marley ~ dog or ferret? you decide

i'm starting to think that our ferret marley, pictured with me at left, was a dog in a previous life. way back in 2008 when i got my first ferrets i was told by a ferret owner (i say owner in this case because this person was not a ferrent. he did not take care of his ferrets the way they should've been cared for. that, however, is a tale for another time). so i was told by him that ferrets don't eat people food. which, until i met marley, appeared to be a true statement. everything i'd ever read online stated that ferrets imprint on food when they are kits, often before they even make it to the pet store.

often it is difficult, if not near impossible, to get an older ferret to eat new treats or switch to a different food. if the manufacturer makes changes to the food formula it can cause a ferret to stop eating the food they were previously eating. for this reason many ferrents will mix two or more brands of food so that if any ingredients are changed their fuzzies will have less of a problem with the change. one of the ferrets i sometimes babysit, dexter, is a super picky eater. the duk soup that my ferrets love he doesn't even recognize as food.

when i got marley in 2009 i figured she would be like the rest of my crew (which at that time consisted of cassie, sunny d, nyddah, doodle, & podo). the rest of them only ate their ferret food, ferret treats, and the occasional piece of twizzlers. twizzlers make all mouths happy. nyddah would wake up from a sound sleep at the smell of a new bag of twizzlers being opened. just like her momma nyddah especially enjoyed black licorice. she's pictured at right snacking on a small piece of black licorice i'm holding for her.

anything else that i would eat my ferrets would investigate, but pretty much take no notice at all. they may come up and sniff my plate, but if i wasn't eating their food, which i wasn't, they would move along. even though ferrets are carnivores they never even saw chicken, turkey, or other meats which graced my plate as food. yes, chicken is often the first, and main ingredient, in ferret food, ferrets don't see real chicken as food. they really wouldn't know what to do with an actual live chicken.

marley had been living in our home for maybe a day or two when i was sitting on the couch eating some canned ravioli. she came up to me and i did what i always did with the ferrets. i held out my dish so she could sniff it and then move along. ferrets are very persistent and playing keep away with your plate just makes them want to know what's on it even more. i had learned with the other five that the best course of action was to let them smell my food, decide they weren't interested, so they would move along and i could eat in peace. i nearly fell over when i held out my dish and she stuck her nose right in and pulled out a ravioli with every intention of stealing and consuming the pasta. i managed to grab her quick and retrieve the ravioli before my carpet was stained with pasta sauce.

the ravioli incident was not an isolated event. any time i eat, even now, marley likes to sidle up to me and see if she wants a nibble of whatever i happen to have. some of her favorites are pizza, spaghetti o's, scrambled eggs, bacon, guacamole, and ice cream. marley really really loves her ice cream, but sadly she is lactose intolerant so i have to severely limit her dairy intake. if she has too much dairy she throws up, has diarrhea, or both. i haven't really looked but i'm pretty sure there aren't any ferret medications to help digest lactose since, well, ferrets don't eat dairy.

she's started teaching some of the others about the joy of human food. lucy, pictured right with marley sharing ferret vitamins, is now very fond of pizza and burrito bar night. lucy isn't as big a guacamole fan as marley is, but i'm sure that given time she will also be begging for a nibble when she sniffs guac on my plate.

most of our gang still shuns human food as not fit for the ferret palate. but two of our ladies are now turning into quite the foodies when it comes to human cuisine. every time i see marley begging for something it makes me think that perhaps before she was a ferret she was a dog. or maybe even a goat. or perhaps even a human. going from human to ferret, would that be a step down or a step up on the evolutionary ladder?

even ferrents need vacations

sometimes being a ferrent means going away and taking some time to recharge away from the carpet sharks. but it can be a difficult task to manage to get away when you have ferrets. finding a ferret sitter, especially when you have a business as large as we do, takes some tenacity, a bit of luck, and some really good friends.

fry & i just got back yesterday from a weekend up north at legendary waters resort and casino. february is a big month for us. we have our anniversary (the 3rd), my gastric bypass rebirthday (the 11th), & valentines day (the 14th). we decided to treat ourselves to a little weekend getaway. we've only been away from home twice. once we spent the night at a B&B for new year's eve (2010 into 2011) and the other time we spent one night away from home when ry's grandpa died. we drove to omaha for the funeral, spent one day in nebraska before coming back.

the previous times we left we had all the ferrets in the cage. not ideal, but one night away from them is ok. the first time we had 11 and we were gone for a little over 24 hours. we came home to some very mad ferrets, the cage trashed, and litter boxes in desperate need of scooping. the second time was after podo passed away. the ferrets were alone for about 36 hours, give or take. once again the cage was trashed, the litter boxes had to be completely dumped, and the fuzzbutts were mad at us. this was before nyddah went on her prednisone so it was ok that they were alone. {at right, cassie hanging out in his favorite place: the hamburger}

having a ferret on meds plus leaving town for a couple of days takes planning. there are places that board animals, but i honestly would not trust any of them with my babies. not because i've heard bad things about them, but just because ferrets are an exotic animal, and they need special considerations. i'm also very persnickety about my fuzzbots and their care. ferrets, even if they don't have special needs, require more attention than a dog or a cat.

when we were planning our getaway it was before nyddah crossed the rainbow bridge. nicole and her husband said they would watch nyddah and her BFFs for us. they have experience with ferrets on meds, plus, if there was an emergency to occur with nyddah i wouldn't've wanted her anywhere else. we had watched some of their furries in the past and they were willing to help us out this time. obviously they wouldn't've been able to take all 10. but they were going to take 3 which was going to leave 7 at home in the cage. my sister agreed to come over to our place, take the others out to play, scoop their litter boxes, and check to make sure they had enough food and water. so everything was all set and planned.

