to know and love several older ferrets who came to me late in their lives. I miss them all so much. After Bouncy crossed the Rainbow Bridge, it took me about a year to decide to bring home a baby, but Alice picked me! She's such a nut! I'm using the holistic practices I used for my older guys in hopes that we have several years with her. Some of the ferrets that came to me, you'd swear wouldn't make it through the night, but went on to live 2 and 3 years longer. I had one that was 12 when she passed away! She was blind, hairless (adrenal cancer) and would not give up on living a full out life! She was one that I really didn't think would make it. She was so skinny and just a limp little thing when I picked her up from the crate. She came from another state, so also had to travel that day. I stayed up all night with her and finally got her eating and some fluids in her. Her name was Toto. Lui Kang, Berlioz, and Inola were my original three. Then we had Theo and Drake. They were my step-mom's and had been classroom pets as well as her companions. They were retired when the class environment had gotten to be too much for them. Drake was diagnosed with insulinoma about that time. Since I was living with my folks then (while getting a divorce) they joined our little group, with extra snuggle time with their mommy. A while after this, my step-mom and I were volunteering at the county shelter. I fell in love with a huge red and white Malamute/Siberian husky mix. As much as I loved him, bringing him home was a mistake. I had him short tethered to my waist, but when he saw the ferrets one day, he pulled me down and broke the gate that was attached to the door frame of the ferret room. We lost Theo and Ibn. He went to a Malamute rescue.
We had Gadget, Dale, and Switch. Silver was a young ferret that I paid $20 for. He obviously had adrenal cancer with hair loss, but he was not going to get the help he needed. We had the surgery done to remove the cancer, and he was adopted by one of my step-mom's students. He stayed in touch with my step-mom and would give her updates on how Silver and his other ferret were doing.
Bouncy went to school for awhile. He was deaf and that led him to not knowing how hard he was biting. Working with deaf ferrets is challenging, but only because they can go for a long time without being diagnosed. Being deaf made him the perfect pet for a class of rowdy 10 yo's! After a couple years, he retired as well. Her kids still contact her and ask about the ferrets. During that time, Bouncy also had insulinoma, but we maintained him on diet and minimal meds. He had no problems, until his last couple of months. He was eight when he passed away.
These were some of the ferrets that I've been blessed to know. I still miss them, I remember them all and will see them again one day.
Two other ferrets are the ones who changed my life. Rikki, my first ferret. Before him, I had no idea of the bond that exists between us and our ferrets. I had dogs that were a part of me, guardian and friend, and I had my horse who was my mother and best friend in so many ways. But even those bonds pale in comparison to how connected I've been with my ferrets. Stoney is my soul. He passed away from insulinoma in 1999. we were always on the same wavelength. we didn't need words or proximity to know exactly what was going on with the other. My ex-husband became a believer in the psychic connection we had after witnessing it so many times. Stoney, and all of his little two pounds, would take on monsters for me! When I was in a bad situation, he'd be there, tail bottle-brushed and fluffed up, teeth ready. Suddenly, he'd be twenty foot tall and spitting lightening! I was an over the road truck driver with my ex-husband during this time. I experienced many bizarre, scary, and heart-breaking moments while out there. Stoney was with me through it all! We always called him "my number one son". He passed away on my chest while we were sleeping on Easter Sunday 1999. Everything I do is in dedication to his love, strength, humor, determination. He made me a better person and a better parent. He taught me compassion. And he touched other lives, as well. Our journey with his insulinoma is what led me to do what I've done for the other ferrets I've known.
I know Stoney is with me always. Sometimes, I see a sign of him, an extra bright and warm ray of sunlight, a breeze touching my skin, my son's smile, the twinkle in Alice's eye as she grabs my slipper. In the love that I can share with those dearest to me.
 

GG.

Enjoy the small things
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GG
I would love to see a pic of Alice.

would you tell me please, what DEW sprite means? I am not familiar with ferrets, although I think they are precious :)
 

Thugluvgrl187

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Aw you're farrets sounded adorable! Can't wait to see a pic of Alice.
 

wezl

Sprinting down the street
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Decatur GA
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Carla Rae
I uploaded some pics of some of my other babies. Alice is a dark-eyed white. She's solid white with dark ruby eyes. If you look at her eyes outside, they're a blue-ish magenta. She actually had two black hairs when we got her! Maggie, my skunk, is a DEW. Outside, you can see her white stripes against her white fur, so she's called a white-on-white skunk. Albinos lack pigment so they have pink eyes

Here's some of Alice










She's fast, so I don't always get a good pic of her! I keep trying to take one of her sleeping with Kiyo, her Papillon buddy. They know when I'm reaching for the camera, LOL!
 

