well i just found the forum todya and must say what a wonderfull resource.
I am currenlty owned by two ferrets. My newest a 4 mth old female badger/blaze named bramble. For a kit she is actually considerably calm and very much a sweetheart. She was a moment of weakness one day in my local petstore, i placed my hand in to pet a masked male and the tiny little fuzzy dove at me from the hammock, clmabered up my arm and began to nuzzle into my neck. At that moment i simple said mine.
My other is a 6yr old silver male named kit. i had him only a month and a half before getting bramble to keep him company.
Kit found his way into my heart while i was working at my local shelter. He was left on the doorstep of
animal control across the street in a small and broken cat carrier (had he had the strenght to push the door it would have opend) with only a wash cloth on the floor, (which he had curled up in as best as possible) bear in mind this was around mid october in connecticut.
One of the volunteers came in saying someone had abandoned a rat acroos the street and noone would be in the office untill monday (this being friday night) she knew i was experienced in rats and so asked me to go take a look.
Turns out to be a ferret.
I reluctantly opend the front, not knowing his history or whether he bit only to find myself face to a wiggling brown splotched nose.
He dindt bite as i picked him up and wrapped him in a large fleece blanket in fact he was too weak to move. He had no hair form the neck down and was serverly malnourished and underweight, his ears were black, and his claws so long theyd actualy turned under and were diggin in his feet. Hed obviously been sitting in that carrier sine thursday night with no food or water and was covered in dirt, both mud and feaces...
I wanted to cry.
But instead i took him home with me that night, clipped his claws and cleaned his ears, gave him a warm bath and fed him duck soup then having no cage placed him in a cardboard box with a hotwaterbottle covered with about 3 inches of fleace blanket.
After taking hiim to the vet the next day they told me he had areanal and that he desperatly neeed the surgery, also telling me that he probably wouldnt survive through the surgery in his current condition, but also wouldnt live longer than a month without.
Put somehting wasnt right, my gut didnt like it so i took him home with an otherwise clean bill of health (i mean other than the extreem negelect) and arranged for a ferret rescues vet to take a look at him.
THe poor mite couldnt move under is own will, and could barley lift his head to eat and drink. (though byu the second day his eyes had already brightend up.
The ferret vet told me that even though it was likely a severe case of adreanal, it wasnt worth operating at that time, the stress alone would kill him, and so told me to bring him back in a month...if he survived the night.
The next few nights were simply me sat by a cardboard box hoping hed make it through the night, and each day was more hand feeding. He spent the first two weeks of life in my home cuddled up between my boobs.
and quickly began to improve. so quickly that by the second week he was temporarily living in a puppy crate.
He soon livend up though had trouble with his back end (the neglect was so severe he has muscle atrophy in his rear and is still trying to build that muscle back up.) and withing a week fine fur started to grow back in. within a month he was a different ferret. lively alert and no longer wanting to just keep warm on 'the pillows'
Whe i went shopping for the cage *my christmass gift* i bought him a christmas gift too, a ''girlfrined" both are fixed and descneted.
They now live happily together and consiering the age gap adore eachother emensly.
At his first month check up it was determind the lump had infact only been a hyper enlarged prostate not an adrenal tumor.
**NOTE**for new owners: ferrets have a slightly enlarged prostate gland. and in kitts case the neglect had caused it to enlargen even more causing what felt to be an adrenal tumor.
Kitt now has a clean bill of health. Hes still a little skinny and needs some fattening up and his hind still tires easily, but its only been about 6 mnths.
**** prolly never have the full fluffy coat bramble has and each shedding he looks scruffier than ever losing a larger amount of fur then normal. But the vet says its nothign to worry about.
They love freetime and wrestling with the dog, the adore helping me 'make' the bed and their favorite game is chase the cat (whos afraid of them)
Both are
litter trained, and even leash trained to a harness, in fact the warm weather arrived and they love to play in the grass. (all the critters in our house (thats ppossible to treat) use the liquid flea and tick prevention the cat and dog both frontline and the fuzzies the top line ferret and kitten formula)
bramble is actually the less wiggly of the two, but when tired the first place kit goes is striaght to my lap.
even after that abuse he is one of the sweetest ferrets ive known.
He is a little head shy and a raised voice sends him trembling, no doubt he was flicked alot. i would have thought that would bring out agressing but nothing...even wrestling (i have think skin and will fuzzy wrestle with them) he knws exaclty how much he can use those razor teeth of his and though bites, he doesnt close his jaw
infact if his mouth is open and you put your finger in his mouth **** leave his mouth wide open till you remove your finger...
Suppose a lil about me then. My name is gemma, im 19, origionally from england, (bolton/manchester) now living in southern CT with my own mini zoo.
Im majoring in animal behaviour and training and a minor in massage therapy.
These are my first set of ferrets (after many a year of longing and 'half' ownership of a trio of my frineds) and befroe them i kept fancy rats. Though we still own rats my real passion is ferrets.
i could never imagine being withut my fuzzies.
And i suppose the moral of my story.
For one, always conisder rescuing a fuzzy in need.
For two, if you have doubts about your vets ferret abilities or just a gut feeling PLEASE get a second opinion!
And three...One ferets fun, two ferrets are a riot. Theyre curious and mischeviosu and HYPER. you cant possibly play as much as another feret frined can. so always consider multiples!
thanks for enduring my long post.
to the group!
Hi there Gemma! Welcome to PT. Sorry I took so long to welcome you... I read your post then re-read it again... then I got side tracked, but hey here I am now!! 