after nyddah passed away nicole said they would still watch three. which i thought was awesome. which left 6 at home in the cage. considering the cage they have is like ten feet tall and 6 feet wide we could have left the 6 alone for the two days. the cage has 8 litter boxes in it, two 64 ounce water bottles, 5 food dishes, and 17 beds/hammocks. with ferrets it's not just about basic care needs. they have social needs which are just as important. they like to play and be pet and cuddled and bounce around. so my sister still came up saturday to spend a few hours with the other six giving them the interaction time they needed.

considering the fact our family dynamic has changed with nyddah gone i was very worried about my babies. ferrets can get depressed and that can make them sick just like depression can make humans physically ill. so far the six that stayed home are doing well. i've seen them all and played with them all since fry and i got home. cupcake does not seem phased that there are only six here instead of nine. she actually really seems to be enjoying life without the rest of the gang. lucy seems to be missing rynus. poor sunny d is in a tailspin with nyddah gone and his brother cassie still over at nicole's. i think bandit is missing smoke-doggg a bit, but she sleeps so much that i haven't seen her much. {pictured at left is sunny d, front, doodle, back}

i'm heading over tonight at dinner time to collect my remaining three fuzzbutts. there is a lot less chaos in the house since there are only six here right now, but the house is missing something. i'm looking forward to having my business back together again. nicole has kept me updated on the kids she has. cassie, smokey, and rynus have been very entertaining. i think if we go out of town again they are more than welcome at nicole's house. now, a week long vacation, that would require quite a bit more planning and maybe an in-house ferret sitter. for any that don't go on a vacation themselves.

fare thee well, mamma nyddah

monday february 6th nyddah said goodbye to this world and made her journey across the rainbow bridge.

it's been nearly a week and i still can't think that or say that without tears. as i type they roll from my eyes and cut salty streaks down my cheeks. it's taken me this long to be able to write this blog.

it's not that it came as a surprise to me. it didn't in anyway. i've known for a long time that each day i have with her is a blessing and it was only a matter of time before she and i would part ways in this world. recently i wrote about her in having a special needs ferret. that post was difficult to write when i listed out her medical problems because it made it all the more real that she really was not immortal.

no matter how much you think you've emotionally prepared yourself for the loss of a pet, you never really are fully ready to let them go. but, as a pet parent is the most important decision you will make. it is also the decision that is the most compassionate for your companion.

there was no great trauma or tragedy. it was just nyddah's time. monday night i was sitting in the living room loading songs onto my computer and nyddah walked over to me, crawled up on my slippers and looked up at me. i picked her up to cuddle her and she started shivering. her tiny body shaking so hard. i held her close and she still shook. i folded her into my fleece jacket and pressed her to my body, kissing the top of her head. she stopped shivering, looked up at me, and in her eyes i saw that she was asking to go home.

i knew it was time to say goodbye just as sure as i knew she was meant to come home with me when i held her for the first time at the humane society. just like i saw her eyes begging me to bring her home with me that august afternoon i saw her asking me to let her go. i kissed her again and held her against my heart.

when fry came home a bit later she was tucked back in napping with her siblings. he told me that the day before when i was at work she threw up for nearly twenty minutes straight and he thought we needed to think about putting her to sleep. he said he couldn't bear to tell me the night before, but that he couldn't keep it from me. immediately i broke down. nyddah had been fighting for so long and now she needed us to step in and help her leave with dignity.

i sent a text message to my vet nicole asking her if she would be in clinic the next day because it was time to let nyddah go. she called me back and i told her about holding nyddah. the look in her eyes. fry's experience from the day before. nicole said she was in clinic, but that she could come up that night if i'd prefer.

it was a tough decision. i wanted one last night with nyddah. i wanted to sleep knowing my sweet girl was in the next room. i wanted to kiss her and cuddle her and tell her over and over that i loved her and wished there was more i could do. i wanted to stop time and stay holding her until the pain was a dull throb instead of a searing stab. but i also knew that was the selfish route. i asked nicole to come up to my house.

i gave nyddah some of her favorite food. and waited. and second guessed myself. and waited. and watched her. and wished i'd taken more pictures. and wished she had gotten to go on more walks and had more outdoor playtime. and waited. anything to avoid imagining my life without her in it.

while nicole gave nyddah the injection i held a dish of duk soup for her. she went quick. so quick that it was like her body was so tired of fighting. she was ready to go. i cried. nicole cried. all the ferrets came up to sniff nyddah's body and, in their own fuzzy way, say good bye. except for bandit who slept through the entire thing, which is, kind of bandit's way (i swear that ferret sleeps 23 1/2 hours a day,but that's a story for another time). sundance was the most impacted. he sniffed nyddah and then lay down next to her facing me, he put his head on his paws, and just looked at me. he and nyddah had bonded the moment i brought her home. they were BFFs. {pictured at left is nyddah on the left with cupcake, right, taken this past summer}

since nyddah passed away i have noticed some differences in the rest of the crew. doodle has started biting me again. he used to bite when i first got him. i managed to get him to stop doing that, then he started again after podo died last year. he just stopped around thanksgiving. he doesn't break the skin, but he knows how to bite hard enough to bruise me. it's like he needs to let me know he's hurting and the only way he can do that is by hurting me. sundance is sad and wants more cuddles than normal. the rest are just slightly muted.