MoluccanZoey

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I loved reading about your ferrets! You describe them so well! You can tell you are a die-hard ferret lover! I know how hard it is to lose them- I can appreciate the deep bond you develop. I hope you have many happy years with your current carpert-sharks! Don't you like the sound of dooking?:D Best sound ever! I'm very impressed with how long yours lived! I think 12 is the oldest I've heard of! The oldest one I had was 9. I do adore the old guys! They are so sweet and mellow! Cute as babies...but aw, the old guys have my heart I think! PM me and we'll talk weasels sometime!:cool1:
 

wezl

Sprinting down the street
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Decatur GA
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Carla Rae
Getting Alice was almost a new experience, going from the old guys to all-out baby weasel! She hasn't started to slow down yet! My step-daughter got me a tea towel with a ferret face embroidered on it for Christmas one year. She sent in the card, "I think they mis-spelled it... It says Dook"! She's great, but she isn't quite sure about me sometimes, LOL!
 

allison

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I love ferrets. If I didn't have the birds (and if I didn't live with my dad) I would definitely have a pair. They are just too sneaky and predatory for me to feel safe to have them in the same house with the birds though. When I was a kid I had a ferret who killed my two guinea pigs. I didn't lock the cage right and he broke out of it, went under a few doors, and broke into their cage to kill them. My mom wanted to have him put down but I talked her out of it. It wasn't his fault, it was mine, and I still feel a lot of guilt over it 8 or 9 years later.
Edit to say: I didn't mean that you shouldn't have ferrets with birds. It can definitely be done safely, you just have to take the proper precautions. I didn't mean to make that sound like I was saying you shouldn't have them. I love ferrets and you obviously take very good care of them. :hug8:
 
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wezl

Sprinting down the street
Joined
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362
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Decatur GA
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Carla Rae
I love ferrets. If I didn't have the birds (and if I didn't live with my dad) I would definitely have a pair. They are just too sneaky and predatory for me to feel safe to have them in the same house with the birds though. When I was a kid I had a ferret who killed my two guinea pigs. I didn't lock the cage right and he broke out of it, went under a few doors, and broke into their cage to kill them. My mom wanted to have him put down but I talked her out of it. It wasn't his fault, it was mine, and I still feel a lot of guilt over it 8 or 9 years later.
Allison, I'm sorry you had that experience *hugs* It can be pretty traumatic. I'm glad your Mom didn't have him put to sleep. Some ferrets can be very motivated to kill and some, it wouldn't even cross their mind. But they are carnivores, so I agree it's a valid concern. When we had our four with Kato, we had them all on an 18-wheeler truck. We never had a problem in the close quarters of the truck, but when we would be at home, our youngest, Berlioz, was a bit of a hunter. Kato did get grabbed a couple times because she would go after the ferrets! They would try to stuff her in their hidey-hole under the couch. Fortunately, she was never hurt, we would be right there if they were all out. But Berlioz did get into my rehab room and killed a couple squirrels and a Carolina wren. And I do know that it was my fault for over-looking that he could get under the door. It's good that you're looking out for the safety of your birds. Just know that there are families that live with both parrots and ferrets, safely. We learn hard lessons sometimes, but we can take that knowledge to do the best we can.
Alice and Kato are never out at the same time, unsupervised, we also make sure Alice can't get on Oliver's tree base. She tries to, I think she wants the dried fruit he's tossed, but we're right here. I also worry that he would kill her first.
If you want to keep it in mind, just know it isn't impossible.

You were editing while I was typing, LOL! Thank you. There are probably people who feel they both shouldn't be kept, together or otherwise, but I didn't think you were saying so
 
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MoluccanZoey

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Yes, the ferrets have their own room and don't know the birds exist- except for the calls they make! And the birds have learned the make ferret noises, which drives me nuts when they do the "help i'm in trouble one" and I go running into the ferret room only to find my sleepy weasels looking at me like i'm nuts, and then I hear cockatoo laughter in the other room and realize i've been had!
Yes, when its birdie playtime the cats go in one room- the dogs in the other- so we don't have any accidents! I keep all my creatures seperate just in case. Luckily the ferrets are getting old and not too into escaping anymore. Its the birds I have to watch! They keep figuring out the locks and such. Ah if its not one to watch its another.
 

wezl

Sprinting down the street
Joined
11/18/09
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362
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Decatur GA
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Carla Rae
You might also think of sponsoring a ferret in a local shelter/rescue. Many places really appreciate having visitors who can't have ferrets in their home, but who can spend some time socializing and cuddling (and changing litterboxes is nice, too!)
 

wezl

Sprinting down the street
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Decatur GA
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Carla Rae
And the birds have learned the make ferret noises, which drives me nuts when they do the "help i'm in trouble one" and I go running into the ferret room only to find my sleepy weasels looking at me like i'm nuts, and then I hear cockatoo laughter in the other room and realize i've been had!
I'm glad I haven't had that one happen! Kato does Mal's squeaky toy and drives him nuts! Mal's our spazoid Papillon.
I'm also home all the time, literally, so Alice gets out time when she wants and I'm right here. When I had the rescue ferrets, Kato was living with her Daddy, and we had a ferret-room that was blocked with a gate.
Adult ferrets aren't as active as babies, and may not want to be out playing for a couple of hours, usually much less. Alice is still young, and won't sit still and cuddle! And she almost never flat-ferrets, LOL! My hardest task is to keep her away from Maggie. Alice torments her unlike anything I've ever seen. Maggie's blind and pretty old, but most people who have skunks and ferrets have noticed the same animosity.
 
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