Tag: Minion

Male Sable

Zoe and Minsc, Part 1

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Introducing Zoe

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A much belated introduction to Zoe, whom we adopted on Memorial Day 2011. This video is from June 12th. Yeah. Almost a month late on posting it. Sorry! I’ve been forgetful on all things website-related lately.

We’ll update the page with some history on Zoe and other pictures soon. Or maybe not-so-soon. But eventually!

Gone Fishing…apparently

We have three water bowls in the ferret cage. Well, 2 water bowls and a bottle, technically. The bowls are there for the ferrets to play in. The bottle is there so they’ll have something to drink after they’re done playing.

This morning Minsc and Minion both were extremely hyper, despite spending the night in the bedroom playpen (bad storms means we want the ferrets close at hand in case we have to hide in closet for tornadoes and the like). They were actively rearranging everything they could in the cage, including spilling the fresh litter. I notice that, while the bottle is full, the two bowls are pretty much empty. So I get a plastic container and go to the sink. As I carry my nice full container over to top off their bowls, the double-Ms frantically redouble their cuteness efforts to try and get me to let them out for more playtime. Sorry guys, I’m already running late for work due to oversleeping, no can do. Besides, I gave you a ferretone treat already as an apology.

I open the cage door, and with one hand I fend off Minion from escape. With my elbow I fend off Minsc, while that same arm directs the pouring of water into their bowls. I fill both bowls, and withdraw, closing the cage up again.

Then I look in the container in my hand.

There’s half an inch of water left in it. And a felt fish toy with a bell inside.

I have no idea where this came from.

Well, I know we got the fish as a toy for Minsc during the weeks he was living alone, waiting for his quarantine to end so he could be integrated with the others. But it disappeared after that, lost in the quagmire of ferret bedding. But I have no idea how it teleported into the container in my hand.

I showed it to Meabh, and after some puzzled staring, put it back in the cage, slightly damp. When I left for work, Minsc had rediscovered his love of fishing, and was busy playing with his newly rediscovered fish.

While sitting in the upper litter bin.

I just hope I don’t come home to a fish toy covered in poop.

Ferret Health and Well-being Update

Jack-Jack continues to thrive with his implant keeping his adrenal tumors at bay. He’s actually gotten a bit plump now, and plays quite well with Minsc.

Minsc and Minion both have implants as preventative measures, although neither showed any symptoms of adrenal issues (we just want to keep it that way).

Ysabell is unfortunately still struggling with the unknown liver disease. She went back to the vet last week, and bloodwork still showed increased levels of liver issue indicators, although they were reduced a little from the previous visit. She’s back on metronidazole, in hopes of continuing to lower said levels.. She Hates it. Capital H there. Its a very bitter medication, and she struggles and fights so much that she always ends up making matters worse. She’s started actively hiding from us, trying to avoid taking it, and I fear even if we heal her she’ll remain skittish and untrusting.

Minsc is always up to no good

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So Minsc was having trouble understanding that he need to go to the bathroom in the litter, not every available corner. That means I had to block all of the corners I could to dissuade him, hence the cardboard tube you see attached to the door. However, he soon discovered that omg it’s a tube must play! As you can see, he likes to crawl in there and gnaw away at the other end. At least he’s happy, right?

Good news!

Ysabell didn’t kill Minsc last night.

We’ve been taking our time socializing the ferrets, letting the older ferrets get used to Squirt. Minsc has his own cage (our one story, folding travel cage) that he lives in alone (with occasional visits from JJ). A few times we’ve put Minsc in the big cage to try and get them all used to living there together (and to spread his smell around it, making him one of the gang). They get shared playtime, however, both in the playroom itself and in the close quarters of the playpen if it’s my morning off work.

Turns out JJ loves to wrestle with Minsc (who mostly just runs away), Minion thinks he’s fun too (Minsc will wrestle with him more than JJ), and Ysabell hates his guts (Minsc squaks like he’s dying the minute she gets near him).

She’s slowly coming out of it, but for the past few weeks she’d approach Minsc, groom him a bit, then latch onto his neck and SHAKE. This would naturally result in lots of squealing from Minsc. I spent a good 10 minutes one day just watching them and yelling “YSABELL!” whenever she got near his neck.

I’ll tell you one thing: she knows her freaking name, that’s for sure.

Everytime, she’d stop and look at me. Maybe shuffle a few steps back. And watch. After a few moments she’d start stretching her neck out to Minsc, which would get her scolded again.

After that little training session she’s been doing better, enough so that we let Minsc sleep in the big cage last night (I’m a light sleeper when it comes to the ferrets, and could be awake and running in less than a minute). I didn’t hear a peep, even when I woke up with insomnia at 5AM.

Pog says there was some squaking earlier today, but for the most part it’s been quiet. This could mean several things: Ysabell is in a good mood today, Minsc is learning not to use the baby squak, or Misnc is getting really good at tiptoeing around Ysabell.

My money is on #3, seeing as I got to watch him tiptoeing earlier tonight. Ysabell stole his bed while he was in the litter bin, and he had to walk by the bed to get to the ramp up. He very quietly got out of the litter and, with his body low to the ground, started slowly walking toward the ramp. All the time he was as quiet as a mouse and stayed out of her sight range.

Smart little thing. He may just survive kit-hood with this bunch after all.

Introducing…Minsc!

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Minsc (aka Squirt aka Blaze) came to us from a couple who dearly loved him, but didn’t have the time available to give him the attention they felt he deserved. He will be well loved (and well sniffed) in his new home!

A bushy-tail example

It can get even fluffier than this, but this is the best video we’ve managed so far. Usually a very bushy tail is accompanied by extreme hyperactivity that makes filming impossible.

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