each of my ferrets has a theme song. the song that if their life was a movie it would be their theme. nyddah's is hey hey hey by michael franti and spearhead. the part that makes me think of nyddah is:

• "there’s a crack in the gutter where a flower grows / reminding me that everything is possible / yeah, reminding me that nothing is impossible / you gotta live for the one that you love you know / you gotta love for the life that you live you know"

every time i looked at her she filled me with love and hope and belief that i could do anything. her little face made me believe. made me fight. made me want to be as wonderful as she thought i was.

all my ferrets are special to me. even the ones that were "originally" fry's before we moved in together. but there was something so precious and extraordinary about nyddah. she was an exceptional soul in a fragile furry body. i know that the universe sent her to me because we needed each other. and i know that i was, correction, i am blessed to have shared my home, my life, and my heart with her. i still feel her presence in the house. and i keep expecting to see her scramble out from under the ottoman, use the potty, and the look up at me to see if she can get me to get her some wysong or ferretone or duk soup. it seems bizarre to say, and i realize this, but the house feels kind of lonely and empty now that nyddah has crossed the rainbow bridge. but, i won't be getting another ferret anytime soon. like nicole said to me the other day. it hurts when any of your furkids move on, but there are just certain ones that are remarkable and it hurts worse when they leave.

a good vet is hard to find (luckily i found mine)

the first hurdle for finding a ferret vet is that not all veterinary offices even see ferrets. as much as i'm in denial of the fact that ferrets are exotic pets, they technically are in the world of veterinary medicine. so finding a good vet may not be too terribly tough to find, especially in a large metro area like the twin cites, but finding a good ferret vet can be a bit of a challenge.

before finding my current vet i called all the vets in my area and there was only one that saw ferrets. this was when i lived in plymouth, a western suburb of minneapolis. i even felt somewhat lucky in that the office had two different locations, both of which had vets that saw ferrets, so if i couldn't get in at one location i could get into the other. so i took cassie and sunny d there. then miss nyddah when i got her. later when i adopted doodle and podo that was the office they were already going to because their ferrents lived in minnetonka.

this was in my early time as a ferrent. i looked to my vet to be the specialist, to know about ferrets and give me advice on the things that i wasn't sure about. i can't say that i started to have my doubts about this clinic right away, it was more like building blocks. one little thing stacked on another and another until i just didn't have a great feeling about them.

one of the first things that put me off was the way they interacted with nyddah when i brought her in for her free humane society appointment. they kind of made me feel like i was bothering them with the free appointment. ok, so i wasn't paying for it, but the humane society was reimbursing them, they were getting paid. but, they just treated her like because she was scruffy looking and had the cyst that she wasn't as good as a healthy kit.

it's hard to describe in a way. but there just wasn't the tenderness with nyddah that i get at my current vet. they were also trying to pressure me hard into doing surgery on her cyst. i sometimes am very sure about things, i can't explain why, but sometimes i just know something is or isn't right. and i knew then, and i know now, surgery is not the best option for nyddah. the old office just didn't like that decision on my part.

there were other little things along the way. some things that just rubbed me a bit the wrong way, giving me a bit of an uneasy feeling. and then other things that were just plan wrong like when one of the "ferret" vets told me ferrets usually live 12-15 years (sadly they do not really live that long). i found myself knowing more than the specialists i was taking my kids to. and that's not a great feeling.

in january of 2009 i met some fabulous ferrents who had a little fuzzy, monkey, who was anemic and needed blood transfusions. they needed big strong boy ferrets to donate blood for her. i arranged to drop doodle and cassie off at their vets office before work and then they'd bring the boys back to their house and i'd pick them up after work. monkey came through the transfusion with flying colors, i met some great fellow ferrents, and life continued as usual.

monkey needed transfusions every few months. over time i became friends with her ferrents and made many trips back and forth to minneapolis dropping off or picking up boys who were donating blood for her. over this time i got to know the techs and staff at their vet's office. not only did their vet treat ferrets, but they also did procedures such as blood transfusions. i'd never heard of that before. (pictured at right doodle, linus, and sundance hanging out at monkey's ferrents' house post transfusion visit)

it took me a bit to make the switch because minneapolis was a longer drive than golden valley from my home in plymouth. the last straw with my previous office came when daredevil died. i took his body into my old office for cremation and they made me feel guilty that i wasn't paying to upgrade to a fancy urn instead of the velvet bag for his cremains (keep in mind my previous experiences with my dogs we got the cremains back in a cardboard box, that was the only option we were given).

one day after getting no where with the other clinic on other treatment options for nyddah i called to see if i could bring her in to Lake Harriet Veterinary. i'd never taken any of my ferrets there, but they knew me from my guys being "monkey's donors." my first visit and i knew that i had found my new vet's office. nyddah was very at ease there and they gave me other treatment options and didn't blink when i said that i wasn't willing to consider surgery. they drained the cyst, we did some pathology results, and came up with the plan to watch the cyst, drain it as needed, and keep an eye on her behavior.

and with that one appointment i immediately switched clinics. they know ferrets. they know how crazy ferrents can be about their ferrets. they understand and accept that craziness in a wonderful way. and i felt so at ease with all the staff from the very start. isn't it funny how one little thing can change your life? i answered a craig's list ad looking for ferrets to donate blood and i found great new friends, a really awesome vet clinic, and wonderful new playmates for my fuzzies.

pictured at left is nyddah (top) with her friend monkey (bottom) january 2011. sadly monkey has moved onto the next life and crossed the rainbow bridge. but i know that she had so many good years full of life and vigor due to the wonderful care she received at lake harriet veterinary. their guidance and care is also what is keeping nyddah going. if it wasn't for them i'm not sure nyddah would have seen 2012. there is no other way to put it other than: they have heart.

my message to all other ferrents and ferrents to be: find a good ferret vet. trust your instincts. when you find the right one you'll know. and, don't let distance be a factor. when i take my fuzzies to see their friends at lake harriet the drive is about 30 miles one way. in rush hour that can take me up to an hour each direction. sure, there are clinics closer to me that say they "treat" ferrets, but i wouldn't take my babies anywhere else.

top 10 reasons i love my vet:
10 ~ they understand pets are a pet parent's children & treat them as such.
9 ~ i'm greeted with a smile every time i go into the clinic.
8 ~ they e-mailed me nyddah's test results of her blood work.
7 ~ they understand ferrets travel in packs.
6 ~ anytime i call they are great about answering all my questions.
5 ~ they respect my decisions about my furkids.
4 ~ they sent a sympathy card after podo passed away.
3 ~ they know what ferret crack/moonshine is & keep it on hand.
2 ~ they do follow up calls to check up on how my kids are doing (most recently to see how lucy was doing after the squashing incident).
and the number 1 reason i love my vet is: ~ my vet is a fellow ferrent!

having a special needs ferret

yesterday i read an interesting article: should you adopt a disabled pet? it got me thinking about my little girl nyddah. in meet the business: a lesson in ferret math i briefly mentioned how she had a cyst on her abdomen when i adopted her. what i didn't mention was the staff at the humane society told me to take her to my vet for the free exam, have them check out the cyst, and that if i wanted to return her for a voucher for use towards another pet i could do so. at the time i was somewhat numb to the remark, but thinking back on the situation it makes my heart ache. i looked at her papers the other day, including her intake form, and her overall health was scored 5/9. i wonder how close she came to being put to sleep rather than put up for adoption? if i hadn't found her that day how much longer would she have had?

here's the ugly truth of being a pet parent that no one really wants to admit to: every sweet, fuzzy, energetic, baby ball of fluff will eventually get to be an old pet. they will develop problems. they will need extra tender loving care as they age. they may need surgeries and medications. and, they will look at you one day and depend on you to end their life with dignity and compassion.

i've been down the road of aging pets many times. growing up i watched my dogs age and then give us one last tail wag as we put gathered around them while the vet gave them the injection that would end their life. i've had pet cats decline in health and made the decision that it was more humane to let them go even though it caused me heartache to see them leave this plane. my rats lived long, happy, boisterous rattie lives until they went to rat heaven. but, in a way, with my dogs, cats, and rats i was lucky: none of them really had any major health issues. we had a dog that had arthritis and had meds for that. another that we had to put on a diet, but nothing really extreme.

once again, i am a ferret person. i discovered that on july 2, 2008 when i brought sunny d-d and cassie into my home. with being a ferret mom comes certain things that don't necessarily come with being a cat mom or dog mom. unless your ferret dies due to an accident, runs away, or you give them away they will end up as a special needs ferret in one way or another. diseases are common in ferrets, but with the right treatment and care they do not have to be a death sentence.

so, back up a step. let's start with what they may come with as kits. two of the common "disabilities" are ones that i have had experience with in two of my ferrets. the first one is deafness. my ferret doodle is deaf. he was born that way. i think he knows that he is missing a sense which makes him all the more tough. but being deaf doesn't stop him. then, my little albino hospice ferret, daredevil, was blind. now, you'd think it would be better for a ferret to be deaf than blind, which, it's actually the opposite. ferrets have very poor eye sight to begin with so if they're blind they may run into things, but if they can hear and smell they'll be just fine. besides, my ferrets that can see and hear often run into things or fall off of furniture just because they're so ADHD and don't pay much attention.

it does seem that vision problems are more prevalent in albino ferrets than in the others. doodle is a dark eyed white (DEW), and deafness does seem to be higher in white ferrets or DEWs than in the other colors. i have heard that deafness is common in animals that are all white, or mostly white. i really don't know the reasoning behind that. but, it's interesting.

as far as caring for a deaf ferret there is not much really different in doodle's day to day care. the biggest thing to remember is that since he is deaf if you sneak up on him he may become startled and nip. he did that a lot when i first got him. but now that he's been with me 3 1/2 years we've gotten to know each other better. i'm not sure if he can feel the vibrations of my feet or if he smells me or just knows i'm there. but it's pretty much impossible for me to sneak up on him when he's awake. the only thing i've noticed is that when i'm waking them up to come out of their cage he is often the last one awake since he can't hear me calling to them and doesn't hear the others.

i did not have daredevil long enough to become an expert at having a blind ferret. the biggest thing i discovered was just to make sure to bring him to the litter boxes and then not move the boxes from that spot. he became very adept at navigating the house and figuring out where everything was. also, i tended to not put him on the couch since he couldn't see where the edge was.

the health concerns that come as ferrets age are fairly standard. every ferret that lives to a "ripe old age" will most likely end up with adrenal disease and or insulinoma. both of these can be quite serious, but, they also can be quite manageable too with proper vet care and an observant ferrent.

at base adrenal disease is a hormone problem. the adrenal levels wind up becoming elevated. ferrets with adrenal disease can have hair loss, course coat, itchiness, increased ferrety smell and many other symptoms. when i got my ferrets back in 2008 i heard the only treatment for adrenal disease was surgery. now there are other treatments. currently four of our ten ferrets have been treated for adrenal disease and we suspect that another two need to be. the treatment we subscribe to is a melatonin implant. our vet does not like doing surgery on ferrets unless absolutely necessary because there are a lot of risks that come with cutting open such a tiny critter. i don't like the thought of doing surgery when there is a less invasive treatment with results that are just as successful. currently nyddah, doodle, sundance, and bandit (pictured in the skull bed) have melatonin implants. smokey should get one and possibly cassie too.

insulinoma is another big illness in the ferret world. it's basically a blood sugar issue. instead of the sugars being too high like in diabetes they get too low. i've read online some people treat this condition with surgery. as mentioned above this isn't something i would consider unless necessary. the main treatment i've heard of for insulinoma is medication. currently one of my ferrets, nyddah, has insulinoma. she's on prednisone twice a day to manage her sugars. two of the ferrets that i've ferretsat luna (pictured in the alligator bed, who recently crossed the rainbow bridge 12/27/11) and dexter were on prednisone for insulinoma. the biggest thing with insulinoma is the ferrets can crash and if they do have their sugars get too low they'll need emergency vet care immediately. once again, this is where it's a good idea to be a doting ferrent and really know how they normally behave.

lymphoma. i only mention this one because this is what cause miss podo's (pictured at right) death back in may. ferrets are very stoic critters. they don't show pain, they don't show weakness. so by the time her behavior had changed it was too late to really do anything for her. she presented with some weight loss. i took her into the vet. we did an exam, did four sets of x-rays (including one with barium), but none of the tests were conclusive as to what was happening with her. i had the hard choice: experimental surgery or medication. the surgery could tell us what was wrong and fix it if it was minor, if it was major then we'd put her to sleep on the table. the meds may or may not work since we didn't know what was going on.

i meditated on it and asked my angels for guidance. the answer came to me that if i opted for surgery she wouldn't come home from it. i treated her with prednisone and pain meds. i gave her all the TLC i could and did everything to let her know she was loved. in the end she passed away in her favorite bed, at home, while fry & i were at his folks' house on memorial day. after she passed away i consented for my vet to do a post mortem on her to figure out what was wrong. during the exams she'd kept feeling something in podo's belly, but it wasn't anything she'd ever felt before. just like the x-rays didn't give a clear image. so she wanted to figure out what was wrong. and it was lymphoma. even if i had done surgery when i first brought podo in it wouldn't've saved her and she would have died at the vet's office instead of at home. i'm grateful she was at home.

tumors, cysts, and all kinds of other things can also effect ferrets. i bring this up because nyddah has an unknown cyst on her lower abdomen. she's had it since i got her 3 1/2 years ago. we drain it every so often. we've done half a dozen tests on the cells from the draining and no conclusion on what it is. yes, the cyst makes her waddle a bit. but surgery is not an option because there is a good chance that removing the cyst would leave her incontinent since it's right near her urethra. that's not a change i want to take, so we just manage.

finally: dementia. i can hear the crazy says what?! all the way over here. ferrets as they age, like any other animal, can develop cognitive issues. and one of them is dementia. until rather recently, like within the past five months, i didn't know about this. until i started to notice that nyddah was acting just, well, odd. she wakes up and runs to the poop pad, then does like five laps before relieving herself, which she never did before. she walks up to fry and i, will look up at us with those big fuzzy eyes, we'll pick her up and then she doesn't want to be held. she doesn't want food. she doesn't want wysong (the insanely expensive cold pressed food we buy just for her). no to duck soup. no to water. no to ferretone. she's just, in general, confused.

i finally asked my vet about it, who has personally has ferrets for like nearly 20 years and has a business of her own (business as in group of ferrets). and she and her husband confirmed that over their years of ferrenthood they've had a few ferrets that suffered from dementia. on the upside, their ferrets with dementia became nippy and ill tempered. nyddah is still just as sweet as ever, just confused. kind of like maw-maw on raising hope. it does break my heart a little when she looks up at me and i can see in her eyes she still knows who i am, and she's wanting something from me but i just have no clue.

summary: there's a lot that you may have to encounter as a ferrent. medications, implants, surgery, and who knows what else. but really, it's the same thing as living a day to day life. each day is a surprise, a gift, a blessing. it's really what you do with that blessing that defines the impact on your life. i choose to take all of it and cherish it. it all makes me who i am.

as for nyddah. well. so she has a cyst. and adrenal disease. and insulinoma. and dementia. knowing all that now would i take her back to the humane society? never. never ever ever. being her ferrent has meant the world to me. she saved my life. each time i get a ferret kiss from her it melts my heart and makes my day. she's a precious gift from the universe. i am always and forever grateful i have her. adopting a special needs ferret was the best thing i've ever done. and she's happy, loved, pampered, & semi-healthy. sure, she has problems. most days she doesn't even know she's a ferret. but because of the steroids she looks fabulous! she now even thinks she enjoys baths.

time to go. doodle knows i'm blogging about him. he's attention seeking. it's amazing, the ferret can't hear but always knows when i'm talking about him.

new teminology used in this post:
DEW ~ acronym for dark eyed white. DEW ferrets are typically characterized by being either all white with dark eyes, or mostly white (meaning all but slight coloring such as a dark tail) with dark eyes. dark eyes are those that are black or burgundy in color, but not red.
ferretsat / ferretsitting ~ like baby sitting except with ferrets. there is also typically a lot more poop and biting inolved.
ferretone ~ a liquid supplement for ferrets sometimes called "the ferret crack" or "ferret moonshine." give a little to a ferret and they will be ecstatic.
kit ~ noun. name for a baby ferret.
wysong ~ a wonderful all natural whole food for ferrets that is extremely expensive, like $40-something per lb. my ferrets eat better than i do.

so, you're a ferret person, huh?

i was recently filling out a shopping survey and under the pet section i was shocked, and semi outraged, to see only two options: dog or cat. there wasn't even an other check box. so, you're either a dog person or a cat person. what about a ferret person? ok, i'll admit that ferrets aren't necessarily a very popular pet. i feel like they are gaining popularity lately, or that may just be because i have ferrets i'm more aware of mention of them. but, it's not like i have a pet translucent albino narcoleptic nocturnal yeti or something like that (ok, that may be kind of cool, but that litter box would be a bear to clean).

i mean, ferrets are almost a household name. they are great small pets with big personalities. when are ferrets going to get their love from the mainstream?

maybe we need a ferret as a white house pet? smokey (pictured at left) even has a patriotic tie he could wear. nah, never mind. we don't need more weasels in washington (yes, that was horrible, i agree, but i simply could not resist). but seriously, has there ever been a pet in the white house besides a dog or a cat? maybe it's time for something other than the usual status quo.

i do recall the pop commercial with the ferret with a chainsaw. which was mildly amusing. more so because in order for a ferret to hold a chainsaw the chainsaw would need to be barbie doll size and would maybe be able to cut a chopstick. maybe. and there were the beer commercials with the ferret. but i don't remember a lot about that ferret. maybe it's something to do an online video search for.

a few celebrities have ferrets. my favorite is, of course, the football player with pet ferrets named smoke and glee. he very quickly became my favorite person in the NFL when i heard about this. i've considered writing to his rep to offer my services as a ferret sitter when he's on the road. i have good references, i baby sit for my vet when she's gone. i happen to have two of her babies, dexter and hermione, right now.

ferrets have even made it, somewhat, to hollywood. the little fuzzies are really like two year olds, full of energy and hard to train, so i can understand why there aren't more on both the big and small screen, however here is a list of movies with ferrets:
~beastmaster
~the big lebowski
~dr. doolittle 2
~harry potter & the priznor of azkaban (not sure i like this one, hagrid feeds buckbeak a dead ferret)
~harry potter & the goblet of fire (draco is turned into a ferret)
~inkheart
~kindergarten cop

what does it all mean in the end? in the end i feel like it means that being a ferret person is a little like being the odd kid out. you're a little bit kooky. you're a little bit misunderstood. not necessarily in a bad way, but just on the edge a little bit. without intending to do so, you set yourself apart as a mystery. you take a bit more effort to be understood, but in the end the effort is more than worth the pay out.

when i'm asked what i think it means to be a ferret person, i answer: it means a combination of the best qualities of a dog person and the best qualities of a cat person. just like ferrets are the best combination of dogs and cats. just like ferrets aren't quite like any other creature, ferrents are not quite like any other pet parent.

ferrets are loyal and yet independent. they need to see their human and interact with them, but they don't necessarily need to be glued to their side. they are intelligent with a knack for problem solving. they are tenacious and refuse to give up when they really want something. at the same time they totally have adhd because they are bursting with energy and try to do everything and be everywhere all at once. and they are empaths. when you're sad your ferret knows it and will try to make you feel better in their own way. when i'm sad doodle and marley will chase each other and clown it up for me. while my miss nyddah will stand at my feet, tilt her head, and try to cuddle and give me kisses.

i may not be a check box on a survey, but is that really such a bad thing? i'd rather be honest to myself and outside of the "norm." fitting in with others, but feeling wrong in your own skin is no way to live. don't get me wrong, i've loved my pet dogs. i've adored my pet cats. and i still love other peoples' dogs and cats. but, i really am a ferret person. and i wouldn't have my life any other way. it's chaotic and full of the unexpected and the unusual, but it's my usual, so it's comforting and reassuring.

meet the business: a lesson in ferret math

ferret math is a term well known and well loved by just about everyone who has ferrets. ferret math is the concept that one ferret plus one plus one equals seven. no, we're not talking ferret breeding. that's a whole other issue which i have no knowledge of nor do i wish to have any knowledge of. the best way to define ferret math is to explain how i wound up with eight ferrets before meeting fry.

it was innocent enough. i decided to get a pair of ferrets. i like to give a second chance to critters so rather than looking in a pet store i went on craig's list. i found an ad a woman placed to "re-home" her two ferrets. the two ferrets and their cage and all their supplies for $300. a hefty price, but still cheaper than going to a store. plus i was giving two ferrets a second chance rather than them ending up at a shelter.

enter butch cassidy (known as cassidy, or cass or cassie, because i don't like the nickname butch) and the sundance kid (affectionately known as sunny d, or d-d).

2 ferrets.

you may want to get paper. this will soon get sticky.


so i started reading books and blogs and all kinds of ferret stuff. the popular belief, which i'm a believer in, is that if you have only two ferrets and one dies the other will die of depression. so even though cass and d-d were not even a year i wanted to get them a friend.

once again, i wanted to give a ferret a second chance. this time i went to the humane society. when i was there i found my little princess miss nyddah. she had been an after hours drop, little was known about her. she had a cyst on her lower abdomen. and she was scruffy looking. she was definitely ragged around the edges. and dying of depression. now don't get me wrong, i love the human society people, but she was lonely because the ferret surrendered with her had been adopted and she was all alone. humans have bred ferrets to be social. i asked to hold her and she snuggled into my chest, reached up and licked my chin and looked into my eyes and pleaded with me to take her home.

enter my baby girl: nyddah grace.

now, i adopted nyddah just about a month or so after getting cass and sunny. so i was still pretty new at this ferrenting. i thought i was all big and bad because i'd read tons of stuff online, i'd read the books and i thought i knew it all about ferrets. i didn't know anything.

so i was content. i had three ferrets, two boys and a girl. they all got along together. they loved to play with me, they seemed rather content and i was very content. this is where a rational person would probably stop. probably.

i was on craig's list looking for ferret supplies and someone was asking for happy stories about pets. they said there were too many sad ones. so i posted a happy adoption story about finding my boys and my nyddah and how they had a second chance and we had a happy little home. and then i got a message.

a couple was looking for a new home for their two ferrets. they weren't able to give them enough attention and they wanted someone who could dote on them the way they deserved. this was only ten days after i got nyddah. now two ferrets to three to five all in six weeks is a lot for anyone. and i thought about it. and thought about it.

they guy i was dating at the time had four ferrets and tried to discourage me. my friends told me five ferrets was dangerously close to turning into the crazy cat lady, except with ferrets.

but i went against everyone's opinions and said sure, i'd take in podo and doodle.

five ferrets. one of them deaf (doodle).

five would have been a good place to stop. kind of a lot, but at least you're not measuring your pets in terms of dozens or portions of dozens. and i did stop there for a while.

here is where the crazy enters. and even i will admit that this is a bit on the kooky side of the street. so i mentioned i was dating a guy who had ferrets. over christmas of that year i watched his ferrets for something ridiculous like 20 days while he was out of town. while i watched his ferrets my boy cassie fell for his little girl lily. for whatever reason those two ferrets really bonded with each other. cassie even would look for her when i asked "cassie, where's your lily bear?"

as things happen the guy turned out to be a first class jerk face. broke up with me two days before valentines day and admitted he'd been cheating on me. yeah. like i said, WORLD CLASS jerk. so, since we broke up, obviously our ferrets broke up. i did try to fight for custody of lily but was unsuccessful. so cassie was sad and moping and being a good ferrent i tried to figure out a way to cheer him up.

which, of course, would be another ferret. once again i went on craig's list (and yes, at this point someone should've banned me from that website) and found someone looking to re-home a ferret. her name was marley, she was six months old, and the girl just wanted someone who could give the little fuzzbutt the time she needed.

i'd haggled over price a bit with marley's former owner and we came to an agreement. then, after she met me, talked with me and saw all the ferret pictures on my iphone (a few hundred or so at that time) she gave me marley, her cage, and all her bedding for free. she said that she knew i'd give marley a wonderful home and that was most important to her.

a week after st paddy's day marley came home to her new little family.

now six ferrets. that's a lot. and at that time i had a half dozen ferrets. so that's kind of a lot and i really should've stopped there. but this is ferret math which exists somewhere outside of the normal dimension and rules of math. so we press on.

that summer i was once again on craig's list. i can't recall why, in a way it doesn't matter. and i came upon daredevil. a little blind albino ferret looking for a new home. his owner was a young man getting married and couldn't bring him with and the guy's parents couldn't keep him. so i agreed to take him in. it turned out to be ferret hospice. i think daredevil was just too old to get used to a new home. i had him five weeks before he crossed the rainbow bridge.

so up to seven and then back to six. some would see that as divine intervention and i should stay at six ferrets. but the house felt lonely without daredevil. yes. i did just say the house felt lonely with only six ferrets.

enter craig's list again, aka the devil website. and i found linus and lucy. they needed a new home because their owners were moving to a new apartment and the new place would not allow rodents. ok, let's not even get into the ignorance of the rental company that they kept insisting ferrets were rodents despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. and so i added linus and lucy to my brood to make it eight.


dear god, yes i said eight. now, in a way eight isn't too much, on the other hand, eight is sixteen ears to clean, eighty toenails to clip, and lots of clean up on poop patrol.

somewhere along the road to eight ferrets i may have lost my mind. but i regained my senses and while i would not trade any of my furbabies, i did realize that eight was my limit. any more than that was really not a good idea.

um, but i thought you said you had eleven at one point. yes, i did at one point have eleven. and this is where ferret math once again takes over.

so i was very content with my little, or not so little, ferret family. but, as tends to happen, my business was not meant to stay at eight. so about six months after getting linus and lucy i met fry.

he had two ferrets and, incidentally, found me online when he was looking for other people who had ferrets. no, it was not craig's list this time. another website. my profile was a bit outdated because it listed me as having only five ferrets. i know. only. but, to his credit he was not dissuaded by the thought, or even the reality, of my eight ferrets.

well, so fry had two ferrets and i had eight. well. after meeting me, reading more about ferrets, he decided he needed a third ferret in case something happened to smokey or bandit, he didn't want them to become depressed and despondent. so about a month after we met he and i took a mini road trip to st. cloud and picked up our tiny girl, cupcake. we found her on craig's list. surprise surprise, right? who didn't see that one coming?

well, then not too terribly long after he brought cupcake home we decided to make our two homes one. so me, my eight ferrets, and all of our chaos picked up stakes, moved into his house, and turned things upside down. so, fry's ferret math went: 2+1=11. it happens that way sometimes.

but we are blessed. our balls of fluff bring us quite a bit of joy. they give me peace. our house may not be big. it may not be fancy. and it may not be on the cutting edge of trendy. but our walls are bursting with love. really, it's love, not ferrets.

pictured below (clockwise from bottom left): cassie, bandit, sundance (yawning in the back), linus, smokey, & doodle. for those still counting that is only six. do you know how hard it is to get eleven ferrets in one picture? nearly impossible.

new terms used in this post:
business ~ noun. term used to describe a group of ferrets.
furbabies ~ noun. affectionate term used to describe "kids" who are not human. used in this case to refer to ferrets, but may also refer to dogs, cats, or any other pet that is like a child to its owner/pet parent.

the price of ferrenting: vet visits

ferrets are curious little critters. they are full of mischief and mayhem. i'm very well convinced that is right in their DNA code. if you were to do an analysis of their genetic code there would be chaos in the chromosomes. while their antics are part of what make them wonderful pets and awesome companions; their nose for trouble can also cause their ferrents a good deal of worry, stress, and pick their pocket more than a fair bit.

not that i'm complaining in anyway. it's what i signed up for. but it's something that you really never believe until you're in the midst of it. so beckah, are you waxing poetic or is there a point to all of this meandering musing? there is very much a point.

today we had an unexpected vet visit. most of my vet visits lately are turning into unexpected one. in a future blog i'll regale the tale of smokey, the bean box, and the emergency surgery. for now, back to another ferret and another health emergency. it's miss lucy-loo and the case of the ferret squashing.

last night was, for all intensive purposes, a normal night. fry and i were hanging out, the fuzzies were tearing around the house, a semi controlled chaos. we were getting ready to go to bed and fry accidentally stepped on lucy-loo. she had run under one of the poop pads and he didn't see the little tent of her hiding underneath the fabric. luckily he didn't come down on her with his full weight, but enough that she did get mildly squashed.

now, it's very easy to accidentally step on a ferret. they are small and fast and we humans are large and rather slow and bumbling in comparison. and even if you watch your feet they will, on occasion, run from seemingly no where to get in your path. i'd be lying if i said we'd never stepped on one before. we've had tails and paws under feet before. once again, not on purpose, but it happens.

but this time lucy just acted different. she wasn't in shock because her eyes weren't glassy and she was moving. but she just seemed to be off. i can't exactly explain it better than that. i think my ferrent senses were tingling. fry and i decided to put her in the cage with linus for the night so we could easily check on her.

this morning i checked on her. she was still alive *yippee* and her eyes still were not glassy *double yippee* she was aware, but also still not her usual vivacious self. typically when she's in the cage and i'm working during the day she'll wake up, scratch at the bars, chew at them a little, glare at me until i meet her gaze and try everything she can do to get the french toast out of her cage and onto mischief making. today i would take her out to check on her, give her a little ear scratch, and put her back and she'd snuggle into a hammock and go back to sleep.

so i called my vet's office, lake harriet veterinary, in minneapolis. they are seriously awesome people! they arranged for me to bring lucy in as a "drop off." so they fit her in for an exam and blood work in between other appointments. luckily she did not need x-rays because the blood work showed no signs of internal bleeding. doctor's orders are: quiet cage time for a couple days, pain meds each night for three days (with duck soup), and no more running under feet.

i'm so relieved that she's going to be okay. all day a million worries were running through my head and now i feel i can breathe easy. my little girl is home, resting in the cage, and on her way to better health.

so, what is today's price of ferrenting:
eighteen hours of worrying+three hours off from work+fifty miles total to and from minneapolis+one complete ferret exam+one blood work up+three syringes of pain meds (.24 ml total)=thank you kisses from little miss lucy-loo.

yup. it's all worth it.


this picture was taken 6/11/11. linus is kissing his big sister lucy-loo after a vigorous dooking section.

new terminology used in this post:
bean box ~ noun. an enrichment toy consisting of large bucket or box filled with dried beans for ferrets to dig and play in.
dooking ~ verb. intense ferret play which often includes a soft chittering noise and unrestrained tumbling which can result in ferrets falling off furniture causing a brief lull in the dooking session.
duck soup ~ noun. a powdered treat/food supplement. can be given reconstituted with water or sprinkled dry over kibble.
poop pad ~ noun. reusable incontinence pads we use for ferret potty spots around our home.

welcome to the wonderful world of ferrenting!

i am a ferrent. instead of having human babies my babies have fur, four legs, and a tail. i've been a ferrent now for nearly three and a half years. prior to adopting my first ferrets i read information on the internet. i researched what having ferrets would entail. i even talked with people who had ferrets to get the uncensored nitty gritty side of the whole deal. it sounded great and so signed up with stars in my eyes and a song in my heart. ok, well, maybe not a song in my heart, but i signed up and was pretty jazzed about the whole thing. i was over the moon to adopt sundance and cassidy.

and thus began my odyssey. three and a half years later i'm now proud momma to ten furkids. we had eleven, but sadly, on memorial day 2011 our little podo crossed the rainbow bridge into ferret heaven. after talking with other ferrents this past weekend about the trials, tribulations, and titillating world of sharing your home and your heart with ferrets i decided the world needs a ferret blog. not something with a lot of fluff and fantasy about how wonderful fuzzbots are. but something that shares the joys and the challenges.

there are too many ferrets that wind up in shelters, on craigslist, or (my nightmare) being randomly abandoned somewhere. i want to get the true story of ferrenting into the world. being a ferrent is one of the greatest joys of my life. it is also a challenge that i meet with courage and ferocity. these small little mammals will crawl into your life and curl up in your heart if you let them. and you'll never be the same. in a very wonderful way.

new terminology in this post:
ferrenting ~ verb. the process of raising and caring for a ferret.
ferret ~ noun. small mammal of mustelid heritage that enjoys being cared for by doting humans.
furkid ~ noun. nickname for ferret. popular terminology.
fuzzbot ~ noun. nickname for ferret. origin blaine mn, my house